I sigh and nod to him before turning to Faiza. “You want to do the honors?” “Not really,” she says, tilting her head at me. “You’re the all-powerful one, anyway.” I sigh and turn back to Blythe, hoping I get it right as I pull on some of my magic and will him back into ghost form. He turns towar
The six of us troop out onto the street, Orion and Anton looking with particular curiosity as Laila spreads her palm out flat in front of her, using only four of the objects from the divination bag this time, clutching them in her fist and asking her question about direction as she pulls on my magic
The people of this city watch us pass, quite interested, murmuring as we go by. I frown at that, looking around at them, wondering how they’ve identified us as anything worth their attention. But then I remember that I’m walking with a ghost, a super-hot Prince, two priestesses and a squirrel. And
The temple empties as we step inside. I frown at bit at this, feeling…I don’t know. Very visible? Very…vulnerable? Here, alone, in this wide empty space. My eyes move again to the back of the temple where a few priestesses skitter away into doors tucked into walls. I can’t hear them, but the way the
I nod, moving along with him, and together we walk slowly along the wall, studying the images drawn there. As we walk along the length of the wall, I at first assume that the images are simply decorative. The Goddess of Life is in most of them, doing magnificent things. I see some of her standing
Anton glances down at me for a moment before turning his eyes back to the carvings on the wall, a frown taking his lips. “What are you talking about, June?” “Tony,” I whisper, a little bit of a frustrated growl in my word as I wrap my hands around his arm, pressing myself close to his side. “Is an
“Her,” he whispers, his finger tracing over the veil that marks her as a nun – the highest level of dedication. “Please,” I whisper, my eyes locked on the image. “Help me understand.” “It’s…her,” Anton whispers before he sinks to his knees, moving his face closer to stare at the image. “She’s…mi
“Oh, you did grow up handsome, didn’t you?” The Goddess of Life says, laughing lightly and slipping her hands over Anton’s face, turning it up to hers as she smiles. “I was so hoping you would.” He laughs a little in turn, shrugging, modest. I can’t help but grin, thinking that Life is understatin
“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