Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

F iona

"Do you think Nyx is back?" I whispered.

"She's not here," Metis interjected. "I can feel her when she is."

"Let's get to work," I suggested as I tried to straighten. My head swam, and nausea churned in my belly when I did, so I decided to search the table for the key.

Violet and Aislinn began sifting through the shelves cluttered with arcane artifacts and alchemical reagents. Metis remained hunched against the wall. She was in as bad of shape as I was. I couldn't imagine the treachery she had endured at the hands of a friend.

"I have a question, Metis," Aislinn began. She'd paused in her search and looked over at the bound goddess.

Metis tilted her head to the side. "What do you want to know?"

"Why did Nyx deceive you?" I was glad Aislinn asked it because I wanted to know as well.

Metis let out a heavy sigh. Her gaze went distant as she recalled the events that had led to her imprisonment. "It was a moment of weakness on my part," she began. The regret leaked from her like a putrid stench. "Nyx promised me power. She vowed to help me achieve my goals. And foolishly, I believed her."

Violet's brows furrowed in empathy as she listened intently to Metis's story. "But Nyx had her own agenda. Surely, you sensed that," she interjected. I understood her indignation.

"One would think I would have picked up on that," Metis snapped. She was getting irritated. We would have to tread lightly. She was our ride out of there.

"She used you, manipulated you, and then discarded you like a pawn on a chessboard," Violet pointed out. Poking the bear wasn't helpful.

Metis nodded with a grim expression. "Indeed, she did," she agreed sullenly. "But I was blinded by my own ambition. My desire for power. And now, I must suffer the consequences. Let that be a lesson."

It was impossible to squash the empathy her story garnered. The weight of her betrayal hung heavy. It was a stark contrast to how my friends had treated me. They would die for me. I stood there because they refused to look after themselves and left me to my fate.

"You can't dwell on that. Be ready to go as soon as we free you," Violet told her. Her expression softened, and she added, "We won't let Nyx get away with this."

We resumed our hunt for the elusive key. I'd moved from the table to a shelving unit next to it. "So, Metis," I hedged and cringed when my voice echoed softly in the cavernous chamber, "did you ever truly intend to use the shield against Artemis?" I couldn't get a good read on her. My sympathy for her current plight was messing with my loopy head.

"Why else would I have bothered to create it?" Metis's response was shrouded in a veil of mystery as she regarded us with a wry smile.

Aislinn exchanged a cautious glance with Violet. Her expression was a blend of skepticism and contemplation. "Then why did it lead us to Nocturne?" she pressed. "Was it designed to attack any hint of Artemis's magic?"

Metis's features darkened slightly as she shook her head, and her eyes clouded with frustration. "It shouldn't have," she admitted. There was no missing how much that pissed her off. "It wasn't something Nyx did, either. When she discovered your presence in her precious Nocturne, she was... less than pleased."

A low chuckle escaped Metis's lips as she recounted Nyx's reaction. "She was positively furious," she laughed. "Three meddling mortals in her realm... she couldn't stand it."

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief as I gestured to the bruises that marred Metis's flawless complexion. "And these?" I inquired. My voice filled with concern as I took in the evidence of her recent altercation. She was starting to heal, so I knew Nyx had attacked her shortly before we arrived.

Metis's laughter rang out through the chamber. It was a haunting melody that filled the air with its chilling resonance. "Oh, these?" she replied, her tone light and airy. "Just a small token of Nyx's... displeasure. Nothing I can't heal."

Aislinn leaned in closer. She really cared about the goddess's bruises. "What did she do to you? Did she blame you?"

Metis's gaze hardened, a flicker of anger dancing in her eyes. "She demanded answers about why the shield took you three. And when I refused to comply, well... let's just say she wasn't pleased."

"Why did she bring us here from Nocturne?" I asked, changing the subject slightly .

Metis shook her head. "That's where it gets interesting," she admitted, a note of excitement creeping into her voice. "According to Nyx, she had sent you to your demise in her dungeon. Her executioner has a reputation for being brutally effective."

Aislinn's eyes widened in disbelief as she exchanged a knowing glance with Violet and me. "But we encountered nightcrawlers, not an executioner." I was an incredulous as she was. The conflicting information made no sense.

Metis's lips curled into a wry smile as she nodded in agreement, her voice tinged with amusement. "Interesting," she replied in a tone laced with intrigue. "It begs the question... how did you manage to escape without facing him?"

I lifted a shoulder. "Maybe she sent us there too soon?" I hated to think about what we would have encountered if he had been there.

Metis leaned back against the wall, looking tired. "Nyx always did overestimate her power. She could have forgotten to send him the message."

Aislinn's brow furrowed. "I still don't understand why the shield went after us on the volcano if Nyx was controlling it."

Metis's lips curled into a knowing smile as she explained, "That goes back to her overestimating herself. The shield was enchanted by me. And it will only respond to my commands. Nyx assumed she could replace my will with hers. But all she did when she activated it was to distort the magic powering it."

Violet's eyes widened with understanding as she exchanged a knowing glance with me. "So, what do you think happened exactly?"

Metis's gaze softened. "Because there is no clear direction for the shield, I believe it latched onto the power of Artemis that it sensed within you. I designed it to hold tight to Artemis so she couldn't get away. I wanted her to suffer like she made me all those millennia ago," she explained. "That meant that you went along for the ride when Nyx summoned it back to her."

Aislinn's expression crumpled as she absorbed Metis's words. "But how was Nyx able to control it once she sent it after Artemis? Shouldn't she have not been able to call it?"

Metis chuckled softly. "Oh, Nyx had her fair share of problems from the beginning," she admitted. "The shield had a mind of its own, you see."

As Metis continued to regale us with tales of Nyx's struggles, we moved about the laboratory, exploring shelves lined with ancient tomes and tables cluttered with arcane instruments. I ran my fingers over an intricately carved amulet, its surface pulsating with latent magic. Aislinn examined a series of alchemical concoctions bubbling away in glass vials, and Violet dumped herbs out of jars.

Aislinn interrupted Metis a few seconds later. "We need your help, Metis. You created the shield. Take us out of here and tell us how to disenchant it."

Metis's smirk turned into a defiant glare. "And why should I help you?" she challenged. "What's in it for me?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Metis's arrogance. My patience was wearing thin as I exchanged a weary glance with Violet and Aislinn. "Seriously?" I muttered. This goddess was a piece of work. "You're really going to play the 'what's in it for me' card? We could leave you here. And before you tell us that we need you, understand that we will find a way out. We always do."

Metis's smirk widened as she leaned back against the wall. Violet shot me a sidelong glance before she threw her hands up in the air. "We don't have time for this," she muttered.

Aislinn's gaze hardened. She stepped forward with the key dangling from her hand. "You have a choice. Help us and get out of here. Or be Nyx's punching bag when she gets back. You've already seen the impossible things we can do."

Metis's eyes narrowed, and her lips pursed in thought as she weighed her options. "Fine," she conceded begrudgingly. "But don't expect me to make it easy for you."

Aislinn stepped forward with her gaze fixed on Metis. "You will not hurt us. Or intentionally lead us astray. I'd rather you didn't say anything."

Metis nodded in agreement. "I can promise to teleport you to safety. I cannot tell you anything about the shield."

The three of us shared a silent look. Violet lifted a shoulder and said, "Fair enough." I knew her well enough to read between the lines. It was far more important to get out of there. We had the energy signature of the shield and could go from there.

"Before I free you," Aislinn began, "you need to promise not to tell Nyx or anyone else that you took us to the Supernova Inn near Mount Tambora. We already have your promise not to cause us harm."

Metis's eyes narrowed on Aislinn. After a moment's consideration, she nodded curtly. "Fine," she agreed. "But hurry up and unlock these damn shackles already."

The key slid smoothly into the lock. Its metallic teeth engaged with a satisfying click that reverberated through the air. With a deft twist, Aislinn turned the key, and the mechanism released its hold on the heavy shackles that bound Metis. The chains fell away with a dull thud. They clattered to the ground in a heap of cold, unforgiving metal.

Metis let out an exaggerated sigh as she rubbed her wrists where the cuffs had left angry red marks. Violet kicked them away and grimaced so the goddess didn't trip over them. "Holy shite. Those things are heavy as bloody hell," she observed.

Metis's expression was tinged with wry amusement. "Try wearing them for months and then come talk to me about heavy," she shot back with a dry retort.

With the chains removed, Metis wasted no time in clasping Aislinn and Violet's hands tightly in hers. "Grab hold," she told me. I grabbed onto her shoulder and braced for her teleportation. "Thank you," she murmured.

Before we could respond, the world around us shifted and warped. The horrific laboratory melted away. We zipped through utter darkness for a split second and stopped in the opulent lobby of the Supernova Inn. Bartleby stood before us. His expression was a mixture of surprise and concern at our sudden appearance. Releasing Violet and Aislinn, Metis inclined her head to us. I snatched my hand back a split second before she disappeared.

"Are you all okay?" Bartleby's voice was filled with genuine concern as he surveyed our group. "I had search parties out looking for you on the volcano. I was starting to worry."

We assured Bartleby that we were fine. Though we were still reeling from our encounter with Nyx and the subsequent rescue mission. After a brief exchange, we explained the urgency of our situation and the need to perform a crucial magical task before it was too late.

Bartleby nodded understandingly. "I'm happy to help with whatever you may need."

With a nod of gratitude, we thanked Bartleby for his unwavering support and raced to our room. I felt a bit better, but I was still recovering. Each step was heavier than the last. Thankfully, the cushy rug beneath our feet absorbed my exhaustion. The dimly lit hallway stretched out before us like an endless mile.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm seriously tired of wearing these same clothes," I remarked with a weary sigh as we finally reached the door to our room .

"I could change," Aislinn agreed.

"Let's get cleaned up first," Violet suggested. "We will do better work if we are clean."

"Sounds good to me," I said as we stepped into the room.

The door clicked shut behind us with a finality that seemed to echo in the silence. The bathroom beckoned like a sanctuary, promising a brief reprieve from the chaos that had consumed us since our arrival in Nocturne. I grabbed a healing potion from my suitcase as I headed into the bathroom. I wasted no time in stripping off my dirt-streaked clothes. The fabric was heavy and clammy against my skin. Switching the handle all the way to the left, I stepped into the steaming shower.

The hot water cascaded over me like a gentle rain, washing away the grime and weariness of the day. It was just what the doctor ordered, leaving me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Aislinn took the bathroom when I emerged from the shower with a towel wrapped snugly around me.

"I'm going to grab some ingredients for scrying water from Bartleby. We need to use it to get a precise location," I told Violet who was waiting her turn.

Violet gestured to a jar of water sitting on the table. "Bartleby already delivered some from a witch friend of his. After thinking the same thing as you, I went down and asked while you were in the shower."

A big smile spread over my face. "I love how we are always on the same page."

"Aislinn suggested it at the same time I was considering how we could track the shield," Violet admitted.

"That's why the Backside of Forty makes a kickass team that's hard to beat," I said with a chuckle.

I got dressed, and Violet went into the shower when Aislinn finished. I gathered what we needed and poured the water into a bowl Bartleby had delivered with it. Violet was done not long after, and with a sense of anticipation, we gathered around the table. The bowl took center stage like a precious treasure amidst a sea of uncertainty.

Violet and I focused our collective magic while Aislinn lent us her energy through our bond. We chanted the spell and sent the focus to the liquid. A few seconds later, the water's surface began to ripple and distort. We watched in silence, our hearts pounding with anticipation as a hazy image slowly coalesced into a clear picture of the shield's location. The image solidified before our eyes, revealing the hidden whereabouts of our elusive quarry.

"Now all we have to do is find out where that is exactly," I said with a sigh. That was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.