by Kate O'Hearn
Astraea knew they were lying. If they had been followed from the moment they arrived, the Mimics would have known that Jake and Tryn had left and not been devoured by Lergo. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you do,” the Mimic said calmly. “But what you don’t realize is what you’re up against. If you encounter one of us, you encounter us all. If you kill one of us, we all know it. So we know what you did on Titus with our Vulcan and Lyra and in the nectar orchards. We also know it was you on Tartarus who freed the others. You have taken the Olympian and Titan leadership and hidden them away from our grasp. You and your spawn friends have disrupted our plans, but you have not stopped us. However, even that is over. You will tell us where Jupiter and the others are, and then you will die.”
“Why should I tell you if you’re just going to kill me?” Astraea said.
“Because your answer will determine how you and your friend die. Either fast and painless or slow and very uncomfortable. The choice is yours.”
“I’ll take slow and uncomfortable, please,” Zephyr said.
Astraea looked back at Zephyr. She was surrounded by Shadow Titans. But her eyes weren’t on them. They weren’t even on Astraea or the Mimics. They were watching the ocean.
Astraea followed her gaze and saw the glow rising from the shoreline. The creature that had tried to attack them earlier in the day was still there. Only now that it was night, its glow had increased.
Astraea looked from the ocean back to the Mimics. They didn’t seem to notice it. Or if they did, they didn’t care. “If I tell you what you want to know, can I choose how I die?”
“Is this some kind of trick?” the Mimic demanded. “If it is, you would be a fool to try it. There is no escape for you, and should you attempt anything against us, your end would be more unpleasant than you could imagine.”
Astraea shook her head. “How could it be a trick? You have all the power, and I am just a spawn with a broken leg. But I want to ask: If I must die, can it be in the water? My mother’s family were water nymphs. In fact, I am only the second generation out of water. You seem to care so much about family; you must understand that I want to die in the home of my people.”
“You did not originate on this world,” the Mimic said.
“True, but water is water. If you let me die there, I will tell you where Jupiter is.”
“Astraea—no—you—can’t,” Zephyr called. “You—can’t—betray—Jupiter…”
Astraea looked back at her friend. Zephyr was the worst actor ever. If they somehow managed to survive this, she was going to ask the Muses to teach her how to act.
“What’s the point of trying to trick them?” she said. “They are more powerful than us. If I must die, I want it to be in the water!” Astraea looked back at the Mimic. “Well, do we have a deal?”
The Mimics looked at each other and spoke in their unfamiliar language. Finally the one before her nodded. “All right, spawn. If you tell us what we want to know, we will end you swiftly in the water.”
“Hey, I want the same deal!” Zephyr cried. “If she gets to go into the water, I want to go too. My grandfather is Neptune, and he’s from the ocean.”
“I see no reason not to grant your request,” the Mimic said cordially. It lifted its hand to its mouth and spoke into the metal device again. “Carry this spawn into the water up to your knees and allow the other to follow.”
The Shadow Titan started to walk, holding Astraea up by the arm.
Zephyr was still surrounded by Shadow Titans but was led to the shore beside her.
Astraea looked out at the water and saw the glow of the ocean monster waiting just offshore. The Mimics still hadn’t noticed the glow. This convinced her even more that they couldn’t see very well. Perhaps it was only at night that their vision was weak, but in any case, she hoped she could use it against them.
When she was carried into the surf, the Shadow Titans turned to face the beach. The Mimics had walked closer but stayed out of the water.
“All right, spawn. We have done as you asked. You will die in water. Now, tell us, where are Jupiter and the others?”
Astraea knew this was it. Life or death. She was gambling with her life and Zephyr’s. She wasn’t even sure this would work. “Use your talking device to tell the Shadow Titan to release me. You know I can’t run or swim away, so there’s no need for him to hold me up.”
The Mimic eyed her suspiciously. “So you know about our communicators. Fine, but it will gain you nothing. The Shadows are ours to command.” It raised its hand to its mouth. “You may release the Titan. She can’t run anywhere.”
The Shadow Titan released Astraea’s arm. She landed in the ocean on her good foot and kept the broken leg raised. Putting her hands behind her back, she started to wiggle her hands and fingers at the water, hoping to attract the monster.
“Well?” the Mimic said.
“Oh yes,” Astraea mused, wiggling furiously. “You want to know where Jupiter and the leadership are?”
“You know we do,” said the Mimic.
“Astraea—wait—stop—don’t—tell—them…,” Zephyr called flatly.
“I must,” Astraea said to Zephyr. “So now, my dearest friend, a friend I have had all my life, that I consider a sister. Now we must both prepare for what’s coming. We have lived a short life, and now our end is almost here.…”
“You are wasting precious time,” the Mimic cut in. “It will gain you nothing. Just tell us where Jupiter is!”
Astraea paused and turned toward Zephyr. But her eyes weren’t on Zephyr. They watched the water behind her. The glow was intensifying. “Yes, um, Jupiter, well, he’s is on Rhean. That’s another world the Olympians used to visit.”
The four Mimics looked at each other and spoke. Then the one said, “You are lying to us. Everyone knows Rhean was destroyed in a supernova. Did you really think you could trick us, you foolish little spawn?”
“Well, I had hoped…,” Astraea said. “But if you seriously expect me to betray Jupiter, you’re not only ugly, but you’re crazy as well!”
The four Mimics moved closer to the water’s edge, and the one who was doing all the talking stood before her. “It could have been so quick and painless for you. But now you will understand fully what we are capable of.” It raised its hand, and a tendril appeared and shot out toward Astraea.
14
“ASTRAEA, NOW!” ZEPHYR REARED UP and kicked the closest Shadow Titan into the path of the deadly tendril. Then she bucked and kicked several more Shadows with her back hooves. She charged at Astraea just as the ocean creature rose out of the water and swam straight at them.
Astraea reached out, caught hold of Zephyr’s mane, and swung up and onto her back as her friend opened her wings and took off into the dark sky. Beneath them, the ocean creature burst onto shore. With its massive mouth open, it caught hold of three Mimics and then slithered back into the water. The fourth Mimic stood in stunned silence, as though it didn’t quite understand what had just happened.
“Zephyr, I have an idea. Swoop down on the Mimic!” Astraea reached up to her neck and pulled the two snakes free. “I’m so sorry, you two, but we really need your help—please, if you can understand me, bite the Mimic!”
“It won’t work,” Zephyr called. “They haven’t bitten Jake. Their venom hasn’t been changed.”
“I know, but I’ve been trying to figure out how biting Jake can change them. It doesn’t make sense. I just need to try. Get us down low enough for me to do that.”
When Zephyr swooped in low, Astraea dropped the two snakes on the Mimic’s bulbous head. A tendril shot out of the Mimic and reached for Zephyr’s hoof, but she was faster and pulled away.
Zephyr turned in the sky and headed back. “I told you, it won’t work, not without Jake.”
Astraea’s heart sank. The snakes did need to bite a human to be deadly to Mimics. But as Zephyr soared over the Mimic’s head, she watched the Mimic start to mel
t.
“Zeph, Zeph, wait, turn around again, go back, I think it’s working!”
Zephyr swooped around again and looked down on the melting Mimic. “Whoop, whoop! That’s fantastic!” She landed in the sand. “Hey, look, the Shadow Titans aren’t moving.”
Zephyr was right. Without the Mimic to tell them what to do, the Shadow Titans stood like statues on the sand.
“Take us down,” Astraea called. “I have to get the snakes out of the Mimic goo before it kills them.”
Zephyr landed and kept a watchful eye on both the stationary Shadow Titans and the ocean. The glowing monster was still onshore, but not moving.
“I think eating the Mimics killed it,” Zephyr said. “Look, its glow is fading.”
Astraea looked at the massive monster and felt a tinge of guilt. They had caused its death. “I’m sorry,” she called softly to it.
“What?” Zephyr cried. “That thing would have eaten us if it got the chance.”
“Yes, but that’s its nature,” Astraea said. “We can’t blame something for its nature. It is a predator—we are its prey. I’m just sorry we’re responsible for its death.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you,” Zephyr said.
Astraea slid off Zephyr’s back and landed on her good leg. She lowered herself down to the sand and crawled over to the Mimic puddle. “There are the two snakes. We have to get them out of there.”
“Wait here.” Zephyr galloped up to the edge of the jungle and returned with a stick. She dropped it beside Astraea. “This should do it.”
“Thanks, Zeph.” Astraea used the stick to pull the two unconscious snakes out of the puddle. She also reached for the metal cylinder that the Mimic used to control the Shadow Titans.
Crawling to the ocean’s shore, she rinsed off the snakes. When they were clean, she held them in her hands and looked down on them sadly. “I feel so bad about doing that.”
“I don’t,” Zephyr said. “We now know that the snakes are deadly to Mimics without needing to bite humans.”
Astraea looked up at Zephyr. “Do you think the Mimics were telling the truth? That they can feel when other Mimics die and they know who caused it?”
Zephyr snorted. “Well, they recognized us easily enough. I do believe it.”
Astraea nodded. “Then others will be coming here to see what happened to them. They’ll know it was us.”
Zephyr nodded. “We’d better go.”
Astraea shook her head. “We can’t. We have to check on the centaurs.”
“Astraea please, no,” Zephyr said sadly. “Don’t make me go back there and see what the Shadow Titans did to them. It will hurt too much, especially after everything the centaurs have done for us. Just let them be. I’m so sorry I never got to say goodbye or even a proper thank-you after they built that sled for me.”
“I know,” Astraea agreed. “But Zeph, I have to check. We don’t know for sure if they’re dead. Maybe they’re just hurt. We can’t leave without checking.”
Zephyr dropped her head. “You’re right. We owe them that much.”
Astraea rose and leaned heavily on Zephyr as she hopped toward the cave. Just outside it, they found Darek where the Shadow Titans deposited him. But Cylus and Render were gone.
She dropped to the ground and checked on Darek. He had a huge lump on his head but was breathing. “Zeph, he’s alive!”
“Thank the stars!” Zephyr lowered her head to Darek. “That’s some lump. He’s going to have a terrible headache when he wakes up.” She looked around. “Where are Cylus and Render?”
The giant snake appeared at the entrance to the cave. It approached them, hissed, and then vanished inside. “That’s what happened,” Zephyr said. “It’s taken Cylus and Render inside to eat.”
“I don’t think so. Look, it wants us to go in there.”
“How do you know?” Zephyr said. “It could have been a warning to stay out. Or maybe it’s mad at us because it couldn’t have Darek.”
“You’re just saying that because you don’t like the snakes.”
“No, it’s because they all turn into monsters like Lergo when they grow up. And it likes to eat big things like us.”
“Well, I don’t agree with you,” Astraea said. “And I’m going in there.”
“Are you crazy? What if they’re still hungry?”
“Trust me, Zeph, the snakes aren’t dangerous.”
Zephyr sighed heavily, but let Astraea lean on her as they started to pick their way around the rocks and into the cave. Once they were in, they saw Cylus and Render toward the back, surrounded by snakes.
“I told you,” Zephyr said. “They plan to eat them.”
“No, they don’t,” Astraea insisted. “Look at them; they’re protecting them.” She went down to her knees, and the snakes cleared a path for her to go to the centaurs. “See? I was right. They were protecting them.”
“That’s impossible. They’re just snakes. Why would they?”
“Because they’re intelligent and sensitive. Look at Nesso. She’d do anything for Jake.”
“Yes, because she bit him, and they’re connected.”
“Maybe it wasn’t the bite. Maybe they’re all sweet. The centaurs were in trouble, so they helped them.” When she reached Render, she saw the large wound that pierced his shoulder, but his chest moved regularly. “Zeph, look, he’s alive too!”
“But—but I don’t understand,” Zephyr cried, “the Shadow Titans said they were dead.”
“Maybe they can’t tell the difference between unconscious and dead.”
“Go check on Cylus,” Zephyr said excitedly. When Astraea was beside the fallen centaur, Zephyr called. “Please tell me he’s alive too.”
Cylus was covered in blood, and there was a large wound that went from his stomach through to his back. At first Astraea didn’t feel anything, and her heart crashed. But then there was a very weak breath. “He’s alive, but barely.”
“How?” Zephyr cried. “I saw that Shadow’s sword go right through him.”
“I don’t know. It got him right were his torso joins the equine part of his body. He’s still bleeding.” Astraea tore a large piece of her tunic off and pressed it to both sides of Cylus’s wounds. “He needs help. He’s alive now, but he won’t be for long.” She looked at the centaur’s pale face. “Just hold on, Cylus. Please, hold on.…”
“He needs ambrosia,” Zephyr said. “Stay here with them. I’m going to check on Darek again.” Zephyr walked forward and reached for something on the ground. She carried it to the back of the cave and dropped it beside Astraea. It was Cylus’s bow. She then carried over his quiver of arrows. “You may need to fight the Mimics if they come back.” Zephyr paused. “Better yet, just throw more snakes at them; that seems to work.”
Astraea didn’t say anything to Zephyr’s comment. She felt guilty enough dropping the two snakes down onto the Mimic. It felt like a betrayal.
Time seemed to stand still as Astraea stayed with Cylus, pressing fabric to his front and back wound. Beside her, Render stirred and moaned. “Take it easy, Render. You’ve got a bad wound. It’s stopped bleeding, but it could start again.”
“Wha-what happened? There were…”
“Shadow Titans,” Astraea said. “You fought very bravely, but you were stabbed.”
“What about Cylus and Darek?”
“Cylus has been badly hurt. I can’t get his bleeding to stop. Darek is still outside the cave. They hit him in the head and he’s unconscious. Zephyr’s with him.”
“No, she’s not,” Darek appeared at the entrance with his hand pressed to the back of his head. He clopped in and made it to the back of the cave. “Zephyr told me what happened—that’s great news about the snakes.”
“What about the snakes?” Render asked weakly.
Astraea told him about their discovery that the snakes didn’t need to bite humans to be deadly.
“That is good news,” Render said. “I just hope we live l
ong enough to share the information with the others.”
“Me too.” Darek knelt beside Astraea and checked on Cylus. “This isn’t good.”
“I know,” Astraea said. She looked back to the entrance. “Where’s Zephyr?”
“She’s gone to check something. She said she’ll be right back.”
“Gone where?”
“I don’t know. She said something about Mimics not seeing very well in the dark, and then flew off. I think she might be doing a patrol to make sure more aren’t coming after us.”
“Hand me my bow,” Render said weakly. “We have to be prepared for more.”
“You’re not moving!” Astraea said. “You lost a lot of blood. Just stay still for a bit. I’ll watch the cave.”
Darek reached for his bow, loaded an arrow, and pointed it at the entrance of the cave. “You take care of Cylus. I’ll keep watch.”
As the time passed, the two unconscious snakes in Astraea’s lap stirred. “I’m so sorry I did that to you,” she said to them. She expected them to leave her after what she’d done. Instead they slowly made it up to her neck and settled down. This was the best thing they could have done to ease her guilt.
They soon heard movement outside the cave. “It’s just me. Don’t panic,” Zephyr called. She trotted in. “All right, I’ve got good news and bad news. What do you want first?”
“Bad news,” Darek said.
“There is a Mimic camp not far from here, back in the direction we came from. It’s inside the jungle right before the beach starts. So it was Mimics and Shadow Titans that Cylus was feeling. Probably waiting for us to lead them to the snakes.”
“Which we did,” Astraea said glumly.
“True,” Zephyr said. “There are about six or seven Mimics left there and a few Shadow Titans.”
“So what’s the good news?” Render asked.
Zephyr looked at him. “That you three are alive.”
“That’s the best news,” Astraea agreed.
“And,” Zephyr continued, “the Mimics have a campfire.”
