Chapter 2

A moment later,I blinked my eyes open.

Around me, the world was dark. Lightning flashed in the distance, an electric white light that was followed almost immediately by a thunderous boom that rattled my bones. The air stank of sulfur and death, rotten eggs along with decay.

Pure terror streaked through my veins as I climbed to my feet, my legs feeling like jelly. Stone walls towered around me, reaching high into the sky. I blinked.

Holy fates, I was standing in some kind of massive fortress. An animal instinct to run and hide streaked through my mind.

I resisted, though barely. Instinct told me that I needed to stand my ground.

I stood right next to an enormously tall wall. I'd only ever been in one other place that was so huge.

The Titans' old headquarters.

The wall itself glittered with a dark sparkle. I reached for it, but my fingers passed right through the wall. I grinned, trying again. My hand passed through the wall a second time.

Good. I wasn't really here. That might keep me alive.

I turned around and looked up, searching the tops of the walls for guards who might be looking down upon me. They were so high up that vertigo made my head spin.

Through the darkness, I caught sight of a black stone tower spearing into the air. There was a huge golden crystal sitting atop it. The thing sparkled despite the darkness, and magic radiated from it.

But what the hell was it?

"The little rat has arrived." The voice boomed through the courtyard, vibrating through me.

Who the hell was speaking?

And were they talking about me?

I searched for the voice.

Three massive figures stepped through the darkness at the other end of the massive courtyard.

The Titans.

I swallowed hard, my skin ice cold.

Cronus, Crius, and Theia. The three of them stood at least fifty feet tall, each wearing fine golden armor. They were all attractive in a terrifying way—true gods. Cronus wore a huge crown, while Crius had the horns of a ram. Theia's eyes glowed with sparking light, an eerie reminder of her ability to shoot fire right out of them.

Their magic seethed around them, bringing with it the sound of battle and the feeling of death. At their feet, a horde of demons and Magica gathered. Though the demons looked normal, there was a maniacal light in the eyes of the Magica.

Oh, shit.

Just like the ones at the castle.

These were the followers they'd converted. Just like the ones we'd seen at their island fortress, except so many more.

"You think you've defeated us?" Cronus bellowed. His golden crown gleamed beneath the lightning.

His voice shook my bones, but I stiffened my spine. "Well, not yet." I shrugged as if I didn't care. I totally care. "But we're going to. Soon."

He barked a laugh, and I couldn't sense even the tiniest bit of bravado or worry in the sound. He was pure confidence, and it made me even more nervous.

"Why am I here?" I demanded.

"We await you."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "It's quite obvious. You have become an annoyance, and we would like to eliminate you."

In the old myths, Cronus had eaten all of his children because a prophecy had said that one would overthrow him. So he was clearly a guy who liked to get out ahead of the problem. Only this time, he wanted to eat me.

"Is that why you sent an army to the Protectorate castle?" I asked.

Theia nodded. "You're clever enough not to walk out into their arms." Her expression said that I was barely clever enough. "But we wanted to encourage you. Your life will never be the same again, so come to us. Defeat us."

A laugh echoed through her words, indicating how unlikely she thought that was. I didn't bother reminding her that I'd nearly beaten her last time. I'd gotten so close that they'd run for it.

"We will give you the location of this fortress," Cronus said. "It is your fate to come here and fight us. Finish it."

An image flashed inside my mind—a map, with a little white dot flaring brightly. It was the location of this fortress, and suddenly, I knew exactly where we were. I could navigate my way back here.

Cool. Except…

This was totally a trap. No way they'd make it so easy for me. "So, let me get this straight. You want to get rid of me, so you've invited me to your fortress."

Crius nodded, his large horns bobbing. "Precisely."

"This is obviously a trap."

Cronus shrugged. "Clearly. We intend to win and kill you." He swept his hand out. "And we have a huge army with which to do it."

"Why would I ever come here if certain death is waiting for me?"

"You are fated to be the only one who can stop us, and you know it. It is your duty, and you wouldn't want to ignore that, would you?"

I didn't want to, no, but I couldn't make this easy for them. "Hmmm. I'm just not finding a lot of incentive here, to be honest. I don't want to walk into a death trap. And anyway, from what I can tell, you're holed up here. Hiding. Not that big of a threat."

Theia's face twisted. "We are amassing an army."

"How? I bound your dark magic so that it can't pollute the world and turn more people." Though they'd managed to create a pretty big army before I'd put a halt to their plans, unfortunately.

"We are crafting a counter-spell," Cronus said. "Soon, we will have all of the things we need for it. And when we do, our dark magic will explode outward with greater force than ever before. It will convert everyone to our side and turn the world to darkness and chaos. And they will worship us."

Unease rippled through me. Could that be true? "Why are you telling me your whole evil plan? That seems really shortsighted. Why don't you just wait until this fancy counter-spell is completed?"

"To encourage you to come to us." Crius glowered, his horns nearly vibrating with annoyance.

They were really obsessed with getting me to come to them. Enough so they were laying out their whole plan as incentive to get me here faster.

I didn't believe a word of it. This whole thing smelled fishy.

There was a lot more to this than they were saying, and I needed to figure it the hell out.

I tapped my foot as I stared at them, making sure to take in every detail that I could. I was incorporeal now, so they clearly couldn't hurt me. If they could, they would have. Did that mean I could wander around and look for weak spots in their fortress?

Probably not. But if I could sneak away, it was definitely on my to-do list.

Because I was coming back here. I just needed to figure out what their angle was, and how to defeat them. They were packing some major magical heat, and I'd be mincemeat if I came back unprepared.

I was debating how to sneak away from them when Cronus waved his hand and boomed, "Begone!"

A moment later, my consciousness winked out of existence. There was blackness for a millisecond, then I gasped.

Bright light surrounded me, and I sat up. A golden glow to my left caught my eye, and I turned.

The Great One.

She leaned toward me, her interest palpable. "Well, what did you learn?"

"The Titans want me to come to them." I told her the whole story, finishing with, "Am I really the only one who can defeat them?"

She nodded, her aura turning a somber gray. "Indeed, that is what is fated."

Crap.

I didn't mind the risk. But what if I failed? They were already fixated on me. That was going to make it so much harder. "But how am I supposed to do that? There are three of them, and they're massively powerful. Way more powerful than I am."

"Are they, though? You haven't even fully come into your powers."

"I haven't?" I'd gotten a lot of Dragon God powers lately. There were even more?

"No, indeed not." She reached for my hand again, and I let her grip it tightly. Warmth glowed from her palm to my own. "You have one last transition. See."

The command echoed through me, tugging at my insides. Recognition flared within me, and a sense of home.

I closed my eyes, and a vision flashed on the inside of my eyelids. Fire burst in front of me, as if it had surged out of me. The ground fell away below.

Was I flying?

Holy fates, I felt like I was flying.

I soared on the breeze, powerful and strong.

But what was I?

Ana was the Morrigan, a giant Celtic crow, and Bree a Valkyrie.

I had no idea what I was.

This was my future, though. I could feel it so strongly.

A moment later, I returned to myself. I was no longer flying through the air, mysterious and strong. I was sitting with the Great One in the field.

"What will I become?" I asked.

An enigmatic smile crossed her face. "That is for you to determine."

"How, though?"

"You must go to Mount Olympus. There, you will find your final powers. Prove yourself worthy, and you will gain the strength to defeat the Titans."

Okay, I could work with this. I wasn't strong enough now to take them out, but I could be. That was hope, and I would cling to it.

I liked having a goal. An answer.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about what I will face?"

"Be brave." The seer reached out and touched my chest, right over my heart. Warmth flared within me, and a moment later, the ether sucked me in, dragging me back toward the Amazons.

* * *

I arrived back at the Amazons' headquarters, panting. It took everything I had to stay on my feet, and I swayed as I turned.

The first thing I saw in the basement room was the portal. It still flickered red and black. My stomach lurched at the memory of what I'd just been through, and I turned from it.

The queens stood on the other side of the room, seeming to be holding a conversation with Romeo. Poppy and Eloise were stretched out on their backs, clearly snoozing.

As if they sensed me, Queens Penthesilea and Hippolyta turned to me.

"Well?" Queen Penthesilea asked.

"The Titans called me to them. I saw them."

Their jaws dropped, and I explained what had happened as I approached. They both frowned.

"That's quite bold, isn't it?" Queen Hippolyta said. "Asking you to come to them."

"It is. And even if I do go to them and manage to defeat them, we still haven't figured out how to put them back in Tartarus."

"We've been working on a solution to that," Queen Penthesilea said. "We might have something soon."

"Oh, thank fates." Another worry tugged at me. "How the hell do I get to Mount Olympus? Do I just…climb?"

"You can," Queen Hippolyta said. "But that won't take you to the mountain of the gods. You need to go the back way, through the magical realm."

"How do I get there?"

"You'll need a guide," Queen Penthesilea said. "Even we don't dare go there. But there are two who could lead you. Prometheus and Atlas."

"The last of the Titans?" The only two who weren't evil and hadn't been thrown in Tartarus.

"The very same." Queen Hippolyta frowned. "Atlas will surely be too busy. His work keeping the heavens and satellites in order is too demanding. But for the right price, Prometheus will take you."

I frowned at the memory of the surly, drunken Titan. That was my best bet? "There's no one else?"

"Not that I know of." Queen Hippolyta looked at Queen Penthesilea . "Any other ideas?"

She shook her head. "Just convince him of your plight. He might demand a price, but I do believe he will help you."

I freaking hoped so.

My comms charm flared to life, and Bree's voice echoed out. "Rowan, if you're available, we need you!"

I pressed my fingertips to the charm. "Where are you? Is the army attacking?"

"No, they're stable. There's a problem in the Grassmarket. By the entrance to The Vaults. Hurry."

Damn it. That was my favorite part of Edinburgh. We liked to hang out in the all-magic neighborhood when we had some free time.

"I'm coming." I looked at the queens. "I need to go."

They both nodded.

"Good luck. And keep us updated," Queen Hippolyta said.

"I will." I reached out and squeezed each of their hands. Then I gently nudged Poppy and Eloise's left feet with my toe. "Wake up, guys. We're headed out of here."

As they scampered up, I dug into my pocket and withdrew the extra transport charm that Maximus had given me. I threw it to the ground and stepped inside, envisioning the Grassmarket. The Menacing Menagerie followed, and I braced myself as the ether sucked me in.

It spun me through space and spat me out into chaos. Magic blasted through the air, exploding as it hit buildings and rubbish bins. I dived into an alley and squeezed myself up against the rough stone wall. It was dark, the light of dawn barely penetrating the alley.

Another blast of magic plowed right in front of my face. It was so strong that it slammed my head back against the stone. Pain flared, bright and fierce, and the magic continued on, hurtling down the alley to explode against a puddle. Wet, slimy water slapped across my cheeks, and I winced. I didn't dare stick my head out, not yet.

The Menacing Menagerie huddled around my ankles. Romeo was so low to the ground that the blasts of deadly magic flew right over his head. He peeked out around the side of the building. Poppy and Eloise jostled for a look as well.

"What do you see?" I whispered.

We're at the end of the Grassmarket, near the entrance to The Vaults. There's five, no seven, crazy mages with bright eyes. They're throwing magic at the buildings. Trying to destroy them.

"Why the hell would they want to do that?"

Beats me. Jude, Bree, and Caro are fending them off, but the enemy is strong.

The sound of thunder cracked through the dawn—Bree throwing her lightning, no doubt.

A stream of pink water flowed into the alley, edging around my boots. It had to come from Caro's water magic. She liked to shoot powerful jets of water straight through demons' chests. It always came out pink on the other side.

"I need to get out there." Another blast of magic plowed in front of my face. Someone had obviously seen me arrive, and now they were pinning me down. "Do you see the guy throwing sonic booms at me?"

Romeo peered hard into the street. Left, other side of the street. Near the big oak. He's partially behind the trunk.

I sucked in a deep breath, envisioning the huge oak that stood in the middle of the sidewalk. The thing was ancient. I didn't want to hit it with any of my magic.

I dug into my potion bag, withdrawing a glass bomb filled with a stunner. It was smooth against my palm, comforting.

"Tell me when he pops out to throw some magic." I'd only have a second before the blast reached me, so I'd have to be damned fast.

Tension thrummed along my muscles as I gripped the glass ball lightly.

Now!

I lunged out from behind the corner of the wall, immediately spotting the figure who had his hands raised to throw a blast of deadly magic at me. His dark hair waved back from his face, wild and messy. A crazed light gleamed in his bright eyes, and the long black trench coat he wore was entirely nondescript.

I hurled my potion bomb at him just as he released a jet of sonic boom. I made sure to aim high so it would miss the boom and arc down upon him. The glass ball flew through the morning air, glinting in the pale sun.

I dived low, feeling the blast of his magic ripple my hair as I slammed into the stone ground. I peeked up just in time to see my potion bomb smash into his shoulder. He'd tried to lunge out of the way, but he'd been too slow.

The glass shattered, showering him in blue liquid, and he stiffened before falling, a shocked expression on his face.

I rolled toward a rubbish bin on my right, and crouched behind it as I surveyed the scene. It looked just as Romeo had described. The attackers appeared to have come from The Vaults and were now targeting the everyday shops in the Grassmarket. Pure chaos for the sake of chaos, since it didn't seem like they were trying to rob the places.

Caro, with her platinum bob gleaming in the dawn sun, shot fierce jets of water at two mages who stood on the other side of the street. They were fast, dodging her blasts, but she was quick in turn, avoiding their firebombs.

The Menacing Menagerie had left the safety of the alley and had lunged at the mage who stood closest to us. They were all flying fur and fangs, claws glinting in the light. The mage shrieked in terror and pain, and I was glad the Menagerie was on my side. The pure delight on Eloise's face was creepy, frankly, and Poppy was so into the attack that she'd lost her flower.

Jude stood on my side of the street, cracking her electric whip at a man who waved his arms, disrupting the bricks beneath her feet. They rose into the air, swirling around Jude, threatening to slam into her. She raised her free hand, casting a sparkling, protective shield around herself as she cracked her whip at the man.

Her whip twined around his body, and he screamed. The bricks dropped, and I looked away, searching for Bree.

She flew high in the sky, her silver wings gleaming, as she shot lightning bolts at the three remaining attackers below.

Death from above.

There was a guy in the middle of the street who seemed to be the most powerful. His eyes gleamed the brightest, and he looked like a true fanatic.

Bree's lightning bolts didn't seem to have much effect on him. He almost absorbed them.

I needed to try my sun magic against him. If it'd been strong enough to hurt the Titans, this guy didn't stand a chance. "Bree! I've got him!"

Bree's gaze flashed to me, and she nodded, then turned her attention to the other two.

I raised my hands and lined the mage up in my sights. His black trench coat whipped around his legs on an unnatural wind, and his hair flew back from his face. Actual flames shined within his eyes, and when he turned to me, I had a quick vision of a massive fireball coming my way.

As I called upon the magic of the sun, the man raised his hands.

Yep, he was definitely about to throw a giant fireball my way.

His magic swelled on the air, stinking of rot and decay. Red light glowed around his hands. As the huge ball of flame flew toward me, I lunged left, barely avoiding it.

The sun's power sizzled within me, difficult to control, and I unleashed it, sending it at the mage. The magic slammed into him, lighting him up like a firework.

Holy fates!

He shook and fell, collapsing to the ground like a sack of rocks.

I stared down at my hands. That was different than the sun magic I'd used against the Titans. Without a doubt, this was a magic I needed to explore more.

The remaining mages—there were only three of them now—all faltered at the sight of their leader on the ground. I darted toward the one nearest me, a young guy with big glasses and a sweater vest. He really didn't look like the sort who should be participating in an attack on innocent businesses. He should be working in an IT department or a chemistry lab right now.

I grabbed the guy around the collar, yanking him around to face me. As hard as I could, I slammed him against the brick wall.

Shock widened his dark eyes, which gleamed with the light of a fanatic.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked. "Attacking businesses like some loser?"

He scowled. "I'm not a loser."

"That's the part you focus on?" I shook him hard, calling upon a dagger from the ether and pressing it against his belly. "I could kill you here and now, and you're concerned that I called you a loser?"

He scowled at me, his lips twisting over perfect white teeth.

I shook him again. "Does this have anything to do with the Titans?"

"They make a compelling point." He shrugged, then winced when my dagger pressed a little deeper into his stomach.

"Mind control?" I shook him. "Can you feel them in your mind? Did their magic turn yours dark?"

The kid laughed, an ugly sound. "No mind control. I'm the one in control of me."

"Then why the hell are you doing this?"

"Yesterday, that guy"—he pointed to the fallen mage who I thought was the leader—"came up to me and presented a compelling argument about the Titans."

"Yesterday?" What the hell? Five days ago, we'd bound the Titans dark magic from spreading and converting people from light magic to dark. And this guy was a new recruit as of yesterday? "What the hell was his compelling argument?"

"Chaos." The kid grinned, crazy as a loon. "The Titans are going to rise up and take over the earth. Chaos is coming, and we'll worship them. So we thought we'd start early. Join their cause and prove we're loyal."

"By blowing up a fish and chips shop?" I jerked my head toward the shop window to his left, then shook my head, disgusted. "You could kill people."

"So?" The lack of concern on the kid's face was chilling. And actually, I needed to stop calling him a kid. He was my age.

And he'd made the decision to do this of his own free will.

What a little shit.

I was so pissed I almost didn't notice his hand rising, glowing red with flame. He slapped it toward my face, going for a kill shot. I shoved my dagger into his side and smacked his hand away just as another dagger flew through the air and pierced the kid's hand, making the magic fizzle.

Startled, I glanced left. Maximus stood there. He'd thrown the dagger, stopping the kid from barbecuing my face.

"Right place, right time, huh?" I asked as the kid shrieked.

The corner of Maximus's mouth tilted up in a sexy smile. "Always."

"Thanks." I nodded toward the body of the leader mage that was still lying in the square. He might still be alive, which meant he could wake up at any moment. "Will you take care of that guy? Tie him up?"

Maximus nodded. "On it."

I gave the street a quick look to make sure everything was under control—it was—then turned back to the jerk who'd tried to fricassee me. His eyes were wide and his face pale. I could let him die.

But no, I really didn't like that idea. It was one thing to kill demons. I'd kill mortals if I had to, but I didn't have to kill this one, so I didn't want to.

I yanked my blade out of his side, and he groaned, going to his knees. I knelt beside him, digging around in my potion belt to find the healing tonic.

"I'm going to make sure you don't die." I jerked his head up so he was looking at me. "And the Order of the Magica will take it from here. But if you ever do something like this again, I will come for you."

The guy's face whitened, and I grinned, viciously satisfied. I sounded seriously scary, and the guy was totally buying it. Honestly, I didn't have the time to hunt him down, but he didn't need to know that.

I poured the potion onto his wound, and it sizzled with a pale blue smoke. The guy relaxed as the wound knit itself back together.

"Want me to take him?" Caro's voice sounded from behind me. "I've got restraints."

I stood, glaring at the guy, who didn't move, then looked at my friend. "Thanks, Caro."

"I got your back, pal." She grinned.

I smiled. It was nice to have friends who cared. So much of my life recently had been spent in darkness, alone. It was really turning around now, but it'd only stay that way if I could take out the Titans. And soon.

A quick glance at Maximus showed that he'd trussed up the leader with some shackles he'd conjured. He had the guy gripped by his collar, and stood waiting for Jude's orders.

Everyone else seemed dead. Since they weren't demons, their bodies weren't disappearing like a demon's would. I frowned, my stomach turning.

I didn't like this, not one little bit.