by Linsey Hall
“Stop growling,” I said. “We’re not here to hurt anyone.”
The growls slowed, but didn’t cease. I reached for the magic that had filled me and pushed some of it out toward them. Instead of moving powerfully, like most of my magic did, it drifted calmly on the air. There was a faint sparkle to it, and it rolled over the animals. As it passed them, they relaxed, their fur flattening out and their growls ceasing.
They still looked at me with wary eyes, but they seemed to get my point. We really weren’t here to mess with anyone. None of them stepped forward, wanting to be friendly and let me act out my fantasies of being Snow White with a bunch of forest friends, but at least they weren’t attacking.
Now what?
I looked down at Romeo. “No idea. I don’t think they’ll attack.”
“They won’t, as long as you keep control of them.” The feminine voice came with a good dose of godly power. It rolled over me, making my insides shake.
I turned, catching sight of a tall woman wearing a knee-length white dress. It flowed easily around her, made of minimal fabric and with no frills that would get in the way. A golden bow was strapped across her back, along with a quiver of arrows. Her dark hair was tied back from her face.
“Artemis?” I stepped forward.
She nodded. “Indeed. And you must be Rowan, the DragonGod.”
“I am. Thank you for giving me your power.”
“You fight for a worthy cause.” Her assessing gaze traveled to Maximus. “And you travel with a worthy companion.”
“I couldn’t do it without him.”
“Perhaps you could, but not as quickly and not as easily. You make a good team.” Her gaze moved back to me. “But you haven’t fully embraced your magic, yet.”
“I used my lightning. And my water gift. And the one from you.”
“But not the gift of Hades. The one that you fear.”
My cheeks burned. “No.”
“The magic of the gods can sense your fear. You must overcome it if you wish to succeed. Prove yourself, here in this forest, or you will never achieve your goals.”
“I have to succeed. The Amazons need me. The world needs me.”
“Then prove you aren’t afraid.”
“How?”
“Use the magic. Use it with confidence and make it yours. No more cringing back.” She smiled. “Now be careful in the forest. It is a dangerous place, even for a DragonGod.”
With that, she disappeared.
I turned to Maximus. “I think she showed up just to give me a lecture.”
His lips quirked up at the corners. “It seems so. But she has a point. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met, Rowan. You don’t need to be afraid of your magic. You can control it. You’ve done it before.”
I swallowed and nodded, knowing he was right. It wasn’t regular, healthy fear that I was feeling. It was a holdover from my time with the Rebel Gods.
“When I was a captive of the Rebel Gods, I was swallowed by their dark magic. I don’t want that to happen again. Not with the dark magic that is inside me. I can’t go back to that.”
“You won’t have to. You can control it.”
I had to. I needed this magic to save the Amazons and to save that village from the Stryx.
Wimping out wasn’t really an option.
“Okay. I’ve got my act together.” I looked at the animals who still surrounded us, their gazes calm and waiting. “Lead us to the Hesperides, please.”
I made my voice firm, but polite. The animals would know every inch of their forest, so I might as well use their expertise.
As a group, they bowed their heads, then turned and began to walk slowly through the trees.
Nice trick. Romeo gave me a thumbs-up. I’d like to be boss like that.
I chuckled and followed the animals, Maximus at my side. As we walked, my newly improved animal hearing picked up on the dozens of heartbeats all around. I heard the slight whistle of the wind through the trees and the crunch of leaves beneath a wolf’s paw.
This was badass.
Slowly, I drew in air through my nose, focusing on the different scents. Dirt, leaves, grass, fur, water. I could pick out each, and it was incredible. Of all the new powers I’d been given, I might like this one the best.
The animals led us through the trees for a while. With every mile we walked, the sky seemed to grow a little darker. It wasn’t night yet, but it was close.
When we entered a clearing, I stopped abruptly, gasping at the sight within.
A castle made of thorns occupied the space, the dying yellow sunlight making it gleam like a deadly trap. It was about a quarter of the size of the Protectorate castle, which made it still pretty big.
“What is this place?”
“It looks like it’s been here a long time,” Maximus answered.
Slowly, I approached it. The thorns were pale and sharp, all of them protruding off of thick vines that looked almost dead.
I turned to a wolf who had stopped next to me. “Are you sure this is it?”
He stared intently at the structure, standing stock still.
He seems sure. Romeo touched it, then shivered and withdrew his hand. Eloise and Poppy were too smart to even bother.
“The Hesperides must be inside.” My gaze traveled over the entire thing, and I frowned. “Did it grow up around them?”
The animals gave me no clue.
“What if the vines have grown through the doors and windows? If we try to break our way in, we could pull the wrong vine and hurt the Hesperides,” Maximus said. “Move one vine the wrong way, and the thorns could stab them.”
He was right. This was a delicate operation.
I reached out and gripped the vine with my hand. They looked dead, but life flowed through them.
We needed the vines to remove themselves, withering away harmlessly.
There was one way to do that.
I swallowed hard, dread uncoiling within me.
Carefully, I drew in a steady breath, forcing the dread away. I still felt it, but I could pretend I didn’t. Mostly.
“I think I can do it,” I said.
Maximus squeezed my arm, understanding. “You’re strong, Rowan. You’ll be fine.”
I nodded, my gaze glued to the vines. I’d done this before, when my life was at stake. I’d been fine. I could do it again. Especially when other people’s lives were at stake.
I trembled, tightening my grip on the vine. I just had to access the death magic. That was all. Not the darkness from the Rebel Gods or any old nightmares. Just Hades’s death magic.
It was natural. Right?
Take their power. Use it. Send them to the underworld. The words that Hades had once whispered in my head echoed through me.
When I’d practiced the magic before—the one time, on the plant in Maximus’s house—I’d imagined my death magic as residing in a bottle with a stopper. I did the same this time, carefully uncorking the bottle in my mind. The magic hesitated at first, as if it knew I didn’t want it.
I didn’t.
But I needed it. And life wasn’t always about getting what you wanted.
Come on.
I reached for the magic, envisioning sucking the life from this plant so it would wither away. The magic rose up within me, dark and bright, like it had been before. It seemed like an impossible concept, but it wasn’t.
This wasn’t necessarily an evil power, but it sucked.
I drew in a shuddery breath and directed the magic toward the plant. Sweat dripped down my temples, and my muscles shook as I carefully fueled the death magic into the plant. I didn’t want it exploding out of me like the lightning had, killing anyone it touched.
Before my eyes, the vine began to wither. It shrunk in on itself, flowing out of the plant and into me. I grew stronger as it happened, feeling like a parasite. A strong parasite.
Damn, I could probably lift a car right now. Though I hated stealing the energy, there was one positive aspe
ct. It made it easier to control my magic. I funneled more and more of the death magic into the vine, taking its life in return. The idea made me slightly queasy, but my muscles felt great. I was no longer trembling or sweating.
Fates, if I didn’t have a conscience, this could become addictive.
The vines withered faster and faster, shrinking on themselves until they began to crumble away. The structure beneath was made of marble. Beautiful columns surrounded a temple, deep in the forest. They were dull with age and lack of care, but the building itself was sound.
“You’ve almost got it,” Maximus said.
I fed a bit more magic into the last of the vines, forcing them to wither and draw back. Finally, the last of them faded away. I removed my hand with a gasp. Energy flowed through me, strength and power. I felt like I’d had a twelve-hour nap and a good breakfast.
I turned to Maximus. “I don’t like that power.”
“It’s not evil.”
“But it’s not fair. I shouldn’t take the life from other things.” I looked at the remains of the withered vines. “It had to be done here. Those vines were trapping the Hesperides. But I don’t like being the one to make the call. Even if they are just plants.” Because what if they aren’t just plants?
Maximus squeezed my arm gently, and he didn’t need to speak to convey his thoughts.
Someone always had to make the hard call. And sometimes, that someone would be me.
Well, I’d done it. And I was going to forget it.
I turned to the animals. “Thank you for your help.”
The crowd of predators stared at me, some inclining their heads.
“You may go.”
They turned and disappeared into the forest. Okay, so I wasn’t Snow White. They weren’t volunteering to do my chores or sing a duet with me. At best, I had their begrudging allegiance. Since the alternative was them trying to eat me, I’d take it.
“Let’s get inside before it’s dark,” Maximus said. “I don’t think we’ll like this forest in the dark.”
I shivered. He had a point. The animals might not attack us, but there was plenty of dangerous magic here.
I looked down at Romeo, Poppy, and Eloise. “Thanks for coming, guys. Don’t feel like you have to stick around.”
We’ll see what kind of trash they’ve got, then we’ll bail.
I grinned. “Fair enough.”
I turned and followed Maximus up the steps that led to the temple. There were only three, but they were wide and grand. Eight marble columns bordered the front of the building, and the massive door that led to the inside was an intricately carved wood. Three maidens danced upon it, surrounded by the light of the setting sun.
The door creaked as Maximus pulled it open, and I’d bet twenty bucks it weighed hundreds of pounds.
We stepped into a massive empty room. Another collection of thorns sat in the middle of the space. It was a pile about ten feet tall and eight feet wide, the vines twisted over each other in a horrible knot.
“Shit.” The space was so quiet that my words echoed off the walls. “There’s no one in here.” I eyed the thorns with dread.
“They’re in there,” Maximus said, pointing to the thorny mass. “Why would it be there, otherwise?”
I shivered as I stopped in front of the thorns, feeling the dark magic that radiated from them. Someone had put a curse on the Hesperides, trapping them within this horrible little prison. I prayed I’d find them alive.
I didn’t hesitate this time, though I still didn’t like it. I pressed my fingertip to one of the thorns. It was easier to call upon the magic inside me, feeding death into the wicked plant.
The vines withered quickly, breaking away to reveal three frozen figures, trapped for ages in a state of shock. The Hesperides were beautiful, three women in bright white dresses trimmed in gold. Dead roses were twined in their hair, and their faces were frozen in an expression of shock and horror. One had brown hair, one blonde, and the last had hair of flames.
The dark magic that I’d felt earlier surrounded them, trapping them. As the last of the vines withered away to the ground, the magic snapped, blowing me backward on a rancid wind.
Coughing on the foul taste, I stumbled away, holding my hand up in front of my face. Maximus grabbed me and pulled me back farther.
When I lowered my arm, the vines and the magic were gone.
“You did it,” Maximus murmured.
“What foul magic was that!?” shrieked the brunette. She dragged the dead roses out of her hair and spun in a circle, her gaze finally landing on us. She pointed. “You!”
“Yes?” I stepped forward, eyeing her warily. She was pissed.
Her two sisters shook themselves, tugging the dead roses out of their hair and glaring at me.
“You trapped us in there, you foul witch!” cried the irate woman.
“I didn’t.” I held up my hands. “I freed you.”
She propped her hands on her hips. “You did not.”
“Yeah, I did. If I’d trapped you in there, why would I have removed the thorns and stuck around?”
“Stuck around? What does this mean?” Her gaze traveled over my clothes. “And what are you wearing? That’s awful.”
I looked down at my jeans and boots. They were a bit battered, but my leather jacket was quite nice. And ages ago, I’d put on my Pink Power lipstick. It was probably mostly gone by now, but I wasn’t looking that bad. “I kind of like it.”
“It’s…it’s…the garb of a man!”
“Ahhhh. I get it.” I shared a glance with Maximus, and he nodded, clearly on the same page. “How long have you been frozen for, do you think?”
“However long you put us in there for.” The brunette stomped toward me, her brow scrunched over her pretty face. She was pissed and she wasn’t about to hide it. Her two sisters followed her.
“It’s the twenty-first century,” I said. “And I’m wearing these clothes because that’s what women wear now.”
She stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw dropping. “The twenty-first?”
“Yes.” I tugged out my cell phone and handed it to her. She took it and stared at it, confused. “That’s a cell phone. If you’re surprised by my jeans, then you’ll definitely be surprised by that. It’ll also convince you I’m right, I bet.”
“What year do you remember last?” Maximus asked.
The shouty one was too busy staring at the phone, her brow scrunched.
“It is the year 1898, of course,” said the blonde.
“It’s definitely not.” I frowned at her. “You’ve been trapped for over a hundred and twenty years.”
“Ugh.” Her blue eyes flashed with ire. “It had to be Demeter, that wicked hoyden. I knew she was angry with us.”
The redhead turned irate eyes on her sisters. “I told you she was coming for vengeance. We never should have stolen her crop.”
“At least she didn’t kill you,” I said.
The three of them scoffed at me.
“As if she’d ever.”
She’d trapped them for over a hundred years in thorny vines. The death thing didn’t seem that out of the question to me, but I didn’t argue. I needed them on my side.
I reached out and retrieved my phone from the brunette, who was still looking at it, dumbfounded.
She glanced up at me, her eyes clearing. “I don’t know what is in that little box, but I do not like it.”
“That’s okay. Are you thirsty? Or hungry?” Maybe Maximus could conjure them something, because ignoring the fact that they’d been trapped for a hundred years without a snack seemed rude.
The Hesperides ignored me. “What do you want? Why did you free us?”
“I am Rowan. I’m a DragonGod and an Amazon. This is Maximus.”
He inclined his head in greeting.
“What are those rats?” The brunette pointed to the corner, and I turned, spotting the Menacing Menagerie.
All three of them looked horrifically offende
d. Poppy’s mouth was hanging open, which really wasn’t a good look for a possum.
I turned back to the Hesperides. “Ah, they aren’t rats. They are the Menacing Menagerie. Formerly the most famous all-animal circus troop in Europe, but now they are primarily interested in your rubbish.”
Her brows rose. “Rubbish?”
“Yes, well, I suppose you don’t have any, given the circumstances. They’ll get over it.” I stepped forward, trying to make my face look pleading. “I need your help, though. The world needs your help.”
“The world?” The blonde seemed intrigued at that. So did her sisters.
“Yes.” I explained about the Stryx and the Amazons and their father. How the satellites were so important to the human militaries, and if they failed, then war would inevitably break out. “And that’s why we need to find Atlas.”
The brunette leaned back and tapped her lip, then looked at her sisters. They didn’t need to speak, but some kind of message passed between them, and they all agreed.
She turned back to me. “What will you give us?”
I stared at her, dumfounded. “What the heck? I just saved you from over one hundred years of captivity.”
“Yes. That was then, this is now. And it seems you need something from us.”
“The world needs something from you,” Maximus said.
“But you’re the ones asking, so we want something from you.”
“Like what?” I asked.
She tapped her chin again. “Hmmm.” Then she began to circle me, like I was prey.
I spun to follow her movements, not liking this one little bit.
“You’ve got quite a lot of power, DragonGod,” she mused. “I think I’d like to see the moon.”
“Um, okay?” I looked between her and her sisters, but they didn’t clarify. And Maximus looked as confused as I was. The Menacing Menagerie couldn’t provide any clarification since they’d bailed shortly after being called rats.
“Well, get to it.” The brunette waved her hands in a hurry up gesture. The other two stared at me expectantly.
“You expect me to show you the moon? You’re nuts.”
“You have the power of Artemis, don’t you? Well, get to it and show me the moon. The sun has just set, but the moon has not yet risen. Make it rise. Speed it up a bit.”