Chapter 14

Cold wind torethrough my hair as the giant bird carried me through the air. The city whipped by below, golden lights traveling fast. At first, I thrashed, trying to break free. Then I stilled, heart thundering in my ears.

What the heck was I thinking?

The last thing I needed was to fall. I couldn't freaking fly, after all. And I could try to drive the birds out of the sky with my cloud magic, but then I might still fall. We were so high up that I'd be a pancake for sure if it let me go.

So I lay limp in the bird's claws, heart thundering and body aching. They were bound by magic to prevent them from using their beaks and claws to hurt people, but apparently carrying people around like dolls was still allowed.

Carefully, I craned my neck to look down, my eyes watering from the chill wind. My stomach plummeted as I checked out the view below, but I didn't recognize anything.

Where the hell were we going?

Everything in my body hurt—the broken ribs, the sliced arm. It was becoming hard to hold on to the Truth Teller, as well, my hands turning numb from the cold. Honestly, with the way my head was spinning, I wasn't sure I could stay conscious.

Carefully, I tucked the Truth Teller into an inner pocket in my jacket. The thing was only half the size of a baseball, so it fit easily.

Once it was stored safely away, I tried to get to a healing potion in my belt, but it was too hard to reach. The way she had me gripped made it impossible to touch my comms charm as well, so I couldn't call my sisters.

Weariness spread over me as the bird flew, carrying me along. The bird was beginning to descend when my consciousness finally started to fade away. As my vision blackened at the edges, I realized that this was why the witches had saved us from the flying serpents. There had been a protection charm around the Truth Teller. That glowing blue light had probably been enchanted to only allow a real contestant to grab the thing. That was the Intermagic Games's solution, and it had sucked.

* * *

Consciousness came slowly, and only because I had to pee really badly. Not to mention the agony that raced through my arm and ribs.

I blinked groggily, staring up at the ceiling. The room was entirely dark. The ground hard.

Why was I sleeping on the floor? That was a terrible idea. I must have fallen off the bed and hurt my ribs and arm.

Aching, I sat slowly and reached for the lamp that would be on the bedside table above me. My hand met open air.

What're you doing?

Romeo's voice snapped my attention down to my lap, where I hadn't felt the weight until now. The raccoon sat on my thighs, eyes concerned within his black mask. Eloise sat at my hip, petting it gently, while Poppy sat on my legs, staring intently at me.

"Where am I?" Because clearly, I wasn't at home like I'd thought.

The bird women brought you here. Romeo began to poke at my belt. You need a healing potion.

"The birds?" Oh, shit. I'd forgotten. Those witches had picked me up at the Intermagic Games and carried me away.

Frantic, I patted my jacket, looking for the Truth Teller. There was no telltale lump under the leather, and when I stuck my hand into my pocket, it came up empty. "Shit."

Romeo kept poking at my belt, and he had a point. Every inch of me ached. With trembling hands, I reached for the little vial on the right that would contain a healing serum. I shook my hand to ignite the magic on my lightstone ring and inspected the vial, just to make sure.

It shined in the light, opalescent and lovely.

Yep. Healing potion.

I took a quick swig, sighing as the pleasure raced through me. It wasn't real pleasure, but honestly, the feeling of pain fading away was close enough.

"Where am I?" I asked.

Greece, again. I think. Smells like it.

I sniffed the air, only able to pick up on the scent of the sea and dry desert ground and maybe some kind of vegetation. Romeo had always said he had a good sniffer, though.

Gently, I shoved him off of me. Poppy hopped off of her own volition, and I stood, feeling better than I had in ages. That healing potion worked quickly, and I was grateful I'd taken the time to pack it.

I raised my lightstone ring to inspect the room while I pressed my fingertips to my comms charm. "Ana? Bree?"

"Rowan! We're coming to get you!" Bree's voice sounded.

"Your tracking charm is giving us some trouble," Ana said. "Where are you?"

"In a little building." I inspected it through the glowing light of my ring. "About fifteen feet by fifteen feet. One tiny window on each wall. Greek writing on the ceiling."

I wished I could read it, but that wasn't ever going to happen. I walked to the nearest window and looked out. "Sea on one side." I walked to the next window. "Hills on the other."

"We're on one of the hills," Bree said. "We got close, but the magic in your tracking charm is a bit blocked."

"We'll be right there," Ana said. "I've got a visual from the air."

Thank fates for the tracking charm.

"Is Maximus okay?"

"He's with us. He's fine," Bree said. "Sit tight. We'll be there soon."

I went to the door and tried it, but of course it was locked tight. The windows were way too small for me to fit through.

I looked at Romeo. "Did you see where the women went?"

Down the hill, up another hill. There's a temple there. You can't miss it.

I nodded. "Thanks. You guys should get back. It's not safe here."

Eloise scoffed. Poppy tittered disapprovingly.

As if we'd leave you!

"Thanks, guys."

I searched the room for my potion bag, but couldn't find it. The witches must have figured out it was full of weapons and taken it. Dang.

I dug into my belt and found my highly concentrated disintegration potion. The same one I'd used to break out of the pit at El Dorado.

The lock on the door was big and old, solid iron. Carefully, I poured the liquid onto it and watched it sizzle. Within seconds, the lock was gone.

You could break into any kind of dumpster with that!

I grinned back at Romeo. "I'll keep that in mind."

Carefully, I pushed the door open, ready for a guard to jump out. None did, and my shoulders sagged in relief. It was still night, though the moon was getting low on the horizon. Dawn could arrive soon.

The sea glittered on one side of me, with rolling hills all around. A massive white temple sat on top of one of the hills, pale blue magic glowing from the roof. The witches would be in there, using the Truth Teller for whatever evil shit they had planned.

Quickly, I found a bush and took care of business. When I stood, I searched the sky, spotting two winged figures flying toward me.

A giant crow and the silver-winged Valkyrie. I raised my hand and waved, but didn't shout. They landed a few moments later. Bree grinned widely. Ana shifted to human form and was smiling as well.

"I knew you'd break yourself out." Ana threw her arms around me.

Bree joined in, squeezing me hard.

I hugged them tight, then pulled back. "Where's Maximus?"

Bree turned around to look toward one of the other hills that was farther away from the temple. "He should be coming any second. We followed the tracking charm, but it led us to another hill."

"It was close, at least," Ana said.

A moment later, Maximus crested our hill, clearly having run from another one. His expression relaxed as soon as he saw me, and he strode over. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

He hugged me tight, and I squeezed him back, then turned to Ana and Bree. "Where are Cade and Lachlan?"

"Lachlan's still working on that potion," Bree said. "Cade is hunting an ingredient. They might almost have it. Let's get out of here, and hopefully they'll be done."

"We can't go yet."

"What?" Surprise sounded in Ana's voice.

"The witches are still here." I pointed to the temple. "In there."

Ana shoved her hand through her blonde hair. "Damn it. Too much to hope they'd drop you and run."

"They took the Truth Teller. I think they waited until I grabbed it because only a contestant could reach through the protection charm on the fountain."

"Fates." Maximus frowned. "There's no telling what miserable things they are learning from it."

"We have to stop them," I said.

"We could wait for backup," Ana said. "But I have a feeling you won't like that idea."

I shook my head. "Not so much, no. We can't give them any more time with the Truth Teller. Let's do it now."

My sisters nodded, then turned to face the temple. We started off at a swift jog, the Menacing Menagerie keeping pace easily.

This was like a mirror of our first adventure in Dartmoor. Running down one hill and up onto another, seeking the danger within the building that sat on top.

It wasn't until we reached the shallow valley between the hills that I felt the first prickle of awareness. Dark magic seeped out of the ground, sticky and nausea-inducing.

"Something is coming." I pointed ahead, low to the ground.

"I feel it," Maximus said.

The earth rumbled, a great roar that shook my legs. In front of us, the earth rose up, piling over itself to form two great beasts. They looked like wolves built from dirt, their fangs made of stone and their eyes a glowing black onyx.

"That's some spell," Ana breathed.

The wolves had to be forty feet tall if they were an inch. When they began to run, the earth trembled beneath their feet. Dirt poured off them, only to be reabsorbed back through their paws.

"Our weapons won't work on them," Maximus said. "They're just dirt."

"I've got this." Bree flew up high, her magic swelling on the air. Lightning shot, bright and fierce, plowing into the nearest wolf. Thunder followed, cracking in my ears, but the wolves kept running, totally unaffected.

"They aren't alive," I said. "I don't think we can kill them by normal means."

They pounded closer, only sixty yards away now. Maybe less. Cold fear prickled my skin.

"Let me try." Ana held out her hands, her magic flaring. She could use her Druid magic to control the earth, and she was clearly trying to influence the wolves. They kept plowing toward us, though, their footsteps shaking the ground. Ana grimaced and sweat dripped down her temple, but nothing changed.

"It doesn't work." She lowered her hands.

The wolves were nearly upon us.

"Better run," Maximus said.

I sucked in a deep breath, getting ready. Then we sprinted. We split up, darting different directions to confuse the wolves. The Menacing Menagerie ran circles around them. But they were smart and fast.

The wolves rampaged, trying to stomp us into the dirt. One of them nearly got me once, the vibrations of his footsteps through the ground almost sending me to my knees. Bree and Ana took to the sky, trying to distract him, but it didn't work. Every blow they landed had no effect.

Shit, nothing was working.

My heart thundered and my muscles ached as we tried to outrun the beasts, but they kept blocking us from the temple.

How the heck was I going to stop them?

I eyed the ocean. At first, I'd thought it was too far, but I was desperate enough to try.

I reached for the water with my magic, straining because it was so far off. I could barely feel it. I pushed harder, trying to call the water to me. Sweat dripped down my back. Finally, I caught hold of it. I forced a plume of water to rise up from the ocean and rush toward us.

"Clear out, Maximus!" I shouted. "You too, Menagerie!"

They all darted away from the wolves. Bree and Ana did the same. I sprinted to the right, and the wolves followed. It took everything I had to send the blast of water right at them. It sprayed me in the face as it plowed into them and turned them to mud. They collapsed, washing away in a tidal wave of thick brown sludge. It piled up around my boots and then my knees.

Oh fates, it was deep.

Maximus and the Menacing Menagerie had sprinted toward the temple, so they were out of the way of danger, but it was rising higher and higher around me, dragging at me, trying to pull me under.

My heart thundered and my skin turned to ice.

Panic tightened my throat as I looked up.

Ana swooped down toward me, her black crow form glinting in the light. She got as low as she could, and I reached up and grabbed onto one of her curled talons. She pushed her wings hard, soaring upward and plucking me out of the mud.

We sailed over the river of sludge, and she dropped me on the upslope of the next hill, right next to Maximus. I panted, propping my hands on my muddy thighs.

"Nicely done," he said.

"It was close." I straightened.

My sisters landed next to me. We were only about forty yards from the temple. Dark magic rolled out from it, and the roof glowed brighter than ever.

"Let's go." I started up the hill, running as quickly and silently as I could, though our cover was probably blown.

As we approached the temple, it loomed tall above us. Massive white columns supported the huge roofs. When five minotaurs stepped out from behind the columns, each at least eight feet tall and wielding a broadsword, I didn't even slow. Though I did wish I had my potion bombs.

I pulled my electric sword from the ether and charged the nearest minotaur. His ugly bull face was adorned with horns and fangs, and pure evil glinted in his black eyes.

Oh yeah, these guys were from hell all right.

Minotaurs were just an ancient breed of Greek demon, and I wondered how the witches had enlisted them. They were notoriously hard to hire.

Bree's lightning cracked through the air, while Ana dived down in her crow form to attack with her claws. Maximus swung his sword, going head-to-head with two minotaurs. The Menacing Menagerie had ganged up on one minotaur, with Poppy going for the eyes while Eloise struck for the throat. Romeo had leapt onto his head, where he beat at the minotaur's skull.

I lunged for the one nearest me, swiping out with my blade. He dodged backward, but I followed, fast and determined. Whatever was happening inside that temple, I had to stop it.

The beast sliced at me with his wide blade, the steel glinting wickedly. I darted right, but too slowly. The thing sliced me across the thigh, and blood welled.

I ignored the pain, lunging again and going for his throat. I was too short, and the tip of my blade cut a bright red line across his chest. He roared, swiping out with his claws, and I danced backward. As he raised his sword to strike again, I put on a last burst of speed and sank my blade into his stomach.

His eyes widened, and he made a gurgling noise. I grimaced and yanked my blade out, letting him fall backward onto the stairs.

Maximus had taken out his two minotaurs, and a few other bodies lay scattered, courtesy of Ana and Bree. No guards were left standing, so I charged up the stairs. Maximus kept stride with me, and my sisters followed.

Bree landed on the stairs, folding in her silver wings, while Ana shifted from crow to human, racing up alongside us. The Menacing Menagerie climbed swiftly, their eyes alert and tails raised high. The huge entryway to the temple was open, revealing a massive space.

Before we stepped through, I leaned down to Romeo. "Stay away from the danger, but grab the Truth Teller if you can. It looks like a golden egg. Then get out of here."

He nodded his little head, his black eyes determined.

"And remember," I said. "If it gets too dangerous, bail."

All three animals scoffed, ignoring me.

I stepped into the temple, taking it all in.

In the middle, a massive dark cloud rose up. The two witches stood around it, their black hair floating eerily around their heads. I squinted at the vision in the cloud, only able to make out terrifying black mountains and lightning. What were they looking at? There was clearly more detail in the image, but I couldn't see it from here.

A loud hiss from the right side of the temple broke their concentration, and they whirled to glare at us. I looked between them and the animal that had made the hissing noise.

A massive eight-headed snake slithered toward us, glittery green eyes glued on my sisters. Bree's silver wings sprouted from her back, and she burst into the air, her sword raised. She flew right for the snake and sliced out with her blade, cleanly removing one of the heads.

She swooped away, avoiding the other striking heads. Within seconds, the head that she had severed grew back as two more.

"Crap! A Hydra!" How the hell were we going to kill it?

A memory of the battle at the Colosseum flashed through my mind. Of me, slicing through the giant's leg with my electric blade. A blade like that might cauterize the wound, making it impossible for two heads to grow back.

I drew the sword from the ether and shouted, "Ana! Catch!"

She turned, her eyes wide. I tossed the sword to her, and she caught it by the hilt.

She nodded. "On it!"

Next to her, Maximus conjured his own sword. "I'll distract it while Bree and Ana go in for the kill."

Ana tossed the blade to Bree, who was still hovering in the air. She darted toward the Hydra, then sliced out with her blade and removed a head.

I didn't stick around to see if it worked. If it failed, I was sure I would hear about it. And I was certain that ignoring the witches would be a real bad idea.

I turned to face them. The dark image had fallen away from behind them, revealing the golden Truth Teller, sitting alone on a pedestal.

The witches glared at me, their purple eyes flashing and their hair floating around their heads. They rose up on their tiptoes, some kind of dark magic helping them to float across the floor as their tattered gray dresses dragged behind them. A shiver rolled down my spine.

As they raised their hands, dark magic crackled. I swallowed hard, waiting to see what they would send at me. When the bright orange flame burst forth, I lunged backward.

They sent it roaring toward me, a wave of fire. From behind them, I could see the Menacing Menagerie creeping toward the Truth Teller.

Excellent. I just had to stay alive and keep everyone else alive while they did that.

The fire was a problem, though. It rushed toward me as a wall, hot and fierce. This was no illusion. I dived left, narrowly avoiding it. On the far side of the temple, my sisters and Maximus battled the Hydra, which was presumably the witches' bodyguard. If they could just keep it off me long enough…

I called upon my magic, reaching for the sea. I'd douse their flame with the ocean.

But the ocean didn't respond.

It was too far away.

Definitely too far away.

Shit.

Panic sent my heart racing. The wall of flame was closing in on me, encircling me. The heat was insane, almost driving me to my knees.

I needed water. Something to douse it with.

The clouds.

The idea popped into my head. That might work. I called upon my new magic, focusing on the image of a cloud in my mind. I called upon a rainstorm, forming a massive cloud right overhead. It was hard at first, the magical equivalent of pulling teeth. But the cloud grew and grew.

The flames grew and grew, too.

They were nearly to me when the clouds finally released their downpour, snuffing out the flames. Steam rose around me, almost as hot as the fire itself. I curled into a ball, protecting my face.

When it faded, I jumped up, my throat burning from the heat. I squinted through the steam, finally catching sight of the witches.

They drifted closer to me, floating along on their toes, their purple eyes glinting with evil.

"What are you?" I screamed.

Twin smiles stretched across their faces. "We are the Stryx, and we are here to claim what is ours."

"What the hell does that even mean?" Fear and rage coiled within me.

They raised their hands and sent a blast of magic at me. I dived left, but it was too fast. Too strong.

The sonic boom plowed into me, throwing me back against the ground. My head spun as I gasped, trying to catch my breath. I felt like my insides had been pulverized.

I couldn't see them, but they had to be coming closer.

Aching, I dragged myself to my feet. The witches were nearly to me, still floating creepily in the air. They raised their hands again, ready to smack me with another blast.

The idea just pissed me off. I wasn't their plaything.

Electric anger filled me, making me vibrate with rage. It surged through my chest, filling my limbs. I shook with it, so hot and pissed that I felt like I was a lightning bolt.

Energy crackled from me, and I felt my hair stand on end.

The witches' purple eyes widened, shock paling their faces.

Hang on…

I looked down at myself, realized that I actually was crackling with energy. Electricity shot up and down my arms, bright and bold.

Holy crap, I was a human lightning bolt.

I looked up, then charged, sprinting toward the witches as fast as I could. The one on the right acted quickly, throwing up her hands and creating a white force field.

I plowed right through it, spreading out my arms so I slammed into both witches. The shock made them screech. It also tore through me, pain lighting me up.

We tumbled to the ground in a pile. They shook from the electricity, but I couldn't hold on to them for long. It hurt too badly for me as well.

I yanked my arms back and curled in on myself, aching all over. The witches rolled away from me, scrambling to their feet. I forced myself to rise, to follow them, but they were too fast.

They shifted back into their winged forms and launched themselves into the air, then swooped out through the wide doorway.

Panting, I stared after them.

They'd decided to cut their losses and run. Or they'd gotten what they'd wanted from the Truth Teller.

Aching, my lungs heaving, I turned in a circle. On the far side of the temple sat the Menacing Menagerie, Eloise clutching the Truth Teller proudly. On the other side were my sisters and Maximus. Bree chopped off the last Hydra head, and Maximus kicked the thing in the chest, sending it flying backward. The monster slumped against the wall, headless, then disappeared in a poof of black magic.

The temple went silent.

I stood, exhausted, and surveyed my companions. Wounded, but standing upright. I considered that a big victory. They staggered over to me. The Menagerie followed, and Eloise handed the Truth Teller to me.

I leaned down and took it, the heavy weight cool in my hand. "Thanks, guys."

They nodded, looking tired. Their fur was a bit singed in places.

"I couldn't hope for better sidekicks."

That got me three toothy grins.

"Where'd the witches go?" Ana asked, her right hand pressed to a wound on her left arm.

"I don't know." I sat down hard on the marble floor, no longer quite able to hold myself upright. "Apparently I'm a human lightning bolt, and they didn't want a hug."

"A hug?" Bree choked on a laugh.

"Yeah. I give terrible hugs." I lay back on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. "Anyone know what a Stryx is?"

"No," Ana said. "But I bet we can find out."

"Good, because I think that's what we're fighting. And I think they got what they wanted from the Truth Teller, too."

"That sounds like very bad news." Maximus sat next to me. He draped his arm around my shoulders, his expression concerned.

"I think it is."