by Linsey Hall
They hurried out of the way, pressing their backs against the buildings. I shot into the air, spotting the demons as the last one turned onto the desired street.
Jackpot.
I called on my gift over water, reaching for the liquid in the fountain. My power surged immediately, my wings making my gift so much more reliable.
I envisioned hundreds of gallons of water shooting up from the ground below, and it did as I commanded. I directed the huge wash of water down the street. It roared and crashed against the building walls, catching up with the soldiers and bowling them over. They shouted and flailed, but the water was too deep and too fast.
More. More!
The water surged, washing them down the street toward the amphitheater. I sent them crashing down the steps, where I commanded a massive wave from the ocean to pick them up off the stage and suck them into the sea.
Power rushed through me, making me feel invincible. I loved having my magic anchored inside me. The control was amazing.
I grinned as the last of the water drained away, and flew back to my friends. I landed quietly.
“Wow, you’ve really come into your own,” Nix said.
“Thanks.” It meant a lot, coming from her. The things I’d seen Nix do would blow any supernatural’s mind. “Let’s go.”
“The eternal flame is close,” Cade said.
“Good, because I hear more company,” Del said.
We spilled out into a courtyard a moment later, right in front of a massive temple that looked just like the one back in Kart-hadasht.
“The eternal flame is in there.” I pointed.
A dozen demons ran out of the temple, weapons raised. Guards.
The ones on the edges threw fireballs. I dived left, narrowly avoiding one. My leg was still burning from where I’d gotten hit earlier, and I was clumsy.
Cade hurled his shield at one of the fire demons, taking its head. Next to me, Nix drew her bow, beginning to fire. Ana threw one of her daggers, and Del raced toward the demons fearlessly, confident in her Phantom form’s ability to protect her. Cass shot a lightning bolt and hit a demon square in the chest.
I drew my sword and shield and ran for the nearest demon, stowing my wings away.
The demon was at least eight feet tall, his sword a huge sweep of iron. He swung it as I neared, and I slid low, under the slice of the blade.
I swiped out with my sword, taking out one of his legs with a deep gash.
He roared as I hopped to my feet on the other side of him and thrust my blade into his back. He yanked away, spinning and bringing his blade toward me.
I jumped back, unable to avoid him entirely. His blade sliced against my stomach, sending a shot of pain through me. I gasped, but it wasn’t deep.
I ducked low, narrowly avoiding his second stroke, and plunged my blade into his heart.
His eyes widened with shock.
I kicked him in the stomach, dislodging him from my blade.
Pain twisted his features. As he fell, he hissed, “They’re coming.”
Damn. He had to mean the Rebel Gods.
He crashed to the ground.
I turned, searching the courtyard. The demons were all felled, quickly disappearing back to their underworlds. My friends raced for the temple. I followed, sprinting up the steps.
“The Rebel Gods are coming,” I shouted as we entered. “As quick as you can, Nix.”
“On it!” She ran for the eternal flame, which burned brightly in the middle of the empty, austere temple.
It emitted a magic that hit me straight in the gut. Memories flitted in my mind, but they were so shadowy that I couldn’t place them.
But it was familiar somehow. Definitely familiar.
I shook my head and turned from the flame.
“Everyone take your places!” I said.
We split up, each taking a spot in the temple, ready to defend Nix as she worked. I was positioned about ten feet in front of her, next to Ana, who would use her shield to protect her. The others scattered around the temple.
I raised my sword and shield. My wings were unfurled. I could take flight at any moment. Tension sang across my skin as I waited for the Rebel Gods. The guards had called them. They were coming.
But could we fight them?
When a voice crackled out of my comms charm, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“We’ve got the documents,” Caro said. “We’re getting out.”
“Hurry,” I said, my gaze glued to the door.
Come on. Come on.
I glanced back at Nix. She knelt next to the flame, her hand stretched out and glowing blue. At her side sat an ugly black rock. It was probably the vessel into which she was transferring the magic.
Nix had to hurry, or we’d be in for a real fight. Tension felt like spiders crawling over my skin as I waited, readiness pulling my muscles tight.
“Halfway there!” Nix said. “There’s a lot of power here.”
I bounced on my feet.
Come on.
Then she stepped through the door. The woman. Again, she was slicked with shiny black oil, her eyes burning bright from within her face. Her magic rolled over me like a wave, sucking the breath from my lungs.
Three Rebel Gods surged into the room behind her. Their magic exploded into the temple, signatures so strong that they made my eyes water. The scent of sulfur, the sounds of screams, the taste of blood.
A huge man who was surrounded by flurries of snow charged Del, who powered up her icicle gift and hurled a huge one at him. He smacked it aside with his hand. It shattered against the wall.
Cade charged a huge god with horns bedecked in gold, while Cass leapt for a goddess who wore a Greek style dress. She dripped blood from her skin, as if she were sweating it.
I took flight, hovering over the woman.
“Hey, you!”
She looked up, green eyes glinting. The black oil that slicked her skin glowed in the light of the eternal flame. Her magic rushed over me like ice. I raised my shield, my heart pounding
She hurled a lightning bolt at me. Thunder cracked in the temple, deafening. My eardrums ached as I dodged, narrowly avoiding the blast. It plowed into the ceiling above, smashing apart the marble, which plummeted.
“Look alive, Ana!” Terrified, I glanced toward Nix and Ana.
The rocks bounced off Ana’s shield, and Nix was hard at work, her brow creased.
I turned back to the woman. Mayhem darted around the air, trying to get close enough to blow fire at the woman. But her flame was coming in tiny puffs—she’d used most of it up already.
I threw my dagger. She darted left. I called my other dagger from the ether, throwing it as she heaved another bolt of lightning at me.
I dodged as the lightning cracked toward me.
My dagger’s blade sliced through her arm as the lightning bolt hit me in the foot. Pain surged and I tumbled through the air, briefly losing control.
I slammed to the ground, right next to Cass, who wrestling with the blood-covered god. Mayhem flew circles around me, guarding.
Aching, I scrambled to my feet and took to the air again, hurling another dagger at the woman.
She shrieked and threw another lightning bolt. I dived away, but the ceiling shattered, half of it raining down. I barely managed to avoid being crushed.
The horned Rebel God howled as one of the giant stones landed on his shoulder. It gave Cade the advantage, and he leapt on the god.
“Almost there!” Nix yelled.
“Get her!” shrieked the blood-covered Rebel God.
Below, the woman hurled another bolt of lightning at me. I dodged, easily avoiding it. Had it been weaker?
Was she flagging?
Her shoulders were slightly slumped.
“Closer!” Nix yelled.
We were so close. Where was Jude, though? Had she succeeded? We couldn’t finish this before she and the guys were out of here.
My comms charm crackled, and Jude’s voice
came through, as if she’d heard my thoughts.
“We’re done,” she said. “You need backup?”
I glanced around quickly. It was a mess, but we seemed to be holding our own. And they needed to get the hell out of here if Nix was almost done. If they didn’t make it out before the magic was gone, they could get caught here as the stronghold collapsed in on itself. And the Protectorate needed those records to help the people being tortured by the Rebel Gods.
“No, go!” I shouted. “Get out of here!”
“Roger.”
The woman raised her arms, and my stomach dropped. She’d pulled this trick with the rocks last time.
As if on cue, the broken marble from the ceiling rose off the ground. Her green eyes burned as she waved her hands in my direction. The rocks shot toward me, thousands of pounds of stone about to pulverize my bones.
My heart leapt into my chest.
I didn’t know if the rocks could hurt Mayhem, but I shouted, “Run, Mayhem!”
The little PugDragon yipped, but stayed flying at my side.
“Finished!” Nix shouted.
The woman sagged. Her rocks dropped to the ground right before they would have hit me.
Fear thundered in my ears.
Was her magic somehow tied to the eternal flame?
I called my dagger from the ether, ready to hurl it while she was down. If she wasn’t on her guard, I could hit her.
This was my chance.
I raised my arm, about to throw.
Kill shot.
Time slowed. My friends were still wrestling with the Rebel Gods as thunder began to shake the air. The stronghold was starting to collapse in on itself.
I focused my aim on the woman.
Her shoulders were slumped as she kneeled on the ground.
Something stilled my arm.
Wait.
I hesitated.
This was insane. Why would I wait?
Wait.
Look before you leap.
I lowered the dagger, staring at the woman.
The enormous roar shook the stronghold as Nix ran out of the temple, the rock clutched in her arm. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the black oil slicked away from the woman’s face, disappearing down her body.
Confusion fuzzed my mind.
Near her, the horned god seemed to notice that she had changed. He roared, then ran from his fight with Cade and grabbed the woman around the waist, lifting her up.
As he lifted her, I caught sight of her face.
Green eyes turned to blue.
Confusion.
Fear.
Rowan.
Chapter Fifteen
Someone in my mind screamed. Shock chilled my skin.
The woman was my sister.
In the flash of an eye, the other Rebel Gods ran from their fights and joined the horned god. I flew toward them, determined to reach Rowan.
But I was too far away.
The horned god threw a stone to the ground, and a blast of golden light plumed upward.
I made eye contact with Rowan as she was dragged into the light by the horned god, transporting away. I reached for her, tears blurring my vision.
Recognition flashed in her eyes, then she was gone.
“No!” I screamed, landing hard on the ground. “Rowan!”
Cade raced to me and grabbed my arm and pulled. “Come on! We have to get out of here.”
Del and Cass sprinted out of the temple. The constant roar of the world collapsing was nearly deafening.
That had been Rowan.
Ana ran up to me, tears in her eyes. “I saw her!”
I wasn’t crazy.
“Come on!” Cade shouted.
I snapped into action. He was right. Rowan was gone. And we had to get gone, or we’d be crushed within this world.
I sprinted out of the temple, my foot aching from the lightning blow. Cade and Ana ran at my side, Mayhem leading the way. All around, the world was lit with an orange glow. Dust billowed up from all sides, growing closer as the world collapsed from the outside in, toward the harbor in the middle.
I prayed that Jude was right—that the harbor would be the last thing to go because it was connected to the real world.
We raced across the courtyard, but the destruction was too fast. We were too slow.
Ahead of me, light shimmered around Cass as she transformed into a large griffon. The beast had the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. Massive wings flared high. Del and Nix leapt onto her back, and she took off into the air.
Next to me, Cade shifted into his wolf form, then howled. I jumped onto his back, Ana following. We clung to him as he sprinted through the city, his wolf speed blowing my hair back from my face. We raced after Cass, Nix, and Del, keeping up easily. Mayhem raced alongside, her dark eyes wide.
All around, dust billowed up as the destruction neared. Buildings cracked and toppled, and the roar of thunder grew louder.
Would we make it?
Fear chilled my skin as I began to breathe in the dust. It became hard to see.
When we spilled out into the harbor, the sight of the hippokampoi was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen.
Aidan, Roarke, and Ares waited at the edge, their gazes glued to Cass, Nix, and Del. Cass landed, her claws clattering on the stone. Del and Nix leapt off her back and hugged Roarke and Ares.
Cass shifted back to human and yelled, “You shouldn’t have waited!”
“Ha!” Aidan climbed onto a hippokampoi. “As if we’d leave.”
They all piled onto hippokampoi.
Cade stopped in front of the water, and I jumped off his back. All around, the world was chaos. Destruction was breathing down our necks.
I scrambled onto the back of a hippokampoi and shouted, “Did Jude make it out?”
“She took the documents and left,” Ares said.
Thank fates.
Ana and Cade climbed on behind me, and the hippokampoi shot through the water, speeding toward the portal. I turned around to watch the world devour itself. Mayhem flew alongside, silent and determined.
There was nothing but dust and destruction. As the golden light of the portal flashed, I realized that for the first time, I felt no pain in my wings.
On the other side of the golden portal, Kart-hadasht was dead silent. The portal back to Edinburgh glowed orange. We scrambled off the hippokampoi, and Mayhem zipped for the portal.
I turned back to them. “Thank you.”
They each gave one of their burbly neighs, then swam off. I rushed through the orange portal with everyone else, spilling out into the darkened alley.
Tears stung my eyes, and my breath heaved. I sought Ana, grabbing her hands. “You saw her, right?”
Tears filled her eyes. “I did. I really did. It was Rowan.”
“Your sister?” Cade asked.
The others looked on, eyes wide.
“It was her. I know it was her!” My mind raced, trying to remember every detail of what had just happened. “It was like she was under some kind of spell. The black oil that covered her had changed her eye color. Changed the signature of her magic.”
“Then when it fell away, she looked like herself,” Ana said. “Her eyes were blue again.”
“She recognized me.” I was sure of it. “As soon as the spell was lifted, she recognized me.”
“It happened right when Nix finished removing the magic from the flame,” Ana said.
“Oh, fates.” It all clicked into place. “The Rebel Gods returned five years ago. When Rowan disappeared, they were the ones who abducted her. They used her magic to jumpstart their operations. That’s why the magic in the stronghold felt strangely familiar.” I spun toward Nix, who watched with wide eyes. “Can I see the rock? The one where you put the magic from the eternal flame.”
“Sure.” She handed it over.
As soon as I touched it, my jaw dropped. It was like holding Rowan’s hand again. The scent of lilacs and the feel of a breeze
hit me. Tears welled in my eyes.
“This is her magic,” I said. “They took it from her and used it to fuel the stronghold.”
Ana touched it and gasped, her gaze meeting mine. “It is hers.”
“We have to save her,” I said. “She didn’t mean to do those things with the Rebel Gods. She’s a captive, under their spell.”
Cade wrapped an arm around my shoulders, supporting me when my legs turned weak.
Cass stepped forward and laid her hand on the rock. “All of the magic in here is pure. Good.”
“They took her goodness and used it to create the stronghold,” Ana said. “We have to get it back to her.”
“We have to get her back.”
We had to.
Epilogue
The next evening, after a long rest and healing, Jude and I walked through the forest toward the portal to Edinburgh. Mayhem, my new shadow, flew at our side. We were headed to the Whisky and Warlock for a victory celebration with the rest of the gang, though I was so worried about Rowan that my mind would be in two places.
But we had to formulate a game plan for the future, and it was just as easy to do so at the Whisky and Warlock. And as Jude said, sometimes you needed to focus on the good in life.
“You’ve done well, Bree,” she said as we walked amongst the fairy lights.
“Thank you.”
“Your magic is secure?”
I tested my wings, feeling no pain. “I think so. I did what you said—what the Valkyrie said. I looked before I leaped.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was about to kill Rowan. Right before she was revealed, I was about to throw my dagger. She was down, weakened. I’d have killed her. But I waited. Something told me to wait.”
“You listened to yourself, rather than just throwing yourself into the fray.”
I nodded. “Well, it worked. I didn’t kill my sister”—just the thought of it made bile rise in my throat—“and I think that’s what earned me my wings. Now my magic comes when I call. I just have to practice using it to its fullest extent.”
“You deserve that. And you’re well on your way to succeeding at the academy. You’ve gone through trials that no trainee ever has to face.”
