by Linsey Hall
“Definitely Roman.” I could hear the scowl in Bree’s voice.
The faun ran for us. I drew back my dagger and threw. The steel flipped through the air, end over end. When it was nearly to the faun, the little monster dodged, avoiding the blade entirely.
“Holy fates, he’s fast!” Rowan shouted.
He was almost to us—only twenty yards away. He raised an arm, and his claws grew long, over twelve inches.
“Protect the tires!” Bree shouted.
More fauns crept out from behind the pillars, each as evil and rabid looking as the one who had almost reached us.
Ah, fates. If they took out our tires, they could overrun us.
Lachlan drew his sword from the ether and yanked on his safety harness, breaking the line. Quickly, he climbed over the railing, keeping his feet on the hood of the buggy while he hung on with one hand, leaning far out over the dry ground beneath.
“Head right for him!” he shouted back to Bree.
She veered slightly right, lining Lachlan up with the oncoming faun, whose face was drawn back in a ferocious snarl. We were nearly to him, only feet away. Lachlan swiped his sword at the faun, an expert blow that took off his head.
“Nice!” Rowan shouted.
It was, but there were more of them. So many more.
Lachlan shifted over to the front corner of the buggy, hanging off and waiting.
I took up the far-left corner, calling upon my fire magic, feeling it grow inside of me, warm and bright.
“Punch it!” I shouted.
Bree picked up speed, weaving through the pillars of stone. We were so close to the fauns now that I could see the hairs on their legs. Dozens of the monsters rushed toward us, claws glinting in the sunlight.
I released the fire that was filling up my chest, shooting it toward the fauns who were only ten feet away. They shrieked and shrank back, hissing wildly. To my right, Lachlan swung his sword in clean arcs, taking off the heads of any who got too close.
I kept up the barrage, creating a wall of flame between us and the fauns. But one was sneaky. While I was shooting my fire toward the front, he came up from behind, grabbing onto the side of the buggy and nimbly avoiding the poison-coated spikes.
He climbed toward the front tire, his claws ready to slice.
Crap!
I couldn’t divert my flame from the front. There were far too many, and they’d be on us in an instant. So I shifted back, kicking out at the faun, who hissed. He was near Bree now.
“I’ve got him!” she shouted.
Quick as a flash, she drew a dagger from the ether and stabbed, sinking the blade into his neck. I spared one glance backward, spotting the faun as he tumbled off the vehicle.
On the back platform, Rowan fired arrows at the fauns who tried to climb on from behind. They were so damned fast, able to move faster than the buggy, even.
See you later! Muffin jumped off the buggy, careening toward the back to help Rowan. His two companions followed. They sprinted toward the crowd of fauns. Bojangles disappeared right before one of the fauns began to shriek, blood spraying.
He was effective, that cat.
Princess Snowflake III shot fire from her mouth, a look of glee on her face when she turned briefly to face us. Muffin used his wings, flying up to attack the heads.
“Almost there!” Bree shouted.
I turned back to the front, spotting wide-open space between the last of the arches. Bree stepped on the gas even harder, taking advantage of the straight shot toward freedom. I crouched low, keeping my balance as I fed more power to my flame.
“There’s more!” Lachlan shouted.
I glanced right, spotting a horde of the fauns, so many that we could never fight them off if they caught us.
I searched for Muffin. “Get back here, Muffin!”
The cats were deep in the crowd of fauns, wreaking havoc, blood and burned flesh flying left and right. But there were too many fauns. The cats streaked away from the monsters and raced for the car, then leapt onto the back platform to join Rowan.
“Give it everything!” I shouted to Bree.
The buggy made one last jump in speed, and we careened out of the arches. The fauns followed, racing behind us, gaining speed with every step, and Muffin climbed up to join me on the front platform.
I like this place.
I shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re crazy.”
“There’s a ravine up ahead!” Lachlan shouted.
“I see it!” Bree veered the buggy toward a ramp of land on our side of the ravine, which had to be forty feet wide if it was an inch.
Holy fates.
She was going to jump it!
We’d practiced the maneuver in our own buggy, but never in Mini Mouse. I didn’t even know if the vehicle was capable.
But one look back at the horde of rabid fauns made it clear—we didn’t have a choice.
“Everyone, hold on!” Bree shouted.
Lachlan climbed back onto the front platform and crouched low, hanging onto the safety bars. I did the same, gripping tightly.
This was dumb as hell, but I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. Wind tore at my hair as we approached the natural ramp, driving up over the sloped earth.
Then we were airborne.
My stomach dropped as we sailed over the giant ravine.
Come on, come on!
The other side looked so far away. Would we make it?
Muffin meowed. I think I’m going to lose my tuna.
The buggy started to drop, gravity taking its inevitable toll.
Oh fates, we were still so far away.
We’d never make it. Not at this rate.
6
Somehow, we made it. The buggy slammed down onto the ground on the other side with barely an inch to spare. I nearly puked, the adrenaline and the bounce making my stomach lurch.
Yep, gonna lose my tuna!
I glared at Muffin. “No talking about tuna!”
Just the thought of the smell made me gag.
The buggy slowed to a halt. Beside me, Lachlan stood. I turned, heart thundering, to check on my sisters. Bree and Rowan were both wide-eyed and pale, while Princess Snowflake III looked pissed as hell. Bojangles had a ridiculous grin on his face, of course.
Behind us, the fauns shrieked and foamed at the mouth. Several of them leapt off the cliff, trying to reach us.
“Wow, they’re determined,” I muttered.
They’re idiots.
“True enough, Muffin.” I looked up at Lachlan. “You okay?”
“Fine.” Color was returning to his face, at least.
Rowan began to laugh like a loon. “That was amazing!”
I turned back to her, a grin on my face. She met my gaze, her eyes bright. Then the smile faded.
What the heck?
I turned to see whatever she was seeing.
In front of our buggy, a massive cougar prowled. The cat was enormous, with sleek tan fur and brilliant gold eyes. His lips pulled back from his long fangs as he growled.
Muffin’s little jaw dropped. Whoa.
Before I could process what to do, or Bree could step on the gas, Lachlan leapt off the front platform. Magic sparked as he shifted midair, and he landed on the ground as a lion. His black fur glinted in the sun, sleek and shiny.
He roared, the sound shaking my bones, and prowled toward the other cat. They were evenly sized, two enormous predators who looked ready to tear into each other.
My gaze darted between them, fear chewing at my nerve endings.
“Are they going to fight?” Bree asked.
“I don’t know.” I hoped not.
Lachlan prowled closer, his muscles rippling beneath his fur. The cougar made a growling sound that came straight from the depths of hell.
I’m going to go help our boy. Muffin made to jump off the platform, but I grabbed his skinny back.
“No.” I squinted at the cougar. “Something is wrong.”
&nb
sp; He didn’t feel evil. There was no dark magic sparking off of him.
Lachlan stopped in his tracks.
He felt it, too.
The cougar was a good guy. I was sure of it. Even my druid sense was screaming that they shouldn’t fight.
“He’s not evil,” Bree said.
I turned to her. “Can you feel that?”
She and Rowan both nodded. As one, we turned and shouted, “Don’t fight! We’re on the same side.”
The cougar tilted his head, like he was trying to figure us out. Lachlan’s magic swelled, and he shifted back to human form.
“Okay, that’s a risk,” Bree said.
“Brave dude,” Rowan said.
“Idiot.” I scowled. The cougar hadn’t agreed we were all on the same side, so it was freaking premature to shift back. Lachlan had his magic, but that cougar had big-ass fangs and could tear into his belly in a second.
Lachlan raised his hands. “We’re not here to cause trouble.”
The cougar crouched low, growling.
The hair on my neck stood on end.
Ah, crap. This wasn’t going well.
“We’re just trying to pass through,” Lachlan said.
The cougar looked from Lachlan to us, then to the fauns who were still shrieking on the other side of the ravine. Finally, he stopped growling.
A moment later, golden magic swirled around him, and he shifted into the form of a man. Ink-black hair and sun-browned skin complemented the leather breeches and vest he wore. A bow and arrow were strapped over his back. He looked like one of the Native Americans who’d lived here before white folks had come in and caused a mess.
“Who are you?” His voice was rusty, as if from disuse, but the command was clear.
“I’m Lachlan Munroe.” He gestured to us. “And these are my friends.”
“Ana.” I waved.
“Bree.”
“Rowan.”
The cats meowed.
Fates, we were a weird group.
“What are you doing here?”
I climbed off the buggy and approached. “Trying to pass through. Our friends are at Hider’s Haven, and we need to get to them.”
“You’re not with them?” He pointed to the fauns. “Or with the other new monsters?”
“No.” I shook my head sharply. “So they are new. We thought so. We’ve never seen them in the desert before.”
A scowl creased his brow. “Very new. The desert has changed in the past two days.” He made a sweeping gesture with his arm. “This place is different. A half realm full of new monsters from a faraway land.”
Ah, so that was it. The fates must have created some kind of half realm here in order to bring their Roman monsters.
“Italy,” I said. “They’re from Roman myth.”
His scowl grew deeper. “Damned Romans, always conquering.”
“I’m not a fan of them myself,” I said. “I think this half realm is now here because we’re here. Because our friends are in Hider’s Haven. The ones who brought these monsters here are called The Fates. They want us for some reason. They’ve been kidnapping our friends.”
“So these monsters are here to capture you,” he said.
“Yes,” I said.
The man nodded. “If they step foot out of the haven, they’ll be here, surrounded by enemies. But if you can get them out, then perhaps these new monsters will leave.”
“I think so.” But man, it was going to be tough to get Ali and Haris out of there if these monsters were waiting for us at the haven’s exit.
He nodded, clearly having decided. “Fine, I will help you get to the haven. I am called Puma Spirit in your language.”
“Thank you, Puma Spirit.”
He shook my hand, then Lachlan’s. He pointed to the buggy. “Let’s go. That is fastest.”
We climbed on, with Puma Spirit on the front platform with Lachlan. I joined Rowan at the back.
Puma Spirit turned to Bree. “Drive toward the setting sun, heading west. There is an exit from this half realm at the other side of the valley. It will put you at Hider’s Haven.”
Bree drove us toward the setting sun, which was still a couple hours from reaching the horizon. The drive was uneventful for the first fifteen minutes, until the mirage appeared on the horizon.
I squinted and shielded my eyes against the sun. “What is that?”
“Looks like a half-built castle,” Bree said.
“Your eyes are good.” Puma Spirit nodded. “It is the half-finished castle of the Princess of the Timbisha Shoshone people.”
“Why is it half finished?” I asked.
“She was a cruel mistress, forcing her people to build her a castle. At first, they did it because they loved her and royalty was sacred. But she became crueler over time, until they were no more than slaves.”
“That’s terrible.” I loved castles, but not that one.
“It was. Finally, she worked her own daughter to death. It was only upon the loss of her child that she realized what she had done to her people. By then, most had died. The rest left her and the unfinished castle, escaping to another place.”
“So she stayed there alone?” Bree asked.
“Not for long. Soon after everyone left, she died of fever. Alone.”
I couldn’t help but think it was a fitting fate. Tragic, of course, but she’d destroyed her people. Killed her own daughter.
As we neared it, I caught sight of the beautiful structure. It was an enormous place of half-finished walls and incomplete towers. The architecture was different from all the other castles I’d seen, since they were European, but it was gorgeous.
Bree kept the buggy a safe distance from the castle. We hadn’t passed it yet, but when we did, we’d be over a mile to the left.
“What’s that?” Rowan’s voice dragged my attention to the front of the buggy.
In the distance, there was a dark line across the horizon.
“It’s soldiers,” Bree said. “A lot of them.”
“Roman?” I asked.
“From the look of their clothes and armor, yes. And they have war elephants.”
“Definitely Roman.” I cursed.
“They’re blocking our way,” Puma Spirit said. “There are too many of them for us to get past safely. Even if we broke through the line, the rest would close in.”
He was right. We were just barely close enough that I could make out thousands of soldiers. My heart began to pound.
“Go to the castle,” Puma Spirit said.
I whipped toward him. “There?”
“It’s our only shelter. We’ll beg the princess for protection.”
“She’s there?” Lachlan asked.
“Her ghost is. And she’s powerful.”
“No offense intended,” Rowan said, “but she sounds like a real selfish bitch.”
“We will have to hope she has learned her lesson,” he said.
“So you haven’t visited her before? You don’t know she’s learned her lesson?” I asked.
“Only once have I visited the castles, and I did not speak to her.” He shook his head. “We will have to hope for the best.”
Muffin, who sat in the passenger seat, meowed. I’ll charm her.
“Sure you will,” I said.
Bree turned the buggy toward the shadowy castle, driving so that we were parallel with the line of soldiers that was closing in. They were fast, even on foot, and by the time we neared the castle, I could see their shields.
There were so damned many of them.
Up close, the castle lost its mirage-like appearance. It just looked…sad. But as we passed through, my skin prickled with awareness.
The ghost of the princess was definitely here. I could feel her gaze on me.
“Creepy,” Rowan muttered next to me.
“No insults,” Puma Spirit said.
Rowan blushed. “Sorry.”
I squeezed her hand, shooting her a look that said I agreed. It was damned cr
eepy here.
The buggy rolled through a great open arch that marked the perimeter of the castle, entering a courtyard filled with dry scrub brush and surrounded on all sides by half-finished walls. The air was cooler, and shade stretched across the ground.
“Stop here,” Puma Spirit said.
Bree hit the brakes.
“We wait.” Puma Spirit leaned against the safety rail, his arms crossed over his chest.
I did the same, though just standing here was hell on my nerves. The Romans were approaching, getting closer with every minute. I could just imagine their war elephants trundling along, ready to knock down the walls and stomp on us. Not that they’d need to. There were no doors. We’d driven right in, and so could they.
I glanced at Rowan, worried.
Was this really our best plan? Waiting in this sad shell of a castle, hoping a ghostly princess would come help us?
Then again, we didn’t have much choice. Puma Spirit was right about the oncoming army. Even if we broke through their lines, they could close in on us from the sides, too many to defeat.
So we waited.
The hair on my arms stood on end as anxiety raced through me.
Come on. Come on.
I wanted to jump up and yell, “Princess!”
But yeah, that wouldn’t work.
Finally, the air chilled to freezing. I straightened, senses on high alert. A shockwave rolled out through the castle, icy cold. I stumbled, barely keeping myself upright.
Puma Spirit’s shoulders relaxed. “She is here. The castle is protected.”
“For now.” The voice was as cold as the air, and even more regal.
I turned to find the owner and spotted a transparent white ghost in the middle of the courtyard. She was so skeletal that she looked like she barely had any flesh on her bones. But her dress was beautiful—an incredible piece of artwork embroidered and beaded with thousands of decorations. Her hair, which would have been dark if she weren’t a ghost, was piled high on her head. Black eyes burned into me.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
Puma Spirit knelt, his head bowed.
On instinct, I dropped to my knees as well. My sisters and Lachlan did the same. Then the cats bowed. Even Princess Snowflake III.
Clearly, she knew this was a big freaking deal. With the Roman army coming for us, we really needed the favor of the evil princess.
