“A sword that never misses its mark,” one shouts.
“And, as I recall,” she says, with a teasing tone, “a helm of immortality.”
In a glint of gold, she’s racing across the hallway and disappearing up the stairs.
The soldiers chase after her, abandoning their posts for the promise of reward. She’s fast. I’m sure she can outrun them. I
We don’t have time to wait around to find out.
The golden maiden has bought us a few precious minutes, a narrow window of opportunity. I rush to the closet door and unlock it. Ursula steps out, looking far more like herself. Guess I come by my fast healing honestly.
She looks at her sister. “Are we too late?”
Sthenno shakes her head. “But we must hurry.”
“I’m not sure I have the strength.”
Sthenno steps up to her and places a palm on either side of her face. “I shall give you the strength.”
“What about her powers?” Thane asks. “Are they still tethered?”
Sthenno studies him appraisingly. I can’t guess her judgment.
“No,” Sthenno says. “Once free from the cell, her powers are released.”
“Hurry,” Ursula says. “Everyone gather close. Make sure you are touching one of us.”
I start to pocket the dungeon keys, but something stops me.
“Give me a sec,” I call out over my shoulder as I head down the hall toward the maze of cells.
“Gretchen,” Sthenno shouts, “we haven’t the time.”
I don’t stop to argue. They won’t leave without me, and this will only take a moment.
Back in the vast, smoke-filled room, I hurry to the cell of the man who talked to me earlier. He looks up as I toss the keys into his cell.
“Everyone deserves a trial,” I say.
I don’t wait for a response before sprinting back to the group.
Sthenno scowls at me, but we’ll have that discussion later.
Sillus jumps onto my back as I wrap a hand around Sthenno’s forearm. I can feel power—strength—surging through her beneath the fabric of her jacket. Thane steps to my side, Greer still cradled in his arms. He turns to press his shoulder against Ursula’s.
I’m not convinced that’s enough, so I grab Greer’s hand with my free one.
“It will not come.” Ursula’s voice is weak, and she sounds like she’s given up.
“It will, sister,” Sthenno says. “Concentrate.”
Ursula opens her eyes. “It is no use. I am too weak.”
I’m not sure what scares me the most: the threat of our enemies coming back for us, or the defeat in Ursula’s gray eyes. Since that day four years ago when she pulled me off the street, talked me out of the warehouse I was calling home, and gave me a bed, a future, and a destiny, she’s been nothing but strong— nothing but certain that I can succeed in whatever I try.
To see her give up like this ignites a fire in me.
“The hell you are,” I shout.
She looks at me, eyes wide.
“You are going to get us out of here,” I say. “You’re going to autoport us the hell out of this mountain. Right now.”
Her gray eyes light up and I see the first spark of hope—of belief.
She closes her eyes again, focusing, and I tighten my grip on Sthenno’s arm. I channel whatever powers I have into Ursula. Together, we can do anything.
The bright light is already blinding me before I remember to tell her not to autoport us to the loft.
When the world stops swirling, I open my eyes. We’re standing in the hollow shell of what used to be our home. The building still smells like barbecue and burned rubber.
Releasing my grip on Sthenno and Greer, I say, “I might have forgotten to mention that—”
Ursula collapses to the ground.
“Ursula!”
“We must get her to the healer,” Sthenno says. “Who has a vehicle?”
“I do,” I say. “But not here.”
My car is halfway across town, parked in front of Greer’s house.
“Where is the healer?” Thane asks. “Greer needs help, too.”
Sthenno looks at Greer, frowning with concern. “I am afraid,” she says, “that a healer cannot help her.”
The muscles in Thane’s jaw clench. If I didn’t know Sthenno was the gorgon with super strength—like me— I’d be worried for her health. Thane looks like he wants to destroy something, or someone.
I know the feeling.
“I’ll go get my car.” I glance at our two unconscious companions. “It will take me a while. Maybe twenty minutes.”
“There is no time,” Sthenno says. “Can you carry your sister?”
“Of course,” I reply without hesitation. Sillus climbs off my back.
Sthenno smiles like a proud teacher. “And I can carry mine. We can be at the healer’s in a matter of minutes.”
I reach for Greer, but Thane holds her out of range. “I have her.”
Our eyes meet, and for a moment, I feel like we’re going to have a stare-down. Then his look softens, and his brows dip just a little, turning his expression into a plea. I don’t have to be a social genius to know what that means.
“Fine,” I say, pulling the monkey back onto my shoulders so he won’t slow us down. “Let’s get moving. Sthenno, you can lead the way.”
The healer is in a tiny storefront in Russian Hill, a short uphill trek from the loft. Unlike the oracle’s abandoned-looking shop, this place is all lights and neon. Only a plastic “closed” sign on the door gives a go-away message.
Sthenno knocks on the door.
The painted notices in the window invite customers to get acupuncture, acupressure, massage, facials, and aura readings inside. A glowing neon sign advertises aromatherapy. There is a special discount—free aura reading with the purchase of six acupressure sessions.
“Who is this quack?” I ask. “How can they help us?”
Sthenno looks evenly at me. “This quack,” she intones, “is a child of Panacea, a goddess of healing.”
My cheeks burn, and I try to disguise my embarrassment with cooperation. “Oh, that’s good, then.”
When the door swings open, I want to take back my words.
“Sorry,” the short, wiry man says, “we’re—”
When he sees Sthenno, his jaw drops.
“Gorgon,” he says, inclining his head, “you are most welcome.”
He steps back and waves us inside. Sthenno goes in first, carrying Ursula in her arms as if my mentor weighs nothing. I wave Thane in before me, and Sillus and I bring up the rear.
The healer takes one look at the two unconscious bodies and says, “Come this way.”
We follow him through the space, into a large room in the back with twin massage tables set up in the center. It smells like herbs and essential oils, and the air is filled with music that sounds like the soundtrack to some tragic movie where everyone dies.
“Lay them down,” he says, walking over to a stereo sitting on the counter and punching off the music. “What happened?”
“Euryale is but weakened,” Sthenno exclaims. “She autoported us from Olympus while her energy stores were still quite low.”
The healer pumps liquid sanitizer onto his hands and then walks over to Ursula. He runs his hands around her, not touching her—his palms hover just above the surface of her body. When he gets to her wrists, he swirls his hands in small circles. She groans and tries to sit up.
