Orion sighs harshly, closing his eyes and pressing the bridge of his nose between his fingers, clearly frustrated.“Whoa,” Laila breathes, looking around perhaps for the first time. “Such dedication and technology – this is far beyond anything we have at home. It’s incredible.”“Yeah, well,” Orion m
We spend hours in that damn library. Luckily, the Priests are very nice and bring us tea and snacks, always urging us to be careful around the precious scrolls but generally being very friendly. I look curiously after them during a little scone break, sipping from my mug of tea, thinking that these
“No!” the Priest nearly shouts, his voice wavering as he reaches for his scrolls, his hand finding my shoulder. “They are mine! You must not –“But as I stand his voice fades and the High Priest stares at me in shock. Rapidly, he blinks three or four times, his eyes clearing, a great veil seeming to
Orion snarls, more wolfish than he usually is, as we all appear in his living room suite and he hurls the stack of scrolls onto his coffee table. “I don’t get it!”He storms away to the very small marble bar built into the corner of the room and begins to pour himself a big glass of whiskey as Laila
“What!?” I snap, sitting up straight and glaring at him. “We so do not!”“Oh, I think we got our confirmation tonight, June,” Anton says, giving me a sad little half-smile as he lifts a hand and runs it over my hair. “Little Miss Hair Like Sun Veiled in Darkness. Little Miss Countermeasure.”I scowl
“I still don’t think this is a good use of our time,” I grumble the next morning as Orion brews coffee at his little bar in the corner. All four of us slept here after spending the evening continuing to go through the prophecies, which got blurrier and blurrier as the evening passed. Probably becaus
I just scowl, looking down into my drink, my wolf turning an anxious circle in my soul.Fifteen minutes later we appear in the Deadlands, Laila and Orion holding my hands and Anton standing steadily behind me. I glance back to see that his face is more serious than it’s been all morning, like he’s f
My eyes go wide as the light fades and suddenly…I growl, my canines sharpening to points.“Aw, little viper,” Faiza coos, standing in the clearing before us perfectly corporeal and smiling at me like I’m the cutest thing she’s ever seen. “I missed you!”“Get out of here,” I snarl.“Who are you?” Or
“No!” she sputters out, stumbling a few steps towards me, shaking her head so hard her pretty blue-green hair flutters out all around her. “No, Junie, don’t make me go! I want…I want to stay here! And help! I mean…” she bites her lip. “It will be nice to be able to visit home. But I want to stay wit
“I’m sending you home too,” I say quietly, doing my best to look each in the eyes. “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m sorry if you’re disappointed that you didn’t get the wish.” They murmur a variety of responses back to me, most of them relieved. One by one they step forward and I take their ha
“Does…” I whisper, my eyes still fastened to Orion as my eyes move over him, feeling the powers that radiate from him now. “Does that mean you have all of the powers of Darkness too? From…from the wish?” “No,” Orion murmurs, looking down at his hands and flexing them, experimenting with the feel o
Beatrice is the last to go, staring at me in shock, realizing finally that she bet everything on the wrong horse. I bare my teeth at her, fangs extended, and Beatrice’s eyes go wider as she trembles and finally submits, going to her knees and bowing her head. “Good,” I say, my voice returning to n
Laila’s knife sinks deep between Death’s shoulder blades and the final scream of a God fills the air as Death falls to his knees. The magic stops mid-stream, like a tap being suddenly turned off. I groan and tilt forward against Anton, who catches me and holds me against his chest. “Shit, June,”
“Just a little longer, June. She’ll do it.” But what if she doesn’t? What if…what if I’m inches from oblivion, and this is it? My heart strains in my chest, my wolf shaking like a leaf from snout to tail. But still, I will myself to hope. To trust in my friend. “I know,” I reply, letting my ey
I gasp, my shoulders trembling under the sheer weight of Death’s magic that flows over and around us, my shield barrier straining and buckling under its might. “June,” Anton breathes, eyes wide as he looks up at the magic streaming over us in an unending torrent. “Shit – are you –“ I crouch besi
The wish presses against Death for a moment and then sinks into him, dissolving into his chest. He sighs with happiness and what looks like ecstasy, tilting his head back to the sky as the magic disappears into him. Beatrice steps away, tucking her hands behind her back, beaming at the God she jus
Before I can get more than three steps after Laila, Anton lunges forward, his paws landing on either side of me as he snatches at the back of my gown with his teeth, holding me back. His fierce growl reminds me that I need to stay here – that Death took Laila because he wants me to come rushing onto