“We need to get you to Zel right away,” Lily told her. “What the fuck is taking Mike so long?”
“I don’t understand. What’s happening?” The pain ripped through her again, causing her to gasp. It subsided, allowing her to walk on her own. She pushed away from Lily to go into the bathroom down the hall instead. Wondering if she would be sick, she started to lean over the toilet when she saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Her hair was going gray.
The slow, slippery climb out of the frozen lake had left Mike tired enough that he started dozing on the long walk back to Ratu’s lair. Asterion carried the naga in his arms, and Mike couldn’t help but be a little jealous of her royal treatment. They followed Asterion back to Ratu’s lair, and Mike sat down at the nearest table and stretched his legs.
“I’m fucking exhausted,” he said, rubbing a sore spot on his knee.
“Or are you exhausted from fucking?” Abella asked.
“Ha ha.” Mike rubbed his face and lightly slapped his cheeks. “I didn’t think nearly freezing to death or being chased by a Russian witch would make me so tired. And you’re probably right about the other thing.”
Abella smirked. “Just imagine how tired you would be without your magic.”
“My magic?” Mike was immediately awake.
“You know, from the soul swap with Naia. Nymphs get their energy from sex. I’m guessing you do too. Naia told me once that it’s like dipping a cup into a river to drink some of it. So whenever you have sex, you take some of the other person’s energy.”
“But that doesn’t make sense. You took my energy that time on the cliffs, not the other way around.”
“Sex is about giving and taking. It should be an even swap, but a nymph can shift the scales dramatically and take extra, weaving it into magic.” The gargoyle shrugged, her heavy tail shifting behind her. “You would have to ask her about it.”
“I may have to.” Give and take, Mike thought. He pictured Cecilia in the cave with him once more, the two of them creating a magical feedback loop. Pondering this bit of information, he stretched until something in his shoulder popped.
The others quickly joined them, and when Ratu walked over to sit down, she looked like she was limping.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I will be. I almost froze to death, you know.” She winked at him and then looked at Asterion. “It should be ready in my room. Please bring it.”
“Bring what?” Mike asked.
“We’re going to have some tea,” she said.
“We’re going to pass. I need to get back right now, so if you don’t mind, I just need directions out of here.” He stood and let out an involuntary grown.
“Nonsense. You are in poor shape, and the tea will help. You need your wits about you if you are to face the problems up above.”
“And we need a plan,” added Beth.
“So what’s the plan? Go home, boot the witches, go to bed?” He grinned, but nobody laughed. Asterion reappeared holding a silver platter with a tea set. He handed cups out to everybody, and Ratu poured the tea for them.
Mike pulled a cup toward him and sniffed it. “This stuff is caffeinated, right?”
Ratu smirked. “In a manner of speaking. Once you have finished your tea, Asterion will lead you and the others to the front gate. I will remain here. While I believe that the artifact is indeed destroyed, I have to be certain its magic has not affected anything near the lake.”
“Affected how?”
“If the object’s magic didn’t leak into the surrounding area, we are fine. If it did, then literally anything you can think of could have happened, and it can migrate to the house itself. I need to explore the area to make certain the Labyrinth is still safe and will do so once Asterion has returned from leading you out.”
“Once we are outside of the Labyrinth, we can use the viewing pool just outside of the gate to return quickly,” Sofia added. “It’s a shortcut to the house.”
“I’m familiar with it,” Mike said. He had tackled Jenny into it last week when she had tried to hide from them in the Labyrinth, and it had been a one-way trip straight to the house.
“Anyway, once we’re back, you should be able to use the goggles to activate the home’s defenses.”
“Great.” Mike sipped his tea. It spread warmth through his chest, chasing away not only his fatigue but the sore spot in his knee. Letting out a sigh, he slid down in his chair a bit. “The last couple of days have been awful.”
“I’m afraid you will have many days like this,” Sofia warned him. “It is true that there will be times of peace. But there will also be times of hardship.”
“I’m ready for some peace.” Mike sipped the tea again, smacking his lips. “Peace and quiet. And I have all of you to help me now.”
“Indeed.” Ratu grinned. “Perhaps I will stop by sometime?”
“We would love to have you. So can we go now?”
“Once your tea is gone.” Ratu sipped at her own cup and sighed. “You will have to take one of the longer routes to get out, I’m afraid. That way, you avoid any madness that may have been left behind.”
“Uh-huh.” Mike looked at his cup, licked his lips, and then drank the rest of the tea. He set the cup down on the table and stood. “Well, looks like I’m ready.”
The others followed suit and rose to join him.
“I wish there was more I could do to help,” Beth said, standing up from her chair. Jenny’s head was poking up out of her backpack, but Mike couldn’t tell if the doll was awake or not. “I feel like the outsider here.”
“Uh, well, yeah, I get that,” said Mike. “You kind of got sucked into this whole mess when I gave you Jenny. I’m really sorry.”
Beth waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about
