many other things.
“We have another place,” the golden maiden says. “It is not so . . . commodious. But it will serve.”
“Sounds fine.” I give her a grateful smile. “Let’s get my sisters safely there. Then you can tell us your news. “
“Yes,” the golden maiden says, “and you can tell us of yours.”
I study her. She always seems to know everything—or at least more than me. Maybe she already knows about our plans to travel to Olympus to rescue the gorgons. Maybe she knows, but maybe she wants me to tell her just the same.
She’s a cryptic one.
“So, Sillus,” I say as we start walking, draping an arm over the little guy’s shoulder, “how did you get back here? Last I knew, you were running wild in San Francisco.”
He shakes his furry head. “Is long story, huntress.
I laugh but then quickly bite my lips as the golden maiden turns to scowl at my outburst.
“I’m sure it is,” I whisper to the little monkey. “You’ll have to tell me when we have time to talk freely.”
My smile fades. As we head back to the cave where Grace, Greer, and Thane are hiding, I wonder what this news is. I hope it’s either good or useful, because we could use some of that.
The golden maiden hadn’t exaggerated about their new location. Smaller, colder, and with only a small magical fire in the corner to chase away the shadows, the new cave smells like mildew and dirty gym socks. There must have been a phoenix living here before they moved in.
But my sisters are here, and it’s safe, and right now that’s my top priority.
Greer looks much better than when I left her—she’d been pale and passed out in Thane’s arms—and Grace seems very relieved that our sister is recovering. I’m sure we’re both wondering just how Thane knew to use hellebore to cure the scratch of a Keres demon. Right now he’s standing sentry over Greer, and I want her rest undisturbed, so I’ll save my questions for later.
I cross the cave to a bench—really just a long, flat rock—where the golden maiden sits, staring into the fire. They’re pretty much without amenities here, and what passes for furniture is whatever pieces of stone suit the job. And it’s all my fault.
There’s no time for guilt. Greer is almost well enough to move on, and we have a big mission ahead of us. And first, we need to hear what news our Abyssian friends have to share.
I sit down next to the golden maiden on the bench. “Is it anything I want to hear?”
She inclines her head as she lays a golden hand on my thigh.
That’s what I was afraid of.
“One of our spies”—she glances pointedly at Sillus—“overheard the boss talking about a mission to Panogia.”
I should have known it was something about the pet-store mash-up who runs things down here. First he kidnaps my guy, and then he busts up my friends’ stuff, not to mention the big battle back home that finally convinced Greer that some things are more important than a snooty tea.
“We already know about that. We faced his army earlier today,” I reply, remembering the crazy scene in Greer’s school gym. It feels like days, not hours, since we got caught between the Nychtian Army from the abyss and the Arms of Olympus. “We took care of them.”
Between the three of us opening a giant sucking portal and Grace autoporting us the hell out of Dodge, we’d come away from the skirmish unhurt. And all the beasties had been sent straight home.
“Not the army,” she explains. “He has sent assassins.”
“No. After us? Why didn’t he just kill me when he had the chance? When I was in his office.”
Zeus’s bounty and the reward of freedom from the monster realm must have gotten to be too great a temptation for boss man. My muscles tense. I should have taken care of that flipper-fisted moron the last time I was here. I might not have made it out of the abyss alive, but he’d be off our backs.
“You are correct.” The golden maiden shakes her head with a quiet squeak. “He did not send assassins after you.”
“Boss no kill huntress,” Sillus adds. “Need huntress. Three.”
Oh, yeah. Can’t forget that.
Sillus is right. Killing us doesn’t make sense for the beastie side of the war. The boss is on the side that wants us to open the door so monsterkind can run free in the streets of the human world. Killing us first would definitely prevent that from happening. They want to wait to kill us after.
My eyes narrow. “Who?”
She hesitates just briefly. “We cannot be certain,” she says, “but he seeks the woman who produced the Key Generation.”
“What does that mean?”
“We believe,” she says, her voice soft, “he means to kill your mother.”
Grace gasps.
I turn my head and find her standing right behind me. I hadn’t even realized she was listening.
“How did they find her?” she asks.
“That I do not know,” the golden maiden replies. “I know only that they have sent several teams to your realm. They believe she holds the key to finding you, to controlling your powers.”
“Why send assassins?” I ask.
“The boss believes that if she is dead”—the golden maiden swallows hard—“your powers will die with her.”
“No,” Grace whispers.
I grab her hand.
“Is that even possible?” I ask.
The golden maiden shrugs. “We do not know. The lore concerning your line, your legacy, has been hidden for so long. I suppose it is conceivable, but we do not have enough information.”
“It doesn’t matter if they will or not,” Grace says, her voice tight with emotion. “If the boss believes it, then our mother is in danger. We can’t let them kill her. Not now that we know for certain she’s still alive. Not now that we can find her.”
I can see the pain in her silver eyes, and it hurts me to see her hurt.
“We won’t,” I promise, even though I don’t know how.
We have to go after the gorgons—they’re being held prisoner, in constant immediate danger—but we have to protect our mother, not just because they might be able to use her to kill our powers, and not just because she’s our mother and a link in the chain leading all the way back to Medusa, but also because I know what this means to Grace. She is so proud to have found the clues to our mother’s location—that her name is Cassandra Gregory and what her phone number was four years ago—and I know Grace desperately wants to meet her.
And I find myself desperately wanting to make my sisters happy, no matter what.
“We have to protect her,” Grace insists. “
I’m surprised by the certainty I see in her determined gaze. The Grace I first met a few weeks ago would be frightened and full of doubts. She was too afraid to stand up to a mean girl at school or ask out the cute boy she liked. The Grace in front of me sits strong and sure of what she has to do. I’m impressed. As the multihued glow of the fire flickers in her eyes, I smile at the transformation.
No doubt our mother will be proud.
We will just have to rescue the gorgons and save our mother at the same time.
“Right,” I say, the plan forming in my mind as I speak. “We can handle things here. You go home and find our mother.”
Grace lights up with a hopeful smile.
Nick steps forward. “I’ll go with her.”
I swing my gaze his way.
His midnight blue eyes confront me, like this is a test. He’s offering to help, but will I let him? Do I trust him? Am I willing to put my sister’s safety in his hands?
I’ve already made my decision.
Without hesitation, I say, “Good idea.”
