《Not Quite Divine》


 Chapter 1. Burnt Beginnings

    Gretta Sullivan reclined in her brown pleather chair, holding up her last-year-model phone and watching a TikTok video of a raccoon pawing at a jar of peanut butter. Her glass cubicle was scrunched between a long hall of identical cubicles in a modern coworking space. Overhead, the fluorescent lights softly hummed and buzzed. A neatly hand-lettered paper sign on her door read, "Sullivan Investigations." Besides her laptop, a dirty coffee mug, and a phone charger, her office was bare of accessories or decorations.


    She¡¯d been in business for two weeks, and her greatest accomplishment was drinking 43 cups of free coffee from the cafeteria in those fourteen days. Considering that four of those days were on the weekend, she was starting to think her caffeine vice was getting out of control.


    Gretta woke up her computer to see if she had any new business. She scrolled through dozens of spam emails. Some were traditional requests to help an Arabian prince who needed a quick loan. Other emails suggested that single women were only one click away! Clearly, spammers didn¡¯t know which team she played for. The last group of emails urgently needed her to confirm her username, Social Security number, birthday, and password to check her bank account.


    Business was not booming. She had a website, ran ads online and on social media, was listed in a popular business review platform, appeared in a national directory for investigators, and even tried more traditional advertising. But the only sound her phone had made was a raccoon chittering.


    Gretta watched the clock on her phone flip from 4:59 pm to 5:00 pm. Quitting time. She stood up, letting the chair slide back until it bounced off the back wall. Nobody was coming today.


    She grabbed her empty coffee mug, slipped out of her office, and marched toward the shared kitchenette. As she marched, the sharp, acrid tang of burnt popcorn hit her nose, growing stronger with each step. It mingled unpleasantly with the faint chemical lemon scent of the industrial cleaner someone had used on the countertops, creating a uniquely stomach-turning aroma.


    Gretta clenched her jaw. Her dad had lent her $30,000 to start this business, and now she wondered if she could afford the first month¡¯s rent for the office and her apartment. She was all but tapped out after licensing fees, training, insurance, bonds, software, and a computer. She was brand new to the business but was certain she could succeed if anybody gave her a chance. After all, she had something that no other PI she knew had: magic!


    Not that she could advertise her magical ability. Anybody with a lick of sense knew that the FBI had a special division dedicated to finding magic users. And she was more powerful than your average sorcerer, but she couldn¡¯t take on the US government. If they caught wind of her, she¡¯d likely be conscripted into service or part of some lab experiment. The last time magic users tried to come into the light was right before the Inquisition, and we all saw how well that turned out.


    The kitchenette was empty, save for the quiet hum of the refrigerator in the corner. The microwave¡¯s green numbers blinked impatiently, flashing ¡°00:00,¡± while the charred stench of popcorn clung heavily to the air, making her nose wrinkle. She glared at the dull, eggshell-white walls that would almost certainly absorb the smell.


    She slipped her dirty mug into the community dishwasher and then turned to the microwave.


    She caught her reflection in the glass: disheveled blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles. So many freckles.


    She shook her head and opened the microwave. A blackened bag of popcorn still smoldered.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°This is a public space,¡± a man said from behind her.


    Gretta turned around and looked at the man, confirming that she was the only one present whom he might be talking to.


    He glowered at her. ¡°Between microwaving popcorn and fish, your making this shared space was less pleasant.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t mine,¡± she said, stepping away from the open microwave.


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Then why are you taking it?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t taking it. I was just worried that it was on fire.¡±


    He strode forward, his polished leather shoes squeaking faintly against the tiled floor, and snatched the scorched bag of popcorn from the microwave with an exaggerated flair. Holding it aloft like a piece of damning evidence, he jabbed a finger at the smudged instructions on the side of the package. ¡°Two to three minutes, depending on wattage,¡± he recited. ¡°Clearly, you should have started with two.¡±


    Gretta noticed a lady frozen halfway down the hall. The man was facing Gretta and away from the lady, who slowly turned around and started shuffling away. Gretta sighed.


    The man turned on the faucet, ran the bag under the water for a few seconds, and then finally tossed the soaked popcorn in the trash. Gretta watched, speechless.


    He gave Gretta another appraising look. ¡°I get it. I was young once, too, and it¡¯s easy to forget that you aren¡¯t the only one who works here, but I will have to report you if this keeps up.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s face turned red. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    The man shook his head and walked away, but Gretta was sure she could hear him muttering about people too young to take responsibility for their actions.


    She whispered an ancient word of chaos and felt the zing of magic flow through her hand to the man¡¯s shoes. The laces came undone.


    She whispered another ancient word, this one of orde. Another tingle of magic danced out from her fingers, and the laces of the man¡¯s different shoes became entangled in a perfect knot. A moment later, the man was falling, but Gretta didn¡¯t wait to see him land. She was already turning around.


    ¡°Clearly, you should have been more careful,¡± she whispered.


    Gretta stomped back toward her office. She needed to grab her laptop and get out of there. Even though it was minor, the fatigue from casting two spells mingled with the more significant fatigue of a day spent doing nothing and the stress of impending bills.


    Down the hall, an older Latina woman peered into Gretta¡¯s office. She wore a long rose-hued dress and carried a cream-colored handbag over one shoulder. Her dark hair, pulled back in a tight bun, had streaks of gray. Though her face was lined with age, her posture was as steady and upright as a soldier¡¯s. Her dark eyes scanned the office with quiet intensity.


    Gretta¡¯s heart sped up. Was this her first customer? She didn¡¯t want to get her hopes up too high, as the last time someone was at her office door, a man just wanted to ask if she knew where the kitchenette was.


    She quickly checked to ensure her shirt did not have coffee stains and then said, ¡°Welcome to Sullivan Investigations! How may I help you?¡±


    The woman gave a start and then turned. ¡°Oh, thank goodness I caught you! I was worried you had gone home for the day.¡±


    Gretta smiled warmly and approached, holding out her hand to shake. ¡°I¡¯m Gretta Sullivan.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes flicked down to Gretta¡¯s outstretched hand, lingering for a beat too long before she reached out. Her grip was light and precise, her cool fingers clasping Gretta¡¯s palm with the faintest pressure, as if handling a delicate artifact. The touch sent a sudden jolt up Gretta¡¯s arm, sharp and electric; the unmistakable tingle of magic brushed against her own.


    The woman gave her a knowing look. ¡°I¡¯m Adriana Vega, and I need your help.¡±


    Gretta held the door, and Adriana stepped in, taking a seat on the flimsy plastic chair in front of Gretta¡¯s desk. Gretta shut the door, then walked around her desk and sat down. ¡°Please, tell me what¡¯s brought you in.¡±


    ¡°My granddaughter and son are missing, and considering your¡­ skills, I believe you have the best chance of finding them.¡±

 Chapter 2. The Price of Chaos

    The setting sun painted the western horizon with shades of pink that blended into the blues and violets of the clear desert sky. Dust made the distant mountains hazy while also catching the sunset colors. A train rumbled south toward Tucson, overpowering the sound of passing traffic on I-10.


    In his coyote form, Rowan watched for an opening to cross the interstate from a copse of Palo Verde. That very morning, he had decided to abandon Arizona and set out for California, but a series of chaotic events involving Animal Control, a squadron of javelinas, and an ice cream truck had led to an amusing yet delayed start to leaving his home state.


    As the most active local trickster god, he generally loved trouble, but he had to leave the state because he sensed that the type of trouble coming was not the fun kind, and he didn¡¯t want to get caught up in divine politics. The uptick in people pulling on chaos magic¡ªmagic from his domain¡ªhad tipped him off that there was conflict among the local magic users. Then, this morning, he spotted a disciple of the Beacon of Light and decided it was time to move on. There¡¯s trouble, and then there¡¯s eternal imprisonment from the goddess of justice. What¡¯s more, if she had agents in town, either the Lord of Destruction also had agents here, or she was after Rowan specifically. While technically, no one deity was more potent than another in his pantheon; it had been his experience that he couldn¡¯t take on any of the other gods in a straight-out fight. His well of power was in Arizona, and he had no idea what would happen if he left. However, with the agents of at least one of his enemies lurking about, he would do his best to lay low.


    He sneezed when the draft from a passing car caused a small whirlwind of dust to drift over him. Spotting a break in the traffic, he stood from his hiding place and stretched. Two more cars were approaching, and after them, a large enough break for him to easily cross the entire interstate without risking causing an accident or getting run over.


    A feminine voice in his head begged, Please help her.


    Rowan shook his head. That had never happened before. He mused whether deities could become schizophrenic. He reasoned that maybe he had been spending too much time in coyote form.


    The approaching cars were swerving. The lead car, a beat-up old Toyota Corolla, was being forced off the road by a newer, sleeker black Mercedes SUV.


    Rowan caught a glimpse of a scared little girl in the backseat and, simultaneously, heard the desperate female voice again. Help her!


    Rowan caught a glint of steel on the road. It was a nail that likely fell out of one of the construction vehicles that frequently visited the new developments north of the city. With an effort of will, he unleashed enough raw chaos to entangle the chasing vehicle¡¯s wheels and the nail. With a gust of wind, an unlucky tumble of the nail, and a pop, the rear tire of the Mercedes burst. The already swerving vehicle slipped off the pavement onto the loose gravel and skidded down the embankment into the scrub brush.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Rowan¡¯s tongue lolled out.


    Using raw chaos, especially in such quantities, without any words of power had consequences. There would be a backlash from the forces of order magnitudes worse than using a spell, but he had been in coyote form, and there had been no time. He could already feel the tension building in his gut.


    Rowan could see the car with the little girl turn off at the exit a half mile down the road. The brutes from the chasing Mercedes were getting out of their vehicle and assessing the damage.


    The tension from the backlash of his previous spell surged before it hit like lightning, coursing through his body as the universe sought to balance out what he had done. He had saved a child, but there would be an exchange.


    Rowan looked over and saw a small dog, either a Boston Terrier or a French Bulldog, darting into the road¡ªthe creature the universe had chosen as payment for his magic. A semi-truck was barreling down the interstate, oblivious to the animal now caught in the headlights of death. He would not let that animal pay for his magic.


    He darted forward, and as he reached the dog, he shifted from coyote to human to scoop up the dog and shelter it with his body. The semi-truck¡¯s tires seized up, and the screeching of tires and honking of the horn overwhelmed his senses.


    He saw the semi¡¯s grill sliding toward him. It was a wall of gleaming steel. He turned away and hunched his shoulders as if protecting his head would save him.


    Rowan didn¡¯t feel the impact so much as experienced it as sound and fury. He came to a skidding halt in the dirt off the side of the road. The sky and road were a jumble of colors and sounds. He had moments to wonder if he was airborne before he struck the ground and skidded across gravel.


    He could hear the driver stumbling out of the truck, but he couldn¡¯t move to see anything. His spine must have been broken because he couldn¡¯t feel anything. The small dog whined and stood on his chest.


    The ache from the magical backlash subsided, leaving him feeling only his throbbing head and the emptiness of a broken, paralyzed body. Rowan knew his debt to the universe was now paid in full.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you. You came out of nowhere,¡± the panicked driver said as he stumbled forward with a phone in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll call for help. Just¡ªOh god! Don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°Not going anywhere,¡± Rowan answered between wet coughs.


    The resonant female voice spoke fervently directly into his mind. He thought he could hear crying. Thank you, thank you for saving the girl.


    ¡°No problem,¡± he whispered.


    A heavy weight pulled his consciousness down. The sunset''s crimson and gold colors blurred together, and the hum of traffic and rumble of the train faded. As darkness consumed him, he had time for a final thought: This day could not get worse.

 Chapter 3. Missing Pieces

    Adriana Vega opened the door to a two-bedroom apartment and gestured for Gretta to come inside.


    ¡°This is how I found the place.¡± Adriana¡¯s face told a story of frustration and sadness.


    When Gretta spotted the destruction in the apartment, she hesitated a moment. Then, taking a breath, she recovered her professional demeanor and stepped in. From her position, the living room and kitchen were visible. The kitchen chairs were knocked over, the kitchen table was broken in half, and a large section of the living room couch was missing, as if a piece of reality had simply been cleanly scooped away.


    Gretta frowned. ¡°Looks like there was a fight here. Why didn¡¯t you call the police?¡±


    Adriana walked over to the couch and indicated the sphere of nothing that should have held fabric, stuffing, and wood. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get the police involved in this, do you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything that destroys a space this cleanly. But who knows¡ªmaybe there¡¯s a mundane explanation.¡± Gretta gave the couch another look. It looked like magic had disintegrated it. The matter had been removed.


    Adriana shook her head and sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have come to a private eye with absolutely no experience if I thought I had any other choice. No offense.¡±


    Gretta swallowed her retort. I need the money. I need the money. Besides, she¡¯s only lashing out because she¡¯s worried about her son and granddaughter. ¡°Does your son often get into magical brawls?¡±


    Adriana grinned. ¡°Now and then.¡±


    ¡°You know that I¡¯m a PI, not a bodyguard,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I might be able to track down your son and granddaughter, but I¡¯m not a fighter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I heard,¡± Adriana said but continued before Gretta could respond. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to fight or do anything heroic. Find them and call me. I¡¯ll figure out the rest.¡±


    Gretta cleared her throat. ¡°I see pictures of Sofia and your son, Miguel, but I don¡¯t see any of your daughter-in-law. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Lucia,¡± Adriana said. Her voice cracked, and she looked away. ¡°She¡¯s no longer in the picture. I think Miguel finally realized she was keeping secrets from him.¡±


    Gretta walked across the living room to a computer desk. ¡°Could Lucia have taken Sofia and Miguel?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t think she succeeded,¡± Adriana.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Gretta asked as she shook the computer¡¯s mouse.


    ¡°Well, Miguel¡¯s car was missing. So, he probably escaped whoever attacked him.¡±


    Gretta glanced at the screen, which required a password, then flipped over the keyboard to find a sticky note with passwords written on it. After a quick scan, she set the keyboard back down and entered the password.


    Adriana walked over. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Looking for clues as to where your son went,¡± Gretta said. ¡°If you had involved the police, they would have checked with his bank for any charges.¡±


    Gretta typed and clicked to scan Miguel¡¯s browsing history, spotted a link to a banking account, navigated to it, and then logged in using the password saved in the browser. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Is this legal?¡±


    Gretta flushed. ¡°Um. I won¡¯t tell if you don¡¯t. I thought you wanted your son found.¡±


    Adriana smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t say a word.¡±


    Gretta scrolled through Miguel¡¯s recent purchases. The last two purchases were at a gas station and then a diner in Marana. There weren¡¯t any unusually large deposits or withdrawals, and as she scanned through the previous month, it seemed that Miguel lived a fairly predictable life. The only odd thing was the number and frequency of his spending at a gardening store¡ªbut judging by the sheer number of potted plants, maybe he was just really passionate about them. She took a quick picture of the screen. She pulled up a map webpage and looked for the diner and the gas station.


    ¡°Looks like they passed through Marana. They stopped at the gas station first and then the diner. Maybe they are heading west.¡±


    Adriana shrugged. ¡°Or maybe they got back on the freeway.¡±


    Gretta took down a picture of Miguel and his daughter Sofia. It looked like they were at a birthday party. ¡°Mind if I take this?¡±


    ¡°Go right ahead,¡± Adriana said.


    ¡°You said that Miguel gets in fights sometimes? What sort of magic does he have?¡±


    Adriana grinned. ¡°Miguel is a disciple of the Wild Mother, like you. So, you can imagine why he likes a good fight.¡±


    ¡°The Wild Mother values growth and adaptability,¡± Gretta said.


    Adriana smirked, which was the first time she hadn¡¯t looked upset since Gretta had met her. ¡°What about strength and cunning?¡±


    Gretta shrugged. ¡°Yes, but only in that strength and adaptability helps to protect others. We don¡¯t seek out fights.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Adriana said.


    Gretta wanted to press the issue but remembered that Adriana was a paying customer. She looked around the room and spotted a framed picture. Gretta removed the photo from the frame. ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll get much more from here. Do you know what kind of car Miguel drove? Maybe a license plate number?¡±


    ¡°He drives a blue Toyota Corolla with a white hood and a grey trunk,¡± Adriana said. ¡°I don¡¯t know the license plate number.¡±


    Gretta scanned a stack of bills and spotted an insurance bill. She scanned it and then took a picture when she saw the license plate number.


    ¡°I have your contact information. I will check out the diner and see what I find.¡±


    ¡°I should come with you. Every moment they are on the run is another moment that they might come to harm.¡±


    ¡°I expect they are long gone, and I¡¯ll just be interviewing people there. If I find a lead, I might have to act fast, and I¡¯d rather be free to use more of my powers.¡±


    Adriana shook her head. ¡°Shapeshifters. Always want to do things alone.¡±


    Gretta blinked. There were three people who knew she was a shapeshifter. Her father, her mother, and her ex-boyfriend, Todd. Had Todd told anybody else? She hadn¡¯t seen him since high school. Or did Adriana have the ability to determine her powers?


    ¡°You¡¯ve done your homework,¡± Gretta said.


    Adriana shrugged.


    The fact that Adriana knew this much about her was unsettling. Adriana had known that Gretta had powers, but that might have been explained by a prayer that led to a deity nudging Adriana toward the only disciple of the Wild Mother who might be able to help. As far as Gretta knew, only the Wild Mother would know Gretta¡¯s abilities, and it felt unlikely she would have revealed them to a stranger. Adriana was not a disciple of the Wild Mother. Her magic felt potent, but it wasn¡¯t that of a storm or nature. It was more like the power of the sun.


    Gretta could see why Adriana wanted to be present, but she also couldn¡¯t see a way to keep Adriana alive if a fight broke out. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯d rather be free to use more of my powers if there¡¯s trouble, and I don¡¯t think I can keep you safe while investigating.¡±


    Adriana looked weary. ¡°And exactly what do you think you are keeping me safe from?¡±


    Gretta pointed to the disintegrated couch. ¡°Maybe a disciple of destruction?¡±


    Adriana¡¯s expression turned shocked. ¡°Nobody has seen or heard of anybody following the Lord of Destruction.¡±


    Gretta shrugged. ¡°Maybe. Maybe your son was doing something that got the Beacon of Light riled up and seeking justice, but I¡¯ve heard things get fiery when she gets involved. I don¡¯t see any signs of fire here.¡±


    ¡°If it is one of the Lord¡¯s disciples, you won¡¯t be a match for him alone.¡±


    Gretta nodded. ¡°But I¡¯ll feel better if we both don¡¯t die.¡± Gretta turned away from Adriana.¡°If I don¡¯t check in by tomorrow, pack your bags and leave the state.¡±

 Chapter 4. Light, Bright, and Overly Uptight

    The glare of pure white light seared Rowan¡¯s retinas when he finally came to and opened his eyes. He was in a cell of stone and steal. Everything around him was shiny, pristine, and geometric. Even the silence would have been perfect if it wasn¡¯t for his steady stream of swearing.


    ¡°Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.¡± He took in a breath of perfectly clean, odorless air. ¡°Damn!¡±


    ¡°Prisoner! Stand!¡± The voice was a single musical note broken only by syllables.


    A woman who appeared to be made entirely of fluid white light approached. She wasn¡¯t made of light or even a living being; it was pure magic held together by the will of the Beacon of Light, the goddess of justice and order. The construct held a chrome rod in her right hand, a rod that looked suspiciously like a weapon.


    Rowan sat up and blinked more. He tried to look everywhere but at the construct in an attempt to fully regain his focus.


    He didn¡¯t hear the door to his cell open, but he felt the heat emanating from the creature as it approached.


    It pointed the rod at his throat. ¡°Prisoner! Stand!¡±


    Rowan looked down and assessed himself. He was wearing a white robe and sandals. His body appeared to be whole and unharmed; beyond the headache, he felt great. As the god of chaos and mischief, he and the Beacon had never gotten along. Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. Before they had ascended to immortality, they had been close.


    Twenty-six years ago, he and Ellie had been dating. She was the one who found the cave and the symbols. She had been the one to decipher them. And she was the one who discovered the ritual of ascension. Ellie wanted to fix the world. Rowan had just wanted a good time¡ªmaybe a beer and an evening floating down a river on an inflatable tube. They had broken up the night before the ritual. She had been angry that he wasn¡¯t taking the ritual seriously, and she wasn¡¯t wrong. He had done a little magic himself, using the words that Ellie had taught him, but that magic was so minor it wasn¡¯t world-changing. The idea of becoming immortal seemed so far beyond possible that he had treated it like a joke. She hadn¡¯t thought he was funny. He had never been in it for magic. He was only there for her.


    Then the rod flicked out the necessary two inches and hit him in the throat. Searing hot pain, as if he had been touched by the sun, ripped through his being. Not just his body but the entirety of his being was nothing but pain. Thread by thread, his body was unwoven until it was gone. He was only the pain of burning.


    When the pain stopped, it was absolute and instantaneous. He was whole again and on the floor, curled up at the feet of the construct. He was sobbing. Had he been screaming?


    The musical voice sounded precisely the same as before. ¡°Prisoner! Stand!¡±


    His whole body trembled. ¡°Hold on. I¡¯m getting up.¡± Unwilling to risk another bout of discorporation, he wobbled to his feet.


    ¡°Follow,¡± the construct said in the same musical tone it had used before.


    Rowan looked for a way to escape, but even outside his prison cell, he was in a hall with only one door at the end and no idea where he was. He was unarmed, and he was certain that wrestling with an armed guard made of pure light would not just hurt but be futile.


    His shoes squeaked on the perfectly smooth tile, and he was pleased to see that he could leave fingerprint smudges on the wall. Petty? Sure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we¡¯re on our way for donuts and coffee?¡± Rowan asked.


    The constructed turned toward him. If a being of pure light could be said to have eyes and to glare, then that is what this construct did. ¡°Silence.¡±


    The word carried a rush of heat across the short distance between them and seared Rowan¡¯s skin.


    He grimaced but restrained himself from responding.


    The construct touched the door, which Rowan noticed had no handle or lock, and the metal melted away. At this point, Rowan was glad he hadn¡¯t tried to run away from the construct. Ellie was too smart and wouldn¡¯t have left him unshackled to roam free unless she knew there was no escape. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Standing next to a judge¡¯s bench, a different construct spoke in the same musical tone as the construct that guided him. ¡°All rise for our Lady, the Beacon of Light.¡±


    Rowan rolled his eyes. Ellie was pretentious even when she was a mortal, and he could see that immortality had not changed anything.


    A door at the back of the chamber opened, and a woman wearing a white robe strode in. Her formerly dark hair was now silver, but her skin was still the rich tones of coffee. He momentarily forgot that she was a goddess of judgment and smiled at seeing her again.


    The illusion was broken when she spoke. ¡°Present the prisoner.¡±


    Rowan looked around the chamber and examined the stained glass high above that let in golden light that painted the floor with images of balanced scales, scrolls, and a gavel. Then, he noticed the depiction of swords and shields of light. Ellie had always seen everything in stark contrast. Right and wrong. Black and white. Strawberry and artificial banana flavor. And he didn¡¯t think she had any pity for those she felt deserved punishment. This was her cathedral of order, where she would enforce her will.


    Rowan smiled. ¡°Ellie, can we stop with the theatrics?¡±


    Pain. His whole world became agony. He was sure that if he had a body, he was screaming, but he couldn¡¯t hear, he couldn¡¯t think, all he could do was suffer. Then, the pain was gone again.


    Ellie¡¯s eyes glowed white as she stared down at him. ¡°Rowan Carter, God of Mischief, you are brought here before me on charges of chaos. How do you plead?¡±


    Rowan¡¯s mouth felt dry, and his voice came out hoarse. ¡°Sexy, your honor.¡±


    He saw the flicker of movement from the construct next to him but was spared when Ellie raised a hand.


    ¡°Disrespect justice again, and you will be charged with contempt and sentenced to a year of cleansing,¡± Ellie said. ¡°I¡¯m giving you this warning because, even though you are immortal, your mind might break after suffering pain for that long. That said, I will not tolerate disrespect.¡±


    Rowan glared at her. Technically, the gods were all equal in power, but in their own domains, they were all-powerful, and Rowan was in Ellie¡¯s domain. There was no way to contest her here. What¡¯s more, Rowan didn¡¯t have a domain of his own. When everybody else ascended, he was left behind on Earth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched you for twenty-five years,¡± Ellie said. ¡°You¡¯ve spent most of it wandering the desert as a coyote.¡±


    Rowan shrugged, and he thought he saw pain in Ellie¡¯s expression. Did she still care for him?


    ¡°You have immeasurable power that could be used to bring justice to the world, and you did nothing with it.¡±


    Rowan growled. ¡°Immeasurable power? I can turn into a coyote and tweak luck a little.¡±


    ¡°I saw you help the child,¡± she said cooly. ¡°That display of power was not nothing.¡±


    ¡°And look at what it cost me?¡± Rowan was barely controlling his voice. ¡°Now I¡¯m here, with you.¡±


    ¡°Breaking the laws of order, even to save an innocent life, is not acceptable.¡±


    Rowan curled his fingers in frustration. ¡°So, the only power I have is one I shouldn¡¯t use?¡±


    Ellie¡¯s eyes were glowing more brightly. Heat emanated from her in waves. ¡°That¡¯s not your only power.¡±


    Rowan glared back. ¡°And why aren¡¯t you on Earth using your power? Why aren¡¯t you using your power for good?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± The glow in her eyes dimmed. She almost looked mortal again. A flicker of what might have been regret crossed her expression. ¡°None of the other gods can be on Earth without a host, and doing so would rob the host of free will and their life. That would not be just.¡±


    Rowan frowned. ¡°You are imprisoned here?¡±


    ¡°It is not a prison,¡± Ellie said. Her voice was once again hard and certain. ¡°This is a place of perfect order. I could leave, but the cost would be one that I¡¯m unwilling to pay.¡±


    ¡°Sounds an awfully lot like a prison, and despite your eagerness to judge me, it doesn¡¯t sound like you are doing any good back on Earth.¡±


    Ellie¡¯s eyes flared again. ¡°I grant power to my disciples and act through them. You must feel it when they do. You must see the good they do.¡±


    Rowan frowned. ¡°Why would I feel or see what your disciples do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play me for a fool. Every time somebody uses chaos magic, I know it. I can see through their eyes while the magic still lingers. Don¡¯t lie to me; you cannot feel it when order magic is used.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I thought you were better. I gave you a chance, and you allow others to channel chaos magic.¡± Her voice was now a whisper. ¡°I thought you would stop the chaos.¡±


    Rowan felt stunned. He wasn¡¯t a real god, not like Ellie. Regardless of what she said, he had no control over who could call upon chaos. He had never seen from anybody else¡¯s eyes, neither with order or chaos magic. Had he felt it, though? Maybe those feelings in his gut weren¡¯t just the kitchen scraps from Taco Barn¡¯s dumpster.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop anything,¡± Rowan whispered.


    Ellie slammed her gavel down. ¡°I find you guilty of breaking the natural order and willingly channeling chaos magic.¡± She lowered her voice. ¡°I sentence you to eternity in the hall of mirrors, where you can reflect on everything your chaos has wrought. You will no longer run amok among the mortals.¡±


    She knew his fears more than anyone. She knew he didn¡¯t like tight places, and she knew the ultimate punishment was being helpless, alone, and watching the world as an outsider with no ability to influence anything. He could imagine it now. A tight corridor of mirrors with no escape. He would never die, and madness would certainly overcome him. Was she so lost in anger that she would condemn him to such a fate?

 Chapter 5. Into the Void

    Rowan¡¯s ex-girlfriend, also known as the goddess of justice and order, stormed out of the courtroom, leaving Rowan and a pair of glowing constructs behind. She didn¡¯t even look back. Rowan had hoped to argue his case, to appeal to her humanity¡ªbut maybe she didn¡¯t have any left. And maybe he wasn¡¯t so different.


    Maybe I¡¯m the one who is lost. I¡¯m the god of mischief and an agent of chaos, but did keeping things lively make me a bad person? Haven¡¯t I always used my powers for¡ªwell, not necessarily good, but for fun? I wasn¡¯t evil, was I?


    A sentry opened a sealed metal door with a touch of its hand. ¡°Follow.¡±


    The other sentry stood behind Rowan, waiting. Both sentries were armed with rods that could easily paralyze him with pain. He quickly looked around for an escape. The door Ellie had left through was closed. The door to the cell he had awoken in was open, but he knew that was a dead end. The courtroom had only three doors, and he didn¡¯t see another option except the one leading to the hall of mirrors.


    His mind spun wildly as he started weighing his eternity as a prisoner. On Earth, Rowan had to eat. He didn¡¯t know if he could starve to death as an immortal, but eating had felt imperative. Given that a truck had killed him and sent him to this hellish afterlife, he assumed that eating was likely necessary.


    Had Ellie considered that I might starve to death while trapped in her hall of mirrors? What if that is part of the punishment? Maybe she means for me to die over and over.


    Rowan saw the sentry behind him move as if it were readying to strike. He couldn¡¯t escape if he were blinded by pain, so he slowly stepped forward to follow the lead sentry down the hall.


    He was in another immortal¡¯s domain, and he wasn¡¯t even sure if it was possible to escape it¡ªnot even to get to Earth, but simply to flee to some place where Ellie couldn¡¯t torture him. He decided he needed to play to his outs, much like being dealt a lousy poker hand. That meant looking for any opportunity to delay being put in the place Ellie felt could hold him.


    He moved at the most leisurely pace he could muster while not incurring the wrath of the sentries. He figured this would give him time to think, study his surroundings, and spot a way out.


    The floors and walls were smooth, polished stone that reflected the light cast by stained glass windows above. The corridor was wide enough for three people to walk side by side, but his guards chose to walk with one in front of him and one behind him.


    He wasn¡¯t bound, which was handy, but he didn¡¯t think he could overpower the constructs. They looked like women designed for war: efficient, lithe, and capable of punching his nose to the other side of his head. He was not going to fight them and win.


    A soft tug in his gut, followed by the sensation of being dragged forward and upward, caught him off guard. He momentarily closed his eyes and was overcome by sights, smells, and sounds.


    A man and a small girl were facing down two thugs. The night air was cool, and the scent of Palo Verde blooms and dust hung heavily. Rowan recognized the thugs from the Mercedes SUV and realized he recognized the girl. His vantage point was from behind a giant saguaro cactus. A magic user was drawing on chaos magic, sending Rowan¡¯s consciousness toward the first thug¡¯s gun. As the thug was about to squeeze the trigger, the magic that Rowan was riding reached the gun, and Rowan added his own will to the magic. The gun jammed.


    Rowan was jerked from the vision.


    ¡°Follow.¡± The sentry ahead of him had turned and was looking at him.


    Rowan¡¯s eyes spotted a thread of magic that stretched out from his chest and went high up to the stained glass windows and out¡ªpulling him forward like a kite caught in a gale wind. He let himself stumble forward as if he was about to fall, and when the guards reacted to reach for him, he shifted from human to crow in the blink of an eye. With a beat of his wings, he passed the lead sentry and gained altitude. He swerved and glided toward the fading line of chaos magic.


    When he reached the ledge, right before he hit the glass, he shifted back to human and crashed into the glass. The impact hurt, but he kept his wits. He expected a blue sky and bright lights, but there was nothing outside the cathedral of justice. There were a few moments when he heard the tinkle of broken glass behind him, and then he had the sensation of falling. Looking back at where he had come from, he couldn¡¯t see the cathedral. He was in the void between domains, with only cold darkness in every direction.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Time and direction lost meaning, and he wondered how he was still breathing. He tried to scream, but there was no sound. He might have tumbled or drifted for hours, but there was nothing to mark the time. Then he spotted a pinprick of light in the void. He moved toward it like he was falling into it.


    The light grew from that pinprick to the size of a quarter to the size of a car, and it still grew.


    I¡¯m falling into the sun after all of that. Ellie always said I¡¯d go out in a blaze of glory, and it looks like I¡¯ve done it this time.


    The white glow grew until it was all he could see, and the pressure started to build. He was being crushed from all directions. The throbbing pain began to intensify, and he wondered if this was what it felt like at the bottom of the ocean. Each beat of his heart was a pulse of agony. Unlike the searing pain of the sentry¡¯s rod, this pain was the slow death of being stuffed into a trash compactor.


    Mercifully, he passed out from the pain.


    When Rowan woke, he was lying on his back, staring at the night sky. He knew it was the night sky, not the void because he could see the stars. He could hear traffic rumbling on a nearby road and the buzz of a fluorescent sign not far away. A light breeze blew over him, and it might have been refreshing if it hadn¡¯t brought the smell of gasoline, coffee, trash, and vomit.


    Coffee. That¡¯s what I need after a day like yesterday.


    He breathed in and out, still staring at the stars, reveling in the fact that he was alive again. Ellie was going to be pissed. The smell of coffee might have eventually moved him, but in the end, the sound of tires on the gravel made him jump to his feet first. He had just returned to life, and being run over by a car while lying on the road was not on his immediate to-do list.


    He dusted himself off and took stock. He was wearing an old hoodie and jeans. When he unzipped the hoodie, he realized he wore a Nirvana t-shirt. He hadn¡¯t seen this shirt in twenty-five years. It was the shirt he wore when he ascended. He felt his face and realized that he didn¡¯t have a beard.


    He looked around and realized he had been lying in the dark parking lot behind a gas station. He stumbled forward until he was under the fluorescent lighting and approached a parked Maserati. He looked at his face in the side mirror and realized he was twenty-five again. He had come back to life looking the way he had when he had ascended. This was the first time he had felt grateful for ascending. He was young again and had a chance to do better.


    He checked his pockets and found no money or ID. He wished his younger self had brought $20 to the ascension ritual. Then, the backpack sitting on the passenger seat of the Maserati caught his eye. The backpack wasn¡¯t fully zipped, and Rowan could see two twenties paperclipped to a folder.


    He looked around to see if anybody was approaching or if cameras were pointing toward him. When he confirmed there were no witnesses, he tried the door handle and found it was locked. Then he realized that the sunroof was open wide enough to reach in.


    He had to lean a little but grabbed the folder from the backpack. He stuffed the cash into his pocket, and as he stepped away from the car, he let the folder drop. A gust of wind caught the folder and the handful of papers within, blowing them off toward the pumps.


    Rowan kept his head down and walked toward the gas station¡¯s entrance. He glanced back at the Maserati and spotted the license plate, which read, ¡°BIGWNR.¡±


    As Rowan entered the station, he heard a man near the gas pumps ask, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    He spared a glance and spotted the blue and gold of an FBI jacket. The agent was holding the papers from the Maserati and seemed engrossed in what he was reading. Rowan froze. What were the chances of the FBI showing up at the same gas station as he had moments after escaping the goddess of justice? If Ellie had disciples, where else would they work? He shook his head, dismissing the coincidence.


    Five minutes and two dollars later, Rowan left the gas station with a warm cup of coffee and a donut. The handcuffed Maserati owner leaned against his vehicle, and two FBI agents were in the process of reading him his rights.


    Rowan felt pretty smug as he stepped off the curb to cross the parking lot when the agent behind him spoke in a clear, commanding voice. ¡°Halt. Sir, I¡¯m going to need you to answer a few questions.¡±


    Rowan let out a sigh. Of course, the FBI wanted to talk to him. They probably had Ellie on prayer speed dial, and he had missed his chance to slip away. At that moment, he spotted the folder in the agent¡¯s hand. He saw a picture of a 50-year-old man with a beard: the man he had been before meeting a semi-truck. So much for coincidence.


    As he stood, frozen in the parking lot lights with yards between him and any hiding spot, a pickup came to a screeching halt right next to him.


    Seizing the distraction, he dropped his coffee and ducked behind the truck. One moment, he was human; the next, he was a raven, beating his wings to fly up into the night sky.


    He let out a gurgling croak of delight and glided deeper into the desert. As he banked around and gained altitude, he felt his heart sink. Had any cameras caught him shifting into a bird? He had fled the FBI, and he was definitely on camera while in the store. They would update his file with a new picture.


    I ran through the encounter in my head again. What else could I have done? I couldn¡¯t risk being imprisoned by them, and I couldn¡¯t fight them.


    They might have been humans, but he had no defense against bullets. That folder reinforced his suspicion that they had ties to Ellie, which meant they also had access to magic.


    The FBI''s full force would be searching for him now, and they¡¯d have a video showing his new face and ability to shift into a raven. They¡¯d be more prepared next time.

 Chapter 6. Sticky Rabbit

    Gretta pulled up to the Side Order diner in her red Honda Civic. When she stepped out, she was assaulted by the smells of syrup, coffee, and grease. Two dozen cars were in the lot, which was a good crowd, considering the diner had only opened twenty minutes before the breakfast rush.


    The morning sky was clear and blue, and the air was crisp, cool, and dry¡ªa typical morning in the Sonoran Desert.


    Gretta wasn¡¯t one to use magic in public; there were risks of drawing the wrong type of attention. However, she needed to ensure that Miguel and Sofia had been here and that the charges she found on Miguel¡¯s account weren¡¯t due to his wallet being stolen. She muttered a word of power that enhanced her senses. She¡¯d have to check for scents first while she still had the strength to maintain the spell.


    Inhaling deeply, she took in dozens of scents. Two were faint but familiar¡ªmaybe the scents of Sofia and Miguel or the scents of the two people who had broken into their apartment.


    Gretta briskly walked to the diner¡¯s door and stepped inside. The scents were still faint but detectable. Curiously, there was also the scent of a wild animal. Maybe a coyote? Maybe one of the customers had a dog.


    She decided that was all she would get, and rather than waste her strength maintaining the spell, she let it go. She wobbled a little on her feet as her senses returned to normal, and the world felt dull and plain compared to a moment before.


    A waitress walked up, still carrying a pot of coffee. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here investigating a disappearance,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I need to talk to anybody working here two nights ago or any regulars who might have been in.¡±


    ¡°Have a seat at the counter, and I¡¯ll ask around.¡± The waitress left and started topping off cups at different tables.


    Gretta rubbed her temple, then took a breath, walked over to the counter, and sat in the only empty seat.


    A guy wearing the name tag Sal and an apron stood behind the counter. He asked, ¡°What¡¯ll ya have?¡±


    ¡°Coffee,¡± Gretta said.


    Sal plopped a mug down in front of her and started pouring.


    ¡°Were you working here two nights ago?¡± she asked.


    Sal looked up. ¡°Two nights ago¡­¡±


    ¡°That would have been Thursday night at around 9 pm,¡± she said.


    Sal looked over at the wall where a paper schedule hung. Gretta followed his gaze and noticed that Sal had been working that night.


    ¡°Yeah, I was here,¡± he said. ¡°Was pretty slow. Mostly truckers.¡±


    Gretta pulled out the picture of Miguel and Sofia. ¡°Did you see these two people here?¡±


    Sal looked at the picture and then nodded. ¡°The little girl had a stuffed bunny toy. I remember because she was upset when she got some syrup on it.¡±


    Sal walked away to grab the bill for one of the other customers at the counter, leaving Gretta to her thoughts.


    Gretta pulled out a notepad from her purse and started writing names from the work schedule posted on the wall. After Sal¡¯s name, she wrote the few details he had given her. It was not that she wouldn¡¯t remember, but it felt like something a professional would do, and she was a professional private investigator now.


    She felt an itch on the back of her neck as if she were being watched. She turned slowly and scanned the room. As she looked, she spotted a man wearing a dark gray hoodie, jeans, and an old Nirvana T-shirt. He looked away at the precise moment her eyes would have met his. She guessed he was just under six feet tall. He had tan skin, like someone who spent a lot of time outside, and messy dark hair, as if he had lost a fight with a tornado. He seemed to be her age. He wasn¡¯t muscular, but he looked like he might have been a runner.


    Rowan had been watching Greta. He had heard her ask the waitstaff about the little girl, and he had seen the picture and knew that girl¡¯s face. It was the little girl he had saved.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The little girl still needs help. The female voice in his head was now familiar. He had heard it right before getting hit by a semi-truck.


    Rowan lifted his coffee to his lips and spoke softly into it. ¡°I already helped her.¡± Then he drank.


    The coffee was hot, but he needed it.  He was exhausted from a long, cold night in the desert, where a squadron of javelinas kept waking him whenever he tried to doze off. If he hadn¡¯t known better, he would have thought it was Abby, the Wild Mother, giving him a hard time. She had been his best friend before the ascension, but she¡¯d remained radio silent since then.  He thought back to the time in college when she knocked on his dorm room door every 48 minutes, and he¡¯d find a half-eaten pizza crust each time he opened the door. It was her way of teasing him for missing out on the fun while he was trying to rest before taking a test for once instead of being the one to get everybody else to go along on whatever wild adventure he had dreamed up. She didn¡¯t know he was trying not to get kicked out of school and needed to pass that test. He didn¡¯t pass, and it wasn¡¯t her fault; he wasn¡¯t good at school.


    The voice spoke again. This time, there was a note of desperation. If you watch over the private investigator, you¡¯d be helping the little girl.


    Rowan groaned. I don¡¯t need a hobby.


    Surprisingly, the voice seemed to respond to his thoughts¡ªthis was not comforting.


    Protecting a child isn¡¯t a hobby. There¡¯s more to this than you realize. The girl needs you.


    A waitress walked up. Her name tag read Sandy. ¡°Would you like anything other than coffee?¡±


    Rowan was starving. He still had some leftover cash from the Maserati guy, but he wasn¡¯t sure when he¡¯d get more. He could live off nearly anything in coyote or raven form, but it wasn¡¯t the same as living off bacon. He looked back at the menu.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take two eggs and a side of bacon.¡±


    The voice was now stern. Rowan, the girl doesn¡¯t have time for you to sit here ogling waitresses.


    I get that I¡¯m having some sort of psychotic break, but I was not ogling. I was reading her name tag.


    The voice tsked. For twelve seconds?


    He decided to change the subject. How is the private eye involved with the girl?


    Rowan could see the private eye still sitting at the counter. Now, she was talking to the waitress who had been making the rounds with the coffee carafe. The private eye was maybe five-six, athletic, blonde, and had freckles. She wore professional clothes and had a handbag big enough to tote an arsenal of weapons.


    She¡¯s a disciple of the Wild Mother, and will protect the girl.


    He spit out his coffee. Damn it! Abby is involved?


    Then Rowan blurted, ¡°What the hell did I do to deserve this?!¡±


    A few people looked around, including the PI.


    The voice chuckled, but there was a hint of sadness in it. I take it you know the Wild Mother well.


    Rowan sighed. Defeated. For eff sake, if I don¡¯t help the PI, I¡¯ll never get another moment¡¯s rest.


    A guy wearing a shirt with an American flag and sporting a red hat over a mullet said loudly, ¡°From the looks of it, it was something your mother deserved.¡±


    Rowan glared at the guy. ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make sense.¡±


    With an effort of will, he sent a whisper of magic toward the man¡¯s table. Then he turned away and stared out the diner¡¯s front window, pondering the situation with the PI and the little girl.


    A plate of eggs and bacon plopped down in front of Rowan, and he jumped a little. He had been so caught up in his thoughts of javelinas crawling into his bed that he hadn¡¯t noticed the waitress''s approach.


    The waitress slid the bill onto the table next to my plate. ¡°You can pay at the front counter on your way out.¡±


    Two tables over, the guy with the mullet waved over the waitress. ¡°Lady, these are way too salty. Are you trying to kill me?¡±


    The waitress pointed at the salt shaker next to his plate. ¡°Looks like you did it to yourself.¡±


    The man looked confused. ¡°This was pepper.¡±


    Rowan smirked and reached for his fork.


    You did that? The female voice asked.


    Trickster god, he replied.


    Thank you for helping the little girl. She¡¯s all I have left.


    It occurred to Rowan that if he were schizophrenic, he probably would not have called Abby ¡°the Wild Mother¡± when talking to himself. Would he?


    He hadn¡¯t agreed to help the girl, had he? He hadn¡¯t, but he would help her, not because of the voice or the PI. He would help her because she was an innocent little girl caught up in something bigger than herself. If, as a god, he didn¡¯t help, he was pretty sure that he was evil.


    The PI was tucking away her notebook and walking toward the door, and Rowan stood to follow.


    Who are you? He asked, but the presence was gone, and his question went unanswered.

 Chapter 7. Ravens and Receipts

    Gretta sat in her car, studying her notes. She went over what she knew. Multiple eyewitnesses placed him and Sofia at the diner, which helped her narrow down their scents. Sofia had a sticky stuffed bunny. The thugs chasing them had not shown up since their scents weren¡¯t present. A weird guy in a hoody was paying too much attention to her. The manager had let her see security footage, and a blue Toyota Corolla with a white hood and a grey trunk left the parking lot and headed west. Based on her photograph of Miguel¡¯s bank account, he was nearly tapped out, so he wouldn¡¯t likely stay in a hotel for more than two nights.


    She pulled up a map on her laptop. Going west on this road didn¡¯t lead to any hotels. There was a bit of a residential area in a small town called Avra Valley and some back roads that led to Tohono O''odham Nation Reservation.


    She searched the internet for social media accounts tied to Miguel and found an account that was seven years old. He and a woman were holding a small child. Miguel and the woman were both smiling. Behind them was a mountain and a small house. The caption read, ¡°A little escape at my sister¡¯s cabin.¡± Miguel¡¯s hiding place wouldn''t be in plain sight if he were heading for a safe place. A cabin, especially one tied to family, made sense. If Miguel was running low on cash, it might be his only option.


    Gretta looked up from her laptop and realized the guy in the hoodie from the diner was standing across the street in the shadow of a building. He seemed to be watching the road, and while he wasn¡¯t watching her, it felt like he was waiting. She¡¯d seen that relaxed, alert posture in martial artists at the dojo where she practiced jiu-jitsu. He wasn¡¯t overtly muscular, but his readiness spoke volumes about how dangerous he could be.


    Gretta wanted to keep digging through the internet to find Miguel¡¯s sister, but not until she went somewhere else. As a shapeshifter and a sorceress, she wasn¡¯t afraid of any ordinary guy, but given the case she was on, Hoodie might not be an ordinary guy.


    Deciding to play it safe, she put her car in gear, backed up, and pulled out of the parking lot, heading west in the general direction where Miguel was last seen going. When she looked back at the shaded spot where Hoodie had been standing, he was gone.


    There weren¡¯t many cars on the road, and the distance between buildings grew, with patches of cotton fields and desert scrub separating them. Finally, she approached a small convenience store, pulled into the dirt lot, and found a parking space as far from the door as possible. She looked around and didn¡¯t spot any cars pulling in after her or anyone watching her.


    Gretta pulled out her laptop again and did a public records search using the PI site for Miguel Vega. In her three-year apprenticeship as a PI, this had been a large part of what she had done: finding information on people using public websites and the databases that required a PI license to access. She scanned the records until she spotted a marriage license and a divorce decree. She pulled her notebook from her purse and wrote "Lucia Vega-Martinez." Then, she kept scrolling until she found Miguel¡¯s birth certificate. A few searches later, she tracked down Miguel¡¯s parents and found that he had no sister.


    Gretta rubbed the center of her forehead and whispered, ¡°What the hell?¡±


    She looked back at the social media page for older posts and noticed that Miguel sometimes referred to himself in the third person¡ªor maybe he wasn¡¯t the one posting! She looked up Lucia¡¯s public records and found that she had one sister: Maria Martinez. Maria owned land just outside of Avra Valley. Bingo.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Gretta dialed Adriana¡¯s number.


    Adriana answered on the first ring. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Vega, this is Gretta Sullivan.¡±


    ¡°Have you found my son?¡±


    ¡°I think I have a lead. He might be staying in a cabin near Avra Valley. I¡¯m going to check it out.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t own a cabin,¡± Adriana said.


    ¡°No, but his ex-sister-in-law does, and I have reason to suspect he might stop there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the update, detective,¡± Adriana said. ¡°Please let me know if you find Sofia.¡±


    Adriana hung up, and Gretta looked down at her phone. She had expected more questions or even a request to be brought along. Adriana seemed all business, not the sad woman Gretta had talked to yesterday.


    Gretta jotted down the address of Maria¡¯s cabin and stowed her laptop in her backpack. Then, she got out of the car and scanned the dirt parking lot. A raven perched on a power pole let out a gurgling laugh. She glared at the bird, who stared back at her. She gave the bird a rude hand gesture, and it laughed again.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bird,¡± she whispered to herself.


    Gretta stowed her backpack in the trunk and walked into the convenience store. Behind the counter, an elderly woman watched a soap opera on an old television. She glanced up, nodded to Gretta, and then returned to watching her show.


    Gretta grabbed a cold bottled water from the reach-in fridge at the back of the store, passing by crowded aisles of staple goods. This little store had rice, cereals, beans, soups, canned vegetables, milk, pasta, and more. It was a small store with limited variety but might serve as a local grocery store. Anyone wanting fresh meat or vegetables would likely need to drive further south toward Marana¡¯s large commercial grocery store.


    She placed the bottle on the counter, and the lady looked away from the television long enough to ring up the sale. ¡°Four dollars.¡±


    Gretta grimaced and pulled out four dollars from her purse. Even convenience store water was rarely more than three dollars, and she could get bottled water at the grocery store for less than a dollar-fifty.


    As the woman rang up the sale, Gretta pulled out the picture of Miguel and Sofia. ¡°Have you seen this man or this little girl?¡±


    The old lady leaned forward and looked at the picture. ¡°He was here this morning.¡± She pointed at Miguel.


    ¡°What did he buy?¡± Gretta asked.


    The lady looked back at her television show, clearly not wanting to miss the dramatic reveal. Then she tore off the long receipt from the cash register, which had been tallying sales for days. She glanced at it long enough to tear off the long tail and hand it over.


    ¡°You are my only other customer from today,¡± she said, then returned to her show.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Gretta said weakly. She walked out with the receipt, which she scanned as she walked.


    Miguel had bought staples that didn¡¯t need to be cooked or refrigerated: Bread, cereal, peanut butter, and honey. He also bought a stain remover spray, powder laundry detergent, an air freshener, and a roll of paper towels. Even though he was on the run from someone, he was still going to wash his daughter¡¯s sticky stuffed rabbit. Gretta didn¡¯t know him, but he seemed like a good father.


    As she returned to her car, she spotted the raven still perched on the power pole. It was watching her. She looked around to see if anybody else was around. Nobody else was there, just her and the bird.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s creepy that you are staring at me. I seriously hope you are a bird because if you are not, you should know I have a purple belt and will test the limits of those little crow legs.¡±


    The bird let out another laugh, and the croak it let out sounded like ¡°Raaaven.¡±


    Gretta growled. ¡°Fine. Limits of those little raven legs.¡±


    She got into her car and slammed the door. ¡°Effing birds.¡±

 Chapter 8. Cat Lady

    Gretta bumped along a rutted dirt road and around a bend when she spotted a small house with an old Toyota Corolla with a mismatched hood and trunk. A child-sized dress and two adult-sized shirts hung on the porch railing, drying in the desert sun.


    As she pulled up behind the Toyota, she noticed a curtain twitch. Gretta turned off her car and got out, keeping her hands in plain sight. She didn¡¯t know if Miguel was armed, but she could imagine he was spooked if he hid away from everybody, including his mother.


    She walked cautiously up to the house. When she reached the door, it swung open, and Migel stood in the doorframe with a kitchen knife in one hand and a phone in his other hand. ¡°Leave us alone.¡±


    Gretta took a step back. ¡°Mr. Vega, I¡¯m Gretta Sullivan, a private investigator. I¡¯m not here to hurt you. Your mother paid me to find you. She thought you were in trouble.¡±


    Miguel glowered. ¡°My mother sent you? Did she call you from France?¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Gretta took another step backward. ¡°No. She came to my office.¡±


    He held up his phone. ¡°You tracked us down without even trying to call to ask me where I was?¡±


    Gretta noticed that Miguel had already typed 9-1-1, and his finger was hovering over the connect button.


    ¡°I-I¡­ Um.¡± Gretta blushed. ¡°She¡¯s my first customer. I mean, I did an apprenticeship for another PI, but that was mostly doing the computer work.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to hurt us,¡± a small voice said from behind Miguel.


    Miguel glanced back. ¡°Sweetheart, get back to your hiding place and stay quiet. Daddy will take care of this.¡±


    ¡°It feels like she¡¯s here to help,¡± Sofia whispered before turning around and walking out of Gretta¡¯s line of sight.


    Miguel stared at Gretta momentarily, then set the knife on the counter next to the door. He swiped and tapped his phone a few times before holding it up.


    ¡°Is this who hired you?¡± Miguel asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Miguel sighed. ¡°That¡¯s my mother.¡±


    Gretta had a catastrophic realization. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m not going to get paid, am I?¡±


    Behind her, she heard a raven let out a sound that resembled a human laughing. She looked up and saw it circling overhead.


    She flipped it off and shouted, ¡°Keep laughing, and I¡¯ll turn you into spicy buffalo wings.¡±


    ¡°Why are you yelling at a bird?¡± Miguel asked.


    Gretta sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure that¡¯s a bird.¡±


    Miguel glanced worriedly at the sky and the desert scrub around the property. ¡°You should go now.¡±


    Gretta rubbed her temple. ¡°I think we still need to talk, Miguel. The woman who hired me knows you are nearby. She might even know exactly where you are. And your daughter is right; I am here to help.¡±


    ¡°How can she know that?¡± Miguel asked and then sighed. ¡°You already called her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Miguel shook his head. ¡°Come in. We can talk while I pack.¡±


    Gretta followed Miguel into the small house. The main room was a combination living room and kitchen, and she spotted a door to a bathroom and a single bedroom.


    ¡°Sofia, sweetie, we need to pack up and get driving again,¡± Miguel said toward the bathroom.


    Gretta saw Sofia climb out of the bathtub. The little girl held her stuffed bunny rabbit close and looked sad and frustrated.


    ¡°When can we go home?¡± Sofia asked.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sweetheart,¡± Miguel said as he picked up clean, dry laundry and shoved it into a backpack. ¡°You are being very brave.¡±


    At his words of being brave, Gretta noticed the little girl tear up and walk into the bedroom.


    ¡°Do you have a picture of the woman who hired you?¡± Miguel asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I have a number. Maybe I can do a reverse lookup on it,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a burner phone,¡± Miguel said. ¡°Did she say why we¡¯re being hunted down?¡±


    ¡°I had hoped you¡¯d tell me why you were on the run,¡± Gretta said. ¡°She said she was worried that somebody was after Sofia because she¡¯d make the ideal avatar for a god.¡±


    Miguel froze. ¡°Did she say which god?¡±


    Gretta wracked her brain. ¡°She didn¡¯t say, but I saw the damage at your apartment. Maybe you were up against some disciples of the god of destruction. I take it that you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Miguel shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what kind of magic users they are. For all we know, they are sorcerers from another pantheon of gods. Or no gods at all.¡±


    ¡°The magic was way too strong not to be divine,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I know some people can do minor magics without a divine sponsor, but mostly parlor tricks. It¡¯s practically not magic.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lived a sheltered life,¡± Miguel said. ¡°You call them divine and gods, but many immortal beings are powerful and can sponsor magic. You simply need the words to talk to them and a willingness for them to respond.¡±


    Gretta shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not helpful to assume they are sponsored by some powerful immortal we¡¯ve never heard about. The fact that the woman who hired me knew I was a disciple of the Wild Mother makes me think that she and her people also work with gods we know.¡±


    ¡°For the moment, I guess we assume it¡¯s the Warlord after us,¡± Miguel said. ¡°Though, I can imagine the Trickster or even the Veil to have reason to come after Sofia.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°Why would the Veil have interest in Sofia?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and we really should get moving before they show up,¡± Miguel said to Gretta. He called toward the bedroom, ¡°Sofia, do one last quick check to make sure we don¡¯t leave anything behind, sweetie, and then we¡¯re heading to the car.¡± Turning back to Gretta, he said, ¡°All I know for sure is that a couple of bruisers showed up at my house trying to take my little girl.¡± He let out a tired breath. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    There was a knock at the door, and everybody froze.


    ¡°Get back to your hiding place,¡± Miguel whispered to Sofia.


    Greta closed her eyes and pulled in magic from her patron, the Wild Mother. One moment, there was a one-hundred-fifty-pound blonde, and the next, there was a seven-hundred-pound Siberian tiger glaring at the door. The low rumble coming from the tiger reverberated through the house.


    The knock came again, followed by a male voice calling through the door. ¡°Uh. Hello? You should probably know that there¡¯s a black SUV with armed guys coming this way. They¡¯re maybe three minutes away.¡±


    Miguel swung the door open and quickly stepped to the side, giving Gretta a clear path.


    Rowan¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Nice kitty?¡±


    From out of the line of fire, Miguel spoke up. ¡°Whoever you are, you should leave.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I was just trying to help the little girl, who will be in serious trouble unless your tiger is bulletproof.¡±


    Miguel hesitated and then whispered, ¡°Are you bulletproof?¡±


    The tiger stalked forward, and Rowan backpeddled.


    ¡°Okay, then. Well, I guess I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    All three adults turned back to the house when they heard a sob.


    ¡°Sofia, sweetie, what did I tell you? It¡¯s really important to stay in your hiding place,¡± Miguel urged.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m with you,¡± Rowan said, then whispered toward Sofia, ¡°To tell you the truth, I think I just peed in my pants.¡±


    Gretta let out a huff, and then magic surged again, and she became human once more. She was panting; the effort of shifting had taxed her strength.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine, Sofia,¡± Gretta said between breaths. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hurt you.¡± Then she glared at Rowan. ¡°And neither will this bird brain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the good guy here,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I was playing lookout to warn you.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Gretta¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And what form would one of the trickster¡¯s disciples take? Maybe a raven? You aren¡¯t a disciple of the Wild Mother, or I¡¯d feel it.¡±


    The crunch of gravel and the plume of dust from down the road made everybody look back.


    ¡°We need to go,¡± Miguel said. ¡°Get in the car, Sofia.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Rowan said. ¡°The cat lady should give me her car keys before you go.¡±


    Sofia and Miguel were already heading toward their car.


    Rowan held up a small black device. ¡°I found this. It¡¯s a GPS tracker someone attached under your car. I was going to dispose of it, but if you let me, maybe I can lead them on a goose chase.¡±


    The sound of the approaching vehicle¡¯s tires on gravel was audible to even human ears.


    ¡°Gretta, are you coming with us?¡± Miguel asked as he swung the car around and pulled up beside her.


    She sighed and tossed him her keys. ¡°My laptop is in the trunk. Don¡¯t lose it.¡±


    She got into Miguel¡¯s car, and they sped off down the road in the opposite direction of the coming SUV.


    Rowan groaned. ¡°Lead away the thugs and not break her stuff? I wonder if I remember how to drive.¡±


    He hopped into the car and realized that it had a push-button ignition rather than a key that turned. He hadn¡¯t driven in 25 years, but after fiddling for a few precious moments, he managed to get the car moving.


    The SUV was a block away as he sped up. He had time to glance down and realize the car had less than a quarter tank of gas left. ¡°This is going to be the shortest goose chase ever.¡±

 Chapter 9. Worst Advice Ever

    The Arizona sun was nearly at its peak, and Rowan wished his last resurrection had come with free sunglasses. He was still a few miles from the more urban parts of Marana, and farm fields were occasionally separated by buildings and homes. So far, his pursuers hadn¡¯t shot at him. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were unwilling to hurt Sofia or reluctant to risk law enforcement¡¯s involvement.


    Rowan glanced in his rearview mirror,  judging the distance between himself and the Mercedes. They were close enough to see into the car but not close enough to run him off the road. He¡¯d been taking turns at random whenever they tried to pull up alongside him.


    His ability to manipulate luck was a magic he mostly avoided, as the consequences almost always were worse than the benefits. Shapeshifting was Rowan¡¯s go-to magic, but he had a second power he relied on when an animal form wasn¡¯t enough: illusion.


    Miguel and Sofia sat perfectly still in the backseat. They weren¡¯t real people; they were three-dimensional stationary figments. Their resemblance to the actual people was only cursory. After all, Rowan had seen them for only a few minutes, mainly from a distance. His best view of them had been when Gretta flashed a photo around, and she¡¯d been most of the way across the diner.


    With some effort, he might make the illusions move and seem life-like; it was taxing, though, and his only goal was to let his pursuers see the illusions and think that they were following the right car. Every minute they were following him, the further the real Miguel and Sofia were from harm.


    A female voice in his mind spoke. I want to thank you.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Rowan nearly went off the road.


    The voice was now familiar, but he still didn¡¯t know who that voice belonged to. Part of him wondered if his mind was fragmenting. He recovered and pulled the vehicle back between the lines.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me! I know I make this look easy, but I¡¯ve spent most of the past twenty-five years as a coyote, and even before that, I didn¡¯t drive much.¡±


    You seem to be doing fine.


    ¡°Um. Thanks?¡± Rowan glanced around. ¡°Assuming I haven¡¯t lost my mind and am not talking to myself, how do you watch me? It¡¯s kind of creepy.¡±


    The voice chuckled. That would be a secret. I can assure you, though, that you aren¡¯t losing your mind.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rowan said. ¡°So, who are you if you aren¡¯t me?¡±


    That is also a secret. At least for now.


    Rowan rolled his eyes. ¡°That convoluted enough to sound like something I¡¯d say to me if I was losing my mind.¡±


    The SUV¡¯s engine revved as it lurched forward and attempted to run into Rowan. He swerved off the paved road and onto a small dirt road used by tractors to service farm fields.


    The car jostled and bucked as Rowan took the dirt road at top speed. He spotted the SUV trying to cut across the field, but it was having a worse time.


    ¡°So, why reach out to me now when I¡¯m being chased?¡± Rowan asked.


    He could somehow hear a smile in the voice. I can only contact you to ask for a divine favor or to thank you; I can¡¯t give you advice.


    Rowan swerved back onto hard pavement. ¡°Oh, so you have advice?¡±


    I do.


    ¡°Okay, will you please share that advice?¡± Rowan glanced back over his shoulder, partly to make sure the illusions of Miguel and Sofia hadn¡¯t dissipated and partly to make sure the Mercedes was still following him.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The voice was silent for a moment. And despite Rowan¡¯s desperate attempts to keep the car from getting stuck or hit, he was eager to hear what the voice would say.


    Maybe I could phrase it as a favor.


    Rowan¡¯s grip on the steering wheel was so tight that his hands hurt. ¡°Are you saying something is preventing you from spitting it out?¡±


    Rowan pulled out the GPS tracking device he had removed from Gretta¡¯s car while she was playing house kitten with Miguel. He rolled down his window and tossed it into the ditch. He would need to leave the car soon, and there was no reason to make the device easy for his pursuers to recover their property.


    The voice was clear and deliberate. I want to ask you for a favor. If Sophia is ever offered to the Warlord, there will be a ritual. I¡¯d like you to disrupt that ritual.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I didn¡¯t actually study magic. I mostly goofed off and left that to Abby and Ellie. I don¡¯t know the first thing about disrupting rituals, but I do know that you can kill everybody in the circle if you aren''t careful.¡±


    Will you do this favor for me?


    ¡°I am willing to do the favor if you explain how,¡± Rowan said.


    Ah, it seems that I¡¯m allowed to explain if it is in payment! Very well. For a person to offer themselves up to become an avatar, it typically requires a circle with a symbol of the god you are contacting to be repeatedly placed around the inside of the circle. It¡¯s similar to making a prayer circle, except the symbols for a prayer are on the outside of the circle. Make sense?


    ¡°I¡¯m following.¡± Rowan took an abrupt right-hand turn. ¡°It¡¯s just a form of prayer, but you allow that god inside the circle.¡±


    It is, but it takes two connected circles to offer somebody else¡¯s unwilling body as an avatar. The symbols would be on the outside of that second connected circle, protecting the person contacting the god from inadvertently becoming the host.


    ¡°Very interesting and academic.¡± Rowan saw the sign he was looking for: The Cat Adoption Center. He swerved into the parking lot, which was shared with an outlet mall. ¡°You realize that I¡¯m an immortal who, in a really weird way, is his own avatar and have no idea how to use this sort of information to disrupt a ritual without killing Sofia and the person who initiated the ritual.¡±


    Rowan hopped out of the car and let the illusion of Sofia and Rowan dissolve. He ran back to the trunk and grabbed the backpack with the laptop in it. The SUV entered the lot as Rowan sprinted for the outlet mall, which was a collection of buildings with shops facing winding walking paths. Interspersed between the shops were signs, advertisements, and kiosks selling snacks.


    If you can¡¯t stop the lord of destruction¡¯s disciple, you might be able to trick her.


    Rowan grumbled and then whispered between heaving breaths as he jogged. ¡°Trick her? How?¡±


    The voice was gone again. He could sense the absence.


    Rowan let out a shout of frustration and a garble of curse words. ¡°You are making this way more difficult than it needs to be!¡±


    The two men from the Mercedes glanced into the empty Honda Civic that Rowan had left behind and began running toward him. Both men wore dark suits with white button-up shirts and black ties. Both men had sunglasses, which made Rowan jealous. Running around the desert as a human without sunglasses was absurd. Neither man openly carried a weapon, but Rowan expected them to be armed with spells and concealed guns.


    He paused long enough to look at the signs that pointed him to the food court and then took off at a full sprint.


    He wove between clumps of people.


    He noticed two distinct groups: teenagers and retired adults. The teenagers seemed to move in small packs from shop to shop, whereas the retired adults moved in singles or pairs as they meandered from food kiosk to food kiosk. The stench of fried foods, sunscreen, and candy hung heavy in the air.


    When Rowan reached the food court, he pushed through the doors and into the air conditioning, glanced around for the restrooms, and then took off again. Moments later, he was pushing into the last stall of the men¡¯s room.


    He stood on the toilet, pushed aside a ceiling tile, and slid Gretta¡¯s backpack onto a supporting beam. He then carefully let the tile fall back into place.


    Right as he was about to get down, he heard the bathroom door burst open. Still standing on the toilet, he crouched down and, with an effort of will, wove an illusion big enough to hide his crouched form.


    The first stall door slammed open with a bang. After a moment, the next stall door slammed open. Rowan heard footsteps as two men stood outside the stall he was in.


    The door slammed open.


    Using his best Southern California accent, he said, ¡°Dude! I¡¯m kinda busy here.¡±


    The two thugs in suits stood frozen for a second, taking in the image of a rather robust man sitting on a toilet with his hands strategically placed. Then, the thug in the lead quickly grabbed the door and shut it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can unsee that,¡± the first thug said.


    ¡°That¡¯s on you, dude,¡± Rowan said, keeping up the accent and the illusion.


    The other spoke up. ¡°Maybe he went into the women¡¯s restroom?¡±


    Thug one sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s wait outside for him. There¡¯s nowhere to go.¡±

 Chapter 10. Who are you calling scruffy?

    The last rays of golden sunlight shone over the mountains as Gretta and Miguel looked down at the old Corolla¡¯s smoldering engine.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Gretta asked.


    Miguel shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not a mechanic. I don¡¯t suppose you know what to do?¡±


    Gretta looked up from the engine. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to fix an engine, why did you lift the hood?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what you do.¡± Miguel sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s push it off the road, and maybe we can cover it with some brush so it¡¯s tough to spot.¡±


    ¡°Sofia, you might want to get out of the car in case it rolls into something,¡± Gretta said.


    Sofia put on her small backpack and crawled out of the car. She watched in misery. Miguel walked around to the driver¡¯s side, put the car into neutral, stood with his shoulder against the door frame, and put one hand on the wheel. Gretta went to the back of the vehicle to push from the trunk.


    ¡°On three,¡± Miguel said. ¡°One-two-threeeee!¡±


    The car began rolling slowly at first, but as it slid down a steeper embankment, it picked up speed until Gretta had to jog to keep up. Miguel hopped into the driver¡¯s seat and steered it to a halt behind a Palo Verde copse.


    Miguel pulled out his backpack and the grocery bag with the remainder of the food he had brought, then set them on the ground near Sofia.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hide the car. Wait here for a little longer,¡± he said.


    He strode back toward the car and held out his hands, muttering the ancient word of growth. Gretta could feel the surge of magic from her deity flowing through Miguel. His ability to channel magic was strong.


    Within moments, desert grass sprouts began shooting up from the ground around the car, but the energy kept flowing. Soon, thicker stems of small shrubs grew from the infertile desert soil. The Palo Verde copse that was there when they pulled over grew denser, and the car became more obscured with each passing moment. Finally, Miguel fell to one knee, breathing hard.


    Gretta crossed to the other side of the road, picked up falling branches, and brought them back to help cover the car¡¯s reflective surfaces, making it more difficult to spot from the road.


    ¡°Nice job, Miguel,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Someone who knows to look for it will spot it, but anybody who isn¡¯t explicitly looking for it probably won¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Sofia asked.


    Miguel got down on one knee. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to get you to your mother, but it¡¯s a long trip.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°A place called San Diego,¡± he said. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to walk the whole way, but we have to get away from those people chasing us, which means we¡¯ll need to walk far enough to get on a train or bus. It might take a few days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a hard trip. Just getting to the next major city is easily 100 miles of walking, most of which is across a desert where people frequently¡ª¡± She faltered when she saw Sofia¡¯s face. ¡°¡ªhave problems with exposure.¡±


    Miguel stood up and looked at Gretta. ¡°I appreciate your concern, but you¡¯ve done enough at this point. You should go home.¡±


    His words stung. They both knew Sofia would have been safer in her aunt¡¯s house longer if Gretta hadn¡¯t found them. Gretta could see that he¡¯d been bottling up the blame for the situation, and a tiny bit had leaked out. She wasn¡¯t a child, though, and she would help Miguel and Sofia, whether they knew it or not. Accompanying them directly would be far easier than stalking them at a distance.


    ¡°I get it. It¡¯s my fault they found you as soon as they did, but I am trying to help, and they would have eventually found you.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Miguel lowered his voice. ¡°I would have had a plan by then.¡±


    Gretta shook her head. ¡°You would have been even more strapped for cash, and they would have snuck up on you in the dead of night rather than rushing in to catch you before you fled.¡±


    ¡°Dad, let her help,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I can feel it. She¡¯s on our side.¡±


    Miguel looked at the horizon where the sun had already dipped too low to see. ¡°Wanting to help is not the same thing as being helpful. I already have one child to protect.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s voice was quiet but determined. ¡°I¡¯m not a child, and if you give me a chance, I think you will find that I can be more than a handful in a fight if those guys catch up to us.¡±


    ¡°Are you bulletproof?¡± Miguel asked.


    Gretta shook her head. ¡°Sadly, I¡¯m not, but I have quite the knack for healing.¡±


    Miguel leaned close and whispered soft enough so that Sofia wouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Have you ever killed anyone?¡±


    Gretta shook her head. ¡°It has never come to that, and with any luck, it won¡¯t need to.¡±


    Miguel sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s start walking while we still have a little light. It would be nice to have a campfire tonight when it gets cold, and I don¡¯t want to be in sight of the road when we light it.¡±


    ¡°You can see for miles here,¡± Gretta commented.


    ¡°All the more reason we need to move,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be caught in the open when they come for us.¡±


    Sofia looked at Gretta and asked, ¡°Can I ride on your back?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said and knelt. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long I¡¯ll be able to carry you.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°I meant when you are a cat. Then I¡¯d be the cat princess, and we could dance in the moonlight.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gretta said, looking up at Miguel, who shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t have a saddle, so there¡¯d be no way for you to hold on. Your dad would be upset with me if you fall off.¡±


    Miguel raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his expression between amusement and disbelief.


    ¡°Cats have scruffs you can hold on to,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve read all about it. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡±


    Gretta smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, but it doesn¡¯t feel great either.¡±


    Sofia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Has somebody ridden on your back and held your scruff before?¡±


    ¡°No, but I can turn into a house cat, and I have been picked up by the scruff.¡± Gretta thought about it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, but it¡¯s not exactly fun, either. It¡¯s like someone holding your arm tightly¡ªnot painful if you don¡¯t move, but still uncomfortable. That¡¯s why cats only scruff kittens for a little bit¡ªto keep them safe.¡±


    Sofia nodded. ¡°Is that why you only do it to kittens for a little bit? So mother cats do it to keep their kittens safe and together, and humans do it because it¡¯s the safest way to move them, but that doesn¡¯t make it fun for the kitten.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Gretta said, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re pretty sharp, you know that?¡±


    The distant sound of a car made everyone turn. They had no way of knowing if their pursuers were approaching. For all they knew, the man Gretta called the Hoodie might have betrayed them. She wasn¡¯t ready to trust a disciple of the Trickster god.


    Miguel glanced at her, his expression grim. ¡°Let¡¯s move. We can¡¯t afford to stay here.¡±


    Sofia crawled up on Gretta¡¯s back, and Gretta stood, taking a moment to steady herself.


    Walking through the desert in near darkness presented many challenges. The ground was uneven, with rocks and clumps of grass, but also where dried-up washes had eroded it and left treacherous, steep tears in the desert landscape. At points, Gretta and Miguel navigated on all fours as much as they walked on two legs.


    The temperature dropped precipitously over the three hours of traversing the desert, and while Gretta stayed warm due to the exertion of moving, she could feel Sofia shivering.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need to stop for Sofia soon,¡± Gretta said. ¡°She¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a jacket on you, sweetie,¡± Miguel said. He pointed at a clear spot on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s make camp here. We should be able to hide the fire from the road if we position it near the scrub.¡±


    Gretta put Sofia down and felt a wave of exhaustion. Carrying an eight-year-old for at least seven miles was a real workout.


    Miguel pulled a jacket out of Sofia¡¯s pack and helped her into it, then pulled out a blanket from his backpack and set it on the ground for his daughter. ¡°Stay warm while daddy gets a fire going.¡±


    Gretta began scrounging for firewood, but there wasn¡¯t any deadwood. Miguel broke a few branches off a living tree and made a small stack of the only kindling he could find in the dark.


    After twenty minutes of failing to start a fire, he kicked over the pile of twigs. ¡°She¡¯s going to freeze to death, and I can¡¯t get a fire started. Everything is too wet. We¡¯re in the desert, and it¡¯s too wet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Gretta said. ¡°It¡¯s dark, and picking out good kindling is impossible. I can keep you both warm.¡±


    She pulled in her magic for the second time that day, shifted into a massive tiger, and then padded over to where Sofia lay and curled up near the child. Sofia¡¯s eyes fluttered open momentarily, and she scooched closer before leaning in the thick tiger fur and drifting off.


    Miguel shook his head. ¡°I seriously hope you don¡¯t roll around in your sleep and crush us.¡±

 Chapter 11. A Sticky Situation

    There was no way around it. Rowan was going to have to do something he hated. Being the Trickster god, he had four forms he could shift to. The coyote was the most practical and his favorite, so he spent most of the past twenty-five years in that form. The raven was exhilarating and useful¡ªand as long as some hillbilly didn¡¯t start shooting at him, it might have been his favorite. He had been shot at a few times in both coyote form and raven form, but it was considerably easier to scavenge foot and stay warm at night. He virtually never used the last two forms, and he would have to pick between them soon.


    He had been alone in the bathroom for five minutes, and the goons waiting outside would come to check on the guy he had illusioned into existence if nobody came out of either the men¡¯s room or the lady¡¯s room, which was a dead-end. They might even realize that Rowan might have magic to make illusions, which would get messy quickly. Illusions worked best when nobody expected an illusion.


    So, it came down to choosing between his octopus form¡ªgetting flushed down a toilet and working his way through the sewers¡ªor his spider form, which might mean getting stomped on or swatted the moment somebody spotted him. He hadn¡¯t liked spiders before ascending, and he only marginally appreciated them more since gaining the ability to become one. The worst part of being a spider was being small. Even humans that didn¡¯t want to kill you could accidentally step on you. Then there were the birds¡ªthey would love to eat you, and when your body is smaller than a quarter, they look ginormous!


    The door began to swing open, and Rowan took a look from the toilet to the door and decided to risk being stepped on. He pulled in his magic and shrunk to a form smaller than a quarter. He silently skittered across the tile, which was even more disgusting from this close-up, and made the small leap to land on top of a dress shoe. After careful positioning, he clung to the inside hem of a dress slack.


    From this vantage point, he couldn¡¯t see but could hear, and he figured he was much less likely to be spotted.


    ¡°Where did the big guy go?¡± Thug One said.


    ¡°Damn it! What if that was our guy, and he had some way to teleport?¡± Thug Two asked.


    ¡°Teleporting isn¡¯t real,¡± Thug one said. ¡°He¡¯s in here. Keep the door shut, and let¡¯s see if he¡¯s invisible.¡±


    There were slapping sounds as Thug One walked around the room, hitting every surface. Rowan hoped the guy was going to wash his hands after that.


    ¡°Teleporting isn¡¯t real, but invisibility is real?¡± Thug two scoffed. ¡°I heard about a guy who got across the city in two minutes.¡±


    Rowan, who was hitch-hiking on Thug Two and was responsible for keeping the door shut, listened intently for anything indicating he was about to be swatted. If he felt even remotely threatened, he would inject so much venom into this guy that he¡¯d be the subject of the next National Geographic special.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of somebody popping from one place to another.¡± Thug One let out a hmm. ¡°But, I heard of a guy who could do this chameleon thing¡ªnot really invisibility, but he¡¯d just blend right into a wall. By the time you knew he was there, he¡¯d have already stabbed you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe our guy is a shapeshifter,¡± Thug Two suggested. ¡°Check the toilets and the sink.¡±


    Rowan started pondering titles for the TV special they¡¯d make about him. Maybe Jurassic Spider, The Man Spider, or The Horrors of Arizona Bathrooms. They¡¯d have to workshop the titles.


    ¡°Jonathan, Gabriela is going to vaporize us if we come back to her, and all we¡¯ve got is information on where the kid was before we let her get away.¡±


    Thug Two, now Jonathan, stood real still. ¡°Dillan, I think I just heard a flush from the lady¡¯s room.¡±


    Jonathan and Dillan rushed out of the bathroom to confront an empty hall. From Rowan¡¯s vantage point, he could see the ladies'' room door swinging shut, but nobody was in sight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s double back to the house and see if they left anything behind before we report to Gabriella. We¡¯ve got to give her something,¡± Jonathan suggested.


    Hitchhiking on somebody¡¯s leg was a wild ride for Rowan. The swinging, the impact, and the disorienting shifts in momentum made him glad his spider constitution was up for the erratic journey as Jonathan carried him from the restrooms, past the food court, and back toward their vehicle. The wildest part of it was the vibrations. As a spider, he was attuned to every sensation of the fabric he was clinging to as it moved and whipped about. He had to fight every spider reflex that demanded he react.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Rowan tried to reposition himself to avoid being squished as Jonathan hopped into the seat. He could have escaped at nearly any point after they left the restroom and before they made it to their car, but he decided to stick with them. At this point, he had no idea where Gretta, Miguel, and Sofia were, and keeping tabs on these knuckleheads and learning more about their ringleader, Gabriela, seemed like the more strategic move.


    What do two thugs who work for the lord of destruction listen to while in the car? The answer is nineties pop-rock. Rowan would have never guessed Counting Crows was popular amongst the warmongers, but you don¡¯t know somebody until you¡¯ve ridden on their shoe for a hundred miles.


    ¡°I was thinking,¡± Dillan said, ¡°after the Lord gets an avatar, do you think we¡¯ll still have to do grunt work for his mother or will be in line for a promotion?¡±


    If spiders could gasp, Rowan would have. All he could do was remain still, which he was already doing, while his mind reeled. The Warlord was the official title of the god whose domain was power, innovation, and strategy, but Rowan knew him before his ascension. The Warlord¡¯s real name was Marcus Ramirez, and he was a bit of a dick, but Ellie had insisted that he was necessary for the ritual. They needed someone with enough raw magic channeling power to make the ritual possible, and Marcus was that guy. Even before ascending, he was the most powerful sorcerer Rowan had ever met. The other gods had started calling him the Lord of Destruction after he ascended because he was so careless and broke everything he touched, but he had taken that mocking nickname and owned it.


    In all of the time that Rowan had known Marcus, he had no idea that Marcus¡¯s mother was as much of a pain in the ass as her son. Then it clicked for Rowan: Gabriela wanted her son back on Earth.


    Rowan was broke out of his reverie when the SUV they were riding came to a stop. Jonathan and Dillan got out of the vehicle, and Rowan risked a glance from Jonathan¡¯s pant leg. They were back at the small cabin, where Rowan discovered that Gretta could shift into a Tiger.


    ¡°Looks like they left the door unlocked,¡± Dillan said.


    Jonathan and Dillan walked into the small cabin and searched all three rooms.


    ¡°I wonder if this is useful?¡± Jonathan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a stuffed rabbit,¡± Dillan said without interest.


    ¡°The kid likely sleeps with it, and it might have her scent all over it. Maybe the dogs can use it to track the kid if it comes to that,¡± Jonathan said.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Dillan said. ¡°It looks like it was freshly washed, but bring it along if you want.¡±


    ¡°Should we take the sheets, too?¡± Jonathan suggested.


    Dillan shrugged. ¡°How about you grab the pillowcases? They¡¯ll be easier to carry, and if they still have a scent on them, they should work as well as the sheets.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything else here,¡± Jonathan said.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect a note telling us where they ran off to, but we at least drive a bit west to see if they were dumb enough to stop somewhere obvious,¡± Dillan said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to call Gabriela with nothing.¡±


    Jonathan put the pillowcases and stuffed rabbit in the backseat of the SUV, and then they pulled back onto the road.


    ¡°Pull up a map,¡± Dillan said. ¡°I don¡¯t know the roads out here, but maybe we can guess a destination.¡±


    Rowan could hear the tapping on the car¡¯s navigation system.


    ¡°Not much out here,¡± Jonathan said. ¡°Looks like you can take this backroad up to the interstate; otherwise, you are headed onto the reservation.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s drive the route toward the interstate. If they went to the reservation, there¡¯s more than one way to leave, and we¡¯ll have to find another way to track them.¡±


    The sunlight was all but gone from inside the car, and Rowan was growing sick of songs from Matchbox Twenty when Dillan slowed down.


    ¡°There¡¯s something weird up ahead,¡± Dillan said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Jonathan said.


    ¡°When we were coming over that hill, I thought I saw a flash from glass or metal off the side of the road, and as we¡¯ve gotten closer¡ªwell, look, that scrub is growing super thick.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trees; that¡¯s what they do,¡± Jonathan said.


    The car slowed further, and Rowan could hear the crunch of gravel.


    ¡°Yeah, but look how healthy this particular stand of super thick trees and grass is,¡± Dillan said.


    The car dinged as Dillan opened his door. Jonathan got out as well.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± Dillan said with excitement. ¡°I think they ditched their car here.¡±


    A moment passed as Jonathan walked over to the car concealed in a lush stand of Palo Verde, wild oat grass, and witchgrass.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call Gabriela and have her bring a tracking dog and ATVs,¡± Jonathan said. ¡°If Miguel and Sofia are on foot, they aren¡¯t going anywhere fast, and we don¡¯t need to stumble around the desert in the dark.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing around for miles,¡± Dillan said. ¡°We finally have them cornered. We should have this wrapped up by lunch tomorrow, and the Lord will be with us by the weekend.¡±

 Chapter 12. Nature Show

    The sun hadn¡¯t fully crested over the mountaintops when Gretta awoke. In the distance, she could hear the occasional passing car from the distant road.


    Miguel had assembled a small pile of tinder and was now kneeling, blowing gently into it. The kindling lit, and a few whisps of smoke drifted up.


    ¡°Finally,¡± he whispered.


    Gretta looked down and saw Sofia still curled beside her with little fingers wrapped in her tiger fur. Gretta wanted to stand and stretch, but more importantly, she wanted hands and the ability to drink coffee. Not that she thought coffee was likely. Miguel didn¡¯t seem to have a camp kit for boiling water, let alone coffee.


    Seeing that Gretta was awake, Miguel carefully picked up his blanket and lovingly tucked it under Sofia, gently separating the child from the tiger.


    Pulling in magic, Gretta made an effort of will and shifted back to human form. She almost immediately regretted it. The morning air was cold¡ªnot quite cold enough for frost, but cold enough to wish she had a heavy jacket.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she whispered.


    Miguel nodded at her. ¡°I don¡¯t have much food, but you''re welcome to have some dry cereal.¡±


    ¡°I was pondering what we were going to do for water. I didn¡¯t bring any, and your pack isn¡¯t big enough to hold enough for multiple days for three people, so I doubt we have enough,¡± Gretta said.


    He smiled. ¡°I have two liters of water in my bag, but I can use my magic to refill it. It¡¯s not a fast process, but we should be okay if there¡¯s a little water I can pull from the air or even a plant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very useful,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Is that a spell or one of your gifts from the Wild Mother?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a spell,¡± Miguel said. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to teach it to you if you¡¯d like. It¡¯s very handy when you live in the desert. As you are a disciple of the Wild Mother, it should be easy for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡±


    ¡°The word is Nalqesh,¡± he said.


    Gretta held her hands into a cup and focused on the empty space. Then, she opened a small channel for magic to flow from the Wild Mother, whispering the ancient word of power, ¡°Nalqesh.¡±


    Water slowly condensed in her palm, and Gretta enjoyed watching the spell work. When the water started leaking from her hand, she released the spell and drank the cool water. Most of it spilled down her chin or slipped through her fingers, but the water she managed to drink was fresh and clean. The spell took some effort to channel, but as a spell from her domain, she was confident she could do it throughout the day without exhausting herself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know a spell to make coffee?¡± Gretta asked hopefully.


    Miguel chuckled softly. ¡°Sadly, that is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°When you made the plants grow, was that your gift from the Wild Mother?¡± Gretta asked.


    Miguel smiled. ¡°Yes. It isn¡¯t as impressive as turning into a tiger, but it has served me well.¡±


    ¡°I imagine that being able to grow vegetables and herbs is way more practical day to day than being a cat that only wants to lay in the sun all day and watch birds.¡±


    Miguel shrugged. ¡°I believe the Wild Mother gives us the gifts that suit us best.¡±


    Gretta smirked. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m suited to bird watching and sunbathing?¡±


    Miguel was saved from answering when Sofia stirred, and both adults turned to her. Wrapped in a blanket near the fire, she looked small and vulnerable.


    Gretta¡¯s heart ached for the child, who was on the run, lying in the dirt, because someone wanted her for her ability to channel magic and the likelihood that a child¡¯s willpower was easier to break than an adult¡¯s.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Gretta tilted her head. ¡°Do you hear that?¡±


    The distant sound of a dog barking, followed by the rev of a small engine, sent a chill down Gretta¡¯s back. Nobody was out for a joy ride on an ATV with their dog in the middle of the desert. The people tracking down Sofia were coming.


    ¡°We need to move,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°Is that a car?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s at least one ATV, maybe more. It¡¯s tough to tell, but somebody is coming, and they have a dog,¡± Gretta said.


    Miguel packed the blankets and handed Sofia a plastic bag with cereal. ¡°Eat a little so you have some strength.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you carry Sofia and head north as fast as you can,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here, ambush them, and catch up with you.¡±


    ¡°If they have guns, you won¡¯t stand a chance, even if you are a tiger,¡± Miguel said.


    ¡°They are going to catch us, and I¡¯d rather ambush them than let them choose when to come at our backs,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Sofia will be safer if she¡¯s not here when the fighting happens.¡±


    Miguel hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded. ¡°Thank you for helping my daughter.¡±


    ¡°I promise that even if I don¡¯t catch up, there will be at least one less of them to chase you.¡±


    Miguel scooped up his daughter and started a brisk walk north.


    Gretta looked around for a spot to hide. There wasn¡¯t much available. The desert had many small trees, cacti, and bushes but not significant cover. The Palo Verde had thin branches, and the saguaro cacti were only marginally better. She needed the element of surprise, but they had a dog, so her hiding place had to be high up to give the pursuers a chance to approach.


    She only saw one option, and it would take all of her endurance to pull off. She opened a conduit and pulled in magic, shifting to a small, striped tabby cat. With a leap and a scramble, she found her way into the upper boughs of the Palo Verde that hung over the camp. She settled down to watch and wait. Her plan was simple: She¡¯d spring onto the lead person and shift to tiger form. Even if he got a shot off, he¡¯d never survive 700 pounds of tiger-attention.


    A mile away, Rowan was learning why spiders don¡¯t ride ATVs. Spiders are very sensitive to vibration, and being on Jonathan¡¯s ankle did not dampen the vibration or the noise. The unpleasantness was between a dentist¡¯s drill and a mosquito in your ear, with the volume cranked up to a jet engine taking off.


    ¡°Jango¡¯s on the scent,¡± Dillan shouted over his shoulder at Jonathan. ¡°Keep an eye out. They¡¯ll be running as we get closer!¡±


    Jonathan watched the desert closer to the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of movement. Behind him, a third ATV with Gabriela hung back cautiously.


    Jango, the Belgian Malinois, raced ahead, barking furiously at a tree. Dillan cranked his throttle.


    Gabriela futilely yelled, ¡°Watch out for an ambush!¡± But her voice was drowned out by Dillan¡¯s engine.


    Rowan had a fraction of a second to appreciate that a nine-pound cat jumping onto somebody¡¯s face is scary, but not as scary as that nine-pound cat becoming a seven-hundred-pound tiger. Dillan didn¡¯t have time to scream.


    ¡°It¡¯s the PI!¡± Gabriela shouted. ¡°Shoot her!¡±


    Dillan¡¯s ATV flipped over, and the engine cut out. Gretta¡¯s roar drowned out every other sound.


    Rowan was still admiring the frightening display of raw power Gretta had displayed when Jonathan¡¯s ATV slowed down. Then, the shooting started.


    Rowan took a moment to realize what he was hearing. It wasn¡¯t until he saw the tiger collapse that he knew Jonathan was shooting. Jonathan was reloading when Rowan bit and released a full dose of neurotoxin right into his ankle. This was his chance for a National Geographic special, and he would not be out-shown by a cat!


    In moments, Jonathan was flailing and falling, and Rowan leaped to safety, scrambling into the cover of a tuft of desert grass.


    ¡°That was invigorating.¡± Gabriela studied the motionless tiger. ¡°She was my backup plan if Sofia couldn¡¯t be used.¡± She shook her head. ¡°What a waste.¡±


    Jonathan lay on the ground staring. ¡°The tiger is so big. How can anything be that big?¡±


    ¡°Get up, Jonathan. The girl isn¡¯t here,¡± Gabriela said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to come back for your idiot partner.¡±


    Jonathan stumbled to his feet, and his speech was slurred. The neurotoxin of Rowan¡¯s bite was grabbing hold. Jonathan looked confused down at his leg. ¡°I think something bit me.¡±


    Gabriela shook her head and rubbed her face. ¡°Stop whining. Nothing out here has enough venom to kill a man your size.¡±


    He looked at the tiger lying on his partner. ¡°What about Dillan?¡± he choked out, his thick-tongued words barely intelligible. ¡°There¡¯s so much blood.¡±


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have charged in, and we can¡¯t help him. He couldn¡¯t have survived that. We don¡¯t have a rope to tow the tiger off him, and I don¡¯t have the strength to disintegrate a tiger and still deal with Miguel when we catch up to him. You don¡¯t look like you have the motor function to control your ATV, so you¡¯ll have to ride with me. Even if we go slower, we¡¯ll catch them.¡±


    Jonathan stared at the bloody scene for a few more moments before walking over and climbing onto Gabriela¡¯s ATV.


    ¡°Jango! Scent!¡± Jonathan ordered, and despite his nearly unintelligible words to Rowan, the dog obeyed and followed Miguel and Sofia''s path.


    As they departed, Rowan noticed that Gabriela had Sofia¡¯s stuffed rabbit in a bag at her side.


    When they were gone, Rowan shifted to human form and approached the tiger. She bled from at least a half-dozen wounds. The amount of blood on the tiger and the ground made him feel ill. He knelt to check for a pulse.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be dead,¡± he whispered.

 Chapter 13. Hot Pursuit

    Gretta¡¯s eyes snapped open at the touch on her throat. She let out a rumble.


    Rowan tripped over himself as he fell backward.


    Gretta closed her eyes again. Pain throbbed through her body, and whether from the exertion of shifting shapes multiple times in a row or from blood loss, she wanted to drift off to sleep.


    ¡°Gretta, I know you are tired, but you need to shift again,¡± Rowan whispered. ¡°I need to get you to the hospital, but you¡¯re too big to carry.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s eyes opened again and seemed to regain some focus. The glare was such that Rowan wanted to take another step back, but he held his ground.


    ¡°If you are in human form, I can get you on the ATV they left behind, and we can get you to a hospital. There¡¯s so much blood, I can¡¯t even tell where you are hurt right now, let alone stop the bleeding. Maybe I can figure out where to put pressure if you shift down.¡±


    Gretta closed her eyes again, and Rowan thought she might be slipping away when the tiger form melded out of existence, leaving behind a woman. There was still blood on the ground, and it was soaking into Gretta¡¯s clothing, but he couldn¡¯t see any visible wounds.


    Rowan rushed forward, his hands gently patting her to look for injuries. ¡°Where are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Hands off, creep,¡± Gretta whispered.


    ¡°We need to find the worst wounds and put pressure on them,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember much first aid, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s step 1.¡± He paused. ¡°Or is it elevate the wound? Gah! You were shot multiple times; I¡¯ll need to elevate your whole body.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works, idiot,¡± she whispered. ¡°Let me sleep.¡±


    A groan from Dillan made Gretta roll to one side and scramble to a sitting position. ¡°Holy shit! He¡¯s alive.¡±


    Rowan rushed forward and inexpertly patted Dillan down, looking for weapons in any place he¡¯d seen one in a movie. He checked for a shoulder rig and found a gun, but then he checked for one on the belt and ankles and did not find a second gun. He did find a pack of zip ties in Dillan¡¯s inner jacket pocket.


    ¡°He looks like he¡¯s been hit by a truck, but it doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s bleeding from anything more than a few minor scratches,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I thought there¡¯d be more damage.¡±


    Rowan set to work zip-tying Dillan¡¯s ankles and wrists.


    Gretta shuttered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a murderer and biting somebody¡ªyuck! Would you want to bite somebody?¡±


    He decided not to mention that Dillan could be suffering from internal bleeding. ¡°I don¡¯t think killing people who are willing to use deadly force to abduct a child is murder. I¡¯d call that self-defense, or at least defense of a child. And yes, I would bite somebody. I bit Jonathan.¡±


    Gretta let out an exhausted sigh. ¡°Sexual adventures aside, I meant that it¡¯s gross to bite a human in a fight.¡±


    ¡°What? No. Jonathan was the other guy with Dillan here. And I gave him enough venom that he might die or, at the least, have a very terrible week.¡±


    Gretta still looked dazed. ¡°How do you know their names?¡±


    ¡°After I ditched your car, I shifted down into a spider and spent the past day riding Jonathan¡¯s ankle,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°You are one weird guy,¡± Gretta muttered. ¡°Help me up. We need to track down Miguel and protect Sofia.¡±


    Rowan stared at her. ¡°How are you even alive?¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± she said. ¡°I appreciate that you reminded me to shift. That helped a lot. I had already started pulling on magic to heal, but moving my tiger form back into the Astral will make the process easier.¡±


    ¡°Into the Astral?¡±


    ¡°You can shift, but you don¡¯t know how it works? Didn¡¯t the Trickster god explain to you how your powers work¡ªOh, I suppose he¡¯d think it¡¯d be funny not to tell you,¡± she said. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Rowan opted not to explain that he was the Trickster god. ¡°So, you sent your tiger body to some other place?¡±


    ¡°All of our forms are always with us; they are just slightly shifted from this reality. When they aren¡¯t here, they still exist¡ªthey are still us. We don¡¯t experience them because our consciousness is here, in this reality.¡± Gretta looked confused. ¡°The Trickster didn¡¯t explain any of this?¡±


    ¡°Like you said, he probably thinks this is funny,¡± Rowan said. ¡°So, is your tiger form still bleeding to death?¡±


    ¡°When our other forms are in the Astral, they aren¡¯t in stasis, but they are experiencing a different type of reality, and they can¡¯t die there. They will heal, given time, but I shouldn¡¯t try to shift back to my tiger form for a bit to give it time to recover.¡± Gretta held out a hand. ¡°Help me up.¡±


    Rowan helped her to her feet. She wobbled slightly before walking to Jonathan¡¯s abandoned ATV and getting on.


    ¡°The immediate problem for me is exhaustion. I shifted three times and used my healing. I¡¯m barely keeping my eyes open, so you¡¯ll have to stay alert enough for both of us. I don¡¯t want to leave Miguel alone with Adriana.¡±


    ¡°Adriana¡¯s real name is Gabriela Ramirez. I heard Jonathan and Miguel talking about her. She¡¯s the mother of the Warlord.¡±


    Rowan dragged Dillan over a few feet.


    ¡°Why did you move him?¡± she asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a large, active fire ant hill over there. Laying on that would make life miserable for at least a week,¡± he said.


    Gretta grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could show him that much mercy.¡±


    Rowan chuckled. ¡°Oh, I moved him directly on top of it.¡±


    ¡°Get on,¡± she said and patted the seat behind her.


    Rowan hesitated. ¡°If we take the ATV, Gabriela will hear us coming, and she¡¯s likely armed. And even unarmed, she¡¯s the mother of the Warlord. She¡¯ll have unknown magical firepower that might take us out before we know what hit us. The only thing we have going for us is that she thinks you are dead and doesn¡¯t know about me at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have another shift in me. I¡¯d probably need to sleep a few hours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think you should follow her,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning Sofia,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not asking you to,¡± Rowan replied. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to trust me. I can fly ahead faster than the ATV, catch her, and give her some mechanical issues. That¡¯ll give Miguel time to gain some distance and you time to recharge. She¡¯s never seen me, so she won¡¯t know what hit her.¡±


    Gretta glared. ¡°And I¡¯m supposed just to lay around resting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back for you, and hopefully, by then, you¡¯ll be ready to shift into something that can move faster than a person, and we¡¯ll head straight for Miguel.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you I won¡¯t be able to shift back into a tiger for a while. Maybe a week or more.¡±


    ¡°I saw you in some sort of small cat form,¡± Rowan said. ¡°That should outpace a person on foot.¡±


    Gretta looked skeptical. ¡°In a sprint, for sure, but moving through the desert for hours is not easy. And I¡¯ll be tired even if I nap while you are playing saboteur.¡±


    Rowan sighed. ¡°Do you have any other forms?¡±


    Gretta blushed. ¡°I don¡¯t use them.¡±


    Rowan smirked. ¡°Are you embarrassed about the gifts the Wild Mother gave you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not embarrassed.¡± Gretta¡¯s blush deepened. ¡°They aren¡¯t that useful in the desert.¡±


    ¡°And what are they? I promise that I won¡¯t laugh.¡±


    ¡°An elephant and an otter,¡± she whispered.


    Rowan laughed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Neither of those will be useful for this. Well, maybe if you are adorable enough as an otter¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop. If you don¡¯t want to find out what an elephant can do to your toes, you¡¯ll stop right now,¡± Gretta warned.


    Rowan held up his hands in surrender. ¡°Even as a human on foot, you can catch Miguel carrying a child. But, I¡¯ll need to delay Gabriela a little extra.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to figure out where Miguel is?¡± Gretta asked.


    Rowan pointed in the direction the ATV had gone.


    ¡°For now, follow the path that Gabriela left. I¡¯ll fly ahead and circle back. Spotting him from the air shouldn¡¯t be too bad, and we can avoid Gabriela.¡±


    ¡°What about the dog? I don¡¯t think hurting the dog is right, but it will be an issue.¡±


    ¡°The dog is only a problem if the people come with it. If I stall the people, I stall the dog. Maybe I¡¯ll find a way to keep the dog busy without hurting it.¡±


    Gretta sighed, got off the ATV, and started trudging along the tracks that Gabriela had left. She had never been more exhausted, but she was determined to catch up to Miguel. She hated the idea of relying on a disciple of the Trickster to help her, but he was right: if she went tearing through the desert on a loud ATV, Gabriela would shoot her, and Gretta was not ready for a second encounter. Not yet.


    Taking a few extra moments for sabotage, Rowan tipped Jonathan¡¯s ATV over and yanked on the gas line, causing the gas to gush into the soil. Dillan¡¯s ATV was already flipped over and looked mangled from the encounter with a tiger.


    Satisfied, Rowan shifted into raven form and soared into the blue sky. He immediately spotted dust rising between cacti and scrub, and as he banked, he spotted the ATV riding ahead of that dust in a zig-zagging pattern. With a beat of his wings, he took off in pursuit.

 Chapter 14. Badgering a Sorceress

    Gretta tried to stay focused on her surroundings but struggled to put one foot in front of the other. She had truly pushed her limits further than she¡¯d ever pushed them, and she was still exerting effort to bring in more magic to heal her tiger form. She needed to sleep, but instead, she kept her eyes on the ATV tracks in the sand and trudged along.


    She saw Rowan pass overhead as a raven and was a bit jealous that she didn¡¯t have a bird form. She imagined that gliding on the thermals would be relaxing. Not that the Wild Mother hadn¡¯t been generous. The ability to shift into a Tiger was the most invigorating feeling one could have. She could move with speed, grace, and power, and nothing was a threat to her¡ªnothing but a guy with a gun.


    Ahead, she spotted legs sticking out across the tracks. She paused. Leaning against a large rock was a man in a dark suit. The very man who had shot her. Didn¡¯t Rowan say his name was Jonathan? His eyes were closed, and he held a gun in his lap. She stayed perfectly still.


    Gretta saw that his pant leg was pulled up and his ankle had a massive swollen bite. From the amount of swelling, she wondered if Rowan¡¯s spider form was something prehistoric. Jonathan was still breathing, and copious amounts of drool slipped from his open mouth. Sweat streaked his face and stained his white shirt. She could see twitchy eye movements under his eyelids like he was dreaming¡ªand those dreams weren¡¯t pleasant.


    Rowan hadn¡¯t stopped to warn her about him, so maybe he hadn¡¯t noticed Jonathan on the ground, or maybe he was so focused on the ATV that he hadn¡¯t considered that Gabriela had left her own guy behind.


    Gretta pulled out her phone and realized that she had no signal. They were so far into the mountains that none of the mobile carriers had bothered to worry about coverage. Seeing him lying on the ground and knowing that his own boss had left him in the desert niggled at her conscience. She hadn¡¯t felt bad when she ambushed them, and she was even fine when Rowan dragged him onto the anthill, but she had been fresh out of a fight. She had nearly died, and a little petty vengeance felt right, but now that her adrenaline wasn¡¯t pumping, it felt wrong.


    Both Dillan and Jonathan would still kill her if they had the chance, but was she any better than them if she let them die? They both needed medical attention, but clearly, their boss wouldn¡¯t help them. Not in time, anyway. Even if Gabriela came back in a few hours, they would both be dead after lying in the desert heat.


    Sighing, she stepped off the trail so that she could sneak up behind Jonathan without giving him a clear shot at her down the trail. He looked passed out, but she wouldn¡¯t fall for an ambush.


    She crept up on him one step at a time. Each crunch of gravel or rustle of a leaf made her cringe. When she was three feet away, she rushed forward and grabbed his right arm with both hands, knocking the gun free.


    Sneaking turned out to be completely unnecessary. He didn¡¯t wake or even twitch.


    She did a quick check of his pockets and found the same type of zip ties that Dillan had had in his pocket. She quickly bound his wrists together, but not his legs. She figured that he wasn¡¯t likely to get up in his current state and wasn¡¯t much of a threat. Binding his hands was a minimum precaution while she searched him for more weapons. She found a pocket knife and a phone.


    She considered using magic to attempt to heal him. She decided that it wasn¡¯t worth the risk of passing out in the desert and giving the man who had already shot her once the strength to finish the job he hadn¡¯t finished earlier and potentially even the strength to chase Sofia. Gretta was compassionate but not stupid.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    She pocketed his knife and then activated the emergency call option on the phone. Even without a cell tower, the phone would use a satellite.


    ¡°9-1-1, what¡¯s your emergency?¡±


    ¡°I found this guy in the desert. It looks like he¡¯s been bitten by something. He might be dying.¡±


    ¡°Does he have a pulse?¡±


    ¡°Weak pulse, unconscious, looks like a nasty bite on his leg. You need to hurry.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your location?¡± the operator asked.


    ¡°Somewhere in the desert west of Marana,¡± she said. ¡°Can¡¯t you track this call by GPS?¡±


    ¡°We can, but it¡¯s not always accurate. The more precise the location, the better.¡±


    ¡°Look, I gotta go. You should send an ambulance. There are two guys out here. The other guy was pretty bashed up. He was maybe a mile back toward the road.¡±


    ¡°Please stay there and on the line until help arrives,¡± the operator said.


    ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t do that,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Both guys were armed with guns, and I¡¯m not staying with them. Follow the ATV tracks. You should find them. Two men. Black suits. Both unconscious. Hurry.¡±


    She used her shirt to wipe her prints off the phone and the gun, then walked away, leaving the phone in Jonathan¡¯s lap and the weapon in a small desert bush. She could hear the faint voice of the operator saying, ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you there? Ma¡¯am?¡±


    Help might not get to them in time, but her conscience felt better knowing she had tried to save them. Somehow, the encounter with Jonathan had recharged her. She figured it was a fresh shot of adrenaline and that she¡¯d crash again soon, but she used her newfound alertness to pick up her pace and trudge on.


    Three gunshots rang through the desert. They were somewhere ahead in the distance, and while Gretta couldn¡¯t judge the distance, they sounded like they might be in the vicinity of where she¡¯d expect to find Gabriela.


    She heard the distant whine of the ATV¡¯s engine as it picked up speed and moved away from her.


    She tried to imagine what happened. If Rowan had a gun, wouldn¡¯t he have used it in the fight with Gabriela? He was a spider at the start of that fight, and maybe there was no time to shift and use it. Was he the type to have a gun? He was the type to put honey in your underwear drawer, but he didn¡¯t seem like the type to shoot somebody. Of course, she didn¡¯t honestly know him. If he had taken Gabriela¡¯s ATV, wouldn¡¯t he be heading back for her? Or would he head right after Miguel? He couldn¡¯t track Miguel as a human, so he seemed unlikely to drive away from her. To the best of her knowledge, he was a disciple of the Trickster god, and he could have just decided to abandon her and Sofia. Tricksters weren¡¯t known for being helpful or dependable.


    Even as she forced herself into a jog, she cursed at no-good, stupid, bird-brained tricksters. The heat of the day was becoming oppressive under the beating sun. The wind felt good, but it brought dust that stung her eyes and left her feeling parched. Before long, her throat ached from breathing as much dirt as air.


    Fifteen minutes later, she found black feathers on the ground. Raven feathers? There were some dark spots on the ground. Drops of blood? Two dozen more feet ahead, she saw skid marks as if the ATV had swerved. On the ground were three brass bullet casings glinting in the sun.


    She spotted dog paw prints in the sand. They were indistinct, but she knew Gabriela had a dog with her, and Gretta had spotted the tracks intermittently since the fight. The paw prints ran off the path to her right, and she followed. The tracks eventually became a muddled mess. The dog had been digging at a badger hole. Gretta knelt and looked into the hole; deeper in, she spotted a raven. The small hole was too dark to see if his eyes were open, but he wasn¡¯t moving.


    ¡°Rowan?¡± she asked. ¡°Gabriela is gone. Come out and shift.¡±


    The raven remained motionless and silent.

 Chapter 15. Who鈥檚 Laughing Now?

    ¡°Come on, you stupid bird!¡± Gretta started digging at the hole with her bare hands to widen the opening. ¡°I only heard three shots. That¡¯s amateur hour. I took twelve, and you don¡¯t see me lying around. Get your ass out here.¡±


    She stopped digging and looked back into the hole. The raven still hadn¡¯t moved. Her heart sped up, which was shocking because she didn¡¯t think it could beat faster. She dug harder.


    Gretta had been sweating profusely in the sun before digging, and now she was drenched. By the time she finally reached the raven, she had tears in her eyes. His body was still warm, but rigid. She gently pulled him out.


    ¡°You need to shift,¡± she whispered as she pulled him close.


    She could see now that he had been hit twice. His right wing was seriously damaged, but the real issue was the bloody wound on his side. Both bullets had passed straight through his small body. She couldn¡¯t feel a pulse, but she admitted to herself that she had no idea how to find a pulse on a bird. He was still warm, but he might be even if he had died.


    She looked around and spotted a Palo Verde, which was tall enough to offer shade. She rushed under the tree, set the Raven down, and knelt over him. Placing both hands on his body. She willed her mind open to channel enough magic for a healing spell. Nothing happened. There was barely a trickle that she had been sending to her tiger form. She had been pushing herself too hard all day. She gritted her teeth and tried harder, worrying she might have an aneurysm with the effort. She failed to open a greater channel. She didn¡¯t have the strength.


    With nothing left, she diverted the magic she had been sending to heal her other form toward Rowan, worried there might not be enough to trigger the spell. She spoke the ancient word of power, ¡°Lathiel.¡±


    A spark of power leaped from her to the bird, but it was the feeblest magic she¡¯d ever worked. The channel she had been holding open collapsed, and even the little power she had been using was gone.


    She felt fresh tears of frustration. ¡°Wake up, bird brain!¡±


    Rowan didn¡¯t hear her. He was drifting in a place of darkness. Somewhere he had only visited while escaping the goddess of judgment¡¯s domain and returning to the mortal world. He realized he was in the between place. The place where mortals and gods didn¡¯t dwell. It was dark.


    He felt a sudden jolt and saw a faint light that pulled at him. The thought that Ellie, the goddess of judgment, might be pulling him toward her domain gave him a shock of panic.


    The woman''s voice, which he hadn¡¯t heard in at least a day, called to him: Sofia needs you. Come back.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± he muttered.


    You are lying in the desert, and the PI is taking care of your body, but your mind has to come back.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a desert,¡± he said.


    The pull of the light was getting stronger, and he realized he could resist it if he tried. He could slow down his descent. He wondered if he could escape the pull if he exerted enough effort. The idea of being trapped back in Ellie¡¯s domain scared him.


    Gabriela will take Sofia if you don¡¯t come back now. Please.


    He decided to trust the voice and let himself fall into the light. His world was blazing light and burning pain, and then he realized he was lying on the ground in the desert and he had been shot.


    ¡°Shift, damn it,¡± Gretta whispered.


    She was looking down at him with tears dripping down.


    Rowan blinked and thought he saw a shadow move from behind a large saguaro cactus. Had he seen somebody watching them? He was too hurt to move, but finally, Gretta¡¯s words registered.


    With an effort, he pulled in the magic and shifted back to human form.


    Gretta hit him with both clenched fists, hammer strikes right in the chest. ¡°You stupid, effing bird. You scared the shit out of me.¡±


    Rowan coughed and rolled over before she could strike again.


    Gretta was irate. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever play dead again.¡±


    Rowan coughed some more, sucking in hot, dusty desert air. ¡°I wasn¡¯t playing.¡±


    Gretta was all but incoherent. ¡°You left Jonathan for me to find, and then I heard the shots. Do you know how tired I am? A bird in a badger hole?! What were you thinking? How many shots did you think you could take as a bird?¡±


    Rowan sat up and felt himself for injuries. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you, too.¡±


    Gretta punched him in the arm. ¡°Effing trickster disciples!¡±  She stood up and stomped back toward the ATV path. ¡°Come on, Gabriela is still after Miguel and Sofia.¡±


    He heard the woman¡¯s voice again: Thank you for coming back. Gretta is right. Sofia needs you.


    Rowan stood and walked over to the cactus where he had seen the shadow, but nobody was there. ¡°Was somebody else here?¡±


    Gretta wiped her face with her hands, leaving streaks of dust and dirt. ¡°Just you and me. Come on!¡±


    Rowan frowned at the shadow but decided that the mystery would wait. He was starting to wonder if the mysterious woman was following him. Might she be a sorceress or a goddess?Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Nadia?¡± he asked, but if the goddess of shadows and secrets heard him, she didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Gretta asked. ¡°Please, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Rowan shrugged, gave one last look around, and then followed after Gretta. They walked briskly, which was the best speed either of them could manage.


    ¡°Why did you leave Jonathan for me to find?¡± Gretta asked. ¡°He still had a gun.¡±


    Rowan tried to shift mental gears. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Jonathan, but that explains why Gabriela was alone when I caught up to her.¡±


    ¡°I found him passed out against a tree.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I had hoped he¡¯d slow Gabriela down, but it looks like she doesn¡¯t have enough compassion to keep her people alive.¡±


    ¡°I called 9-1-1 to get him help,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Hopefully, they¡¯ll get to him in time.¡±


    Rowan looked back down the trail they had been following. ¡°Great, now Ellie¡¯s people will know where we are. I wish you hadn¡¯t done that.¡±


    ¡°First of all, Jonathan needed medical attention, and I¡¯m not going to just let him die. And second of all, who the hell is Ellie?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I didn¡¯t want him to die, either.¡± Rowan rubbed his face with both hands. ¡°Do you know who the goddess of justice and order is?¡±


    ¡°Of course I know who the goddess of justice is,¡± Gretta grumbled. ¡°What does she have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Before she was a goddess, her name was Ellie,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Beyond the obvious that she¡¯s a goddess, why does she care if I call the police?¡±


    ¡°Because the goddess of justice and order doesn¡¯t get along with the trickster god, and she has connections in law enforcement,¡± he said carefully, not mentioning that he was the trickster god himself. If she wanted to think he was human, who was he to disabuse her of that notion?


    Gretta frowned. ¡°And you think she¡¯ll come after you?¡±


    Rowan smirked. ¡°I know she will.¡±


    Gretta shrugged. ¡°She can¡¯t possibly know that two guys found in the desert are related to you.¡±


    ¡°She will if there¡¯s an investigation and they look for fingerprints. The FBI will find my prints all over the ATV, assuming she¡¯s not already tracking Gabriela¡¯s movements. For all we know, she¡¯s trying to stop Gabriela, too.¡±


    Gretta looked confused. ¡°So, she¡¯s on our side?¡±


    Rowan laughed. ¡°She¡¯s not on my side, but maybe she¡¯s working against Gabriela.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°Does that make her the enemy of my enemy?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but if Ellie gets involved, she¡¯s going to lock me up, and if she thinks that you are with me, she¡¯ll lock you up, too. I suspect she¡¯s got at least one department of the FBI working for her, maybe more.¡±


    ¡°Great, now even the good guys are after us,¡± she said.


    ¡°Ellie isn¡¯t a good guy. I¡¯m not a bad guy. There is no us. It¡¯d be better for you to get out before she thinks you are with me.¡±


    Gretta scoffed. ¡°The goddess of justice isn¡¯t a good guy?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s more than justice,¡± Rowan said. ¡°She only cares about perfect order and strict rules, which doesn¡¯t make her good.¡±


    ¡°I suppose an agent of chaos and lawlessness would say that,¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan decided to switch topics. ¡°How exactly did a private investigator become a disciple of the Wild Mother? I thought Abby would have picked a zoologist or maybe an environmental activist rather than a hardboiled, magnifying-glass-wielding sleuth.¡±


    ¡°The Wild Mother deserves our respect and reverence; don¡¯t speak her former human name so casually,¡± Gretta scolded.


    Rowan rolled his eyes, imagining how appalled Abby would have felt about such formalities and absurdities. ¡°How did her holiness, mother of nature, earn your servitude?¡±


    Gretta growled, and there was a hint of the tiger in her voice. ¡°She doesn¡¯t demand servants. I follow her willingly. It¡¯s a family thing.¡±


    ¡°A family thing,¡± Rowan mused. ¡°She didn¡¯t have any children.¡±


    ¡°My mother is a disciple, and when I was thirteen, I became one, too.¡±


    Rowan pondered this new bit of information. ¡°Your last name is Sullivan. What was your mother¡¯s maiden name?¡±


    ¡°My mother¡¯s last name is Turner. I have my father¡¯s last name.¡±


    Rowan scoffed. ¡°You are Abby¡¯s niece!¡±


    A coyote in the distance yipped. It sounded like laughter, and Rowan smiled. Gretta was his best friend¡¯s niece!


    ¡°Be more respectful.¡± Gretta punched Rowan in the arm. ¡°I am a disciple of the Wild Mother, and I also once had an aunt named Abby, but she¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that explains why you are a disciple of the Wild Mother, but it doesn¡¯t explain why you are a PI.¡±


    Gretta looked away. ¡°It¡¯s no big mystery. My mother has been missing since I was 17. I wanted the skills to find her, but she¡¯s gone, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Rowan wondered if the voice he had been hearing had been Abby¡¯s. It didn¡¯t sound like Abby. Having javelinas harass him was more her style. If she could talk directly into his head, she would have done so long before now, right? The voice was somebody worried about the child. And while Abby might also want to protect the child, the javelinas were more likely a nudge from Abby to protect her niece. The niece he let get shot a dozen times.


    Sorry, Abby. I¡¯ll try to watch out for her.


    ¡°You are quiet all of a sudden,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you ever shut up.¡±


    ¡°Was just pondering whether all of the local immortals were somehow twisted up in this deal with Sofia,¡± he said.


    Gretta looked over at Rowan. ¡°How did Gabriela manage to shoot you? I thought tricksters were super sneaky.¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s just it. She seemed to sense me. One moment, she was driving, looking straight ahead, and right as I was about to drop down on her, she turned around and shot me. She couldn¡¯t have heard me over the engine¡¯s noise, and my shadow didn¡¯t cross her path. I think it must be part of her magic.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky she didn¡¯t disintegrate you,¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan looked shocked. ¡°Disintegrate me?¡±


    ¡°I saw a chunk of furniture at Miguel¡¯s house that was simply missing, like somebody had vaporized it. Didn¡¯t look like it was done with fire, so I figured it was the Lord of Destruction¡¯s work.¡±


    Rowan let out a humph. ¡°We just call him that because he breaks everything he touches. He doesn¡¯t do disintegration. That sounds much more like something Nadia would do.¡±


    Gretta sounded utterly nonplussed. ¡°Who is Nadia?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the goddess of secrets and knowledge, but also shadows and the void. Seems like something she might be able to do.¡±


    ¡°Why would she be involved in this?¡± Gretta asked. ¡°It feels like Sofia is at the center of something big.¡±


    Rowan shook his head. ¡°This is the first time all five immortals have had related interests, and I can¡¯t tell who is on whose side. Of course, I¡¯m on your side and Sofia¡¯s side.¡±


    Gretta squinted at him. ¡°That¡¯s just what a trickster would say if he weren¡¯t on your side.¡±


    A massive explosion to the north lit up the sky, sending plumes of dust and smoke billowing into the air. Bits of rock and metal rained down.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Gretta asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s something the Warlord might do.¡±


    Rowan and Gretta began jogging toward a huge mining trench that cut into the rolling desert landscape. Smoke rose from the trench''s depths, and the ATV tracks led in that direction.

 Chapter 16. Heroic Effort

    After jogging for half an hour, Gretta and Rowan reached the edge of the mining pit. Smoke was still drifting up but wasn¡¯t as thick as it had been after the explosion. The sun was high overhead, and the heat was oppressive. The wind might have helped with the heat but brought choking dust and smoke instead.


    A massive mining truck lay smoldering at the bottom. On a ramp above, a grove of trees was completely out of place among the rock and dirt, with only scarred earth and metal.


    Both Rowan and Gretta were panting and gasping from the exertion of running.


    Rowan surveyed the devastation. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Gretta used her hands to shade her eyes. ¡°It looks like Miguel must have created trees under that huge dump truck, and it tumbled over the side, falling into the pit. I think I see the remains of an ATV down there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anybody down there,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the start of the ramp, far off to their left. ¡°Come on, we must get down there and look for survivors.¡±


    Rowan allowed himself to be pulled along. ¡°Gabriela still has a gun,¡± he said between heavy breaths. ¡°If we charge in, she¡¯ll shoot us.¡±


    Gretta released his hand, picking up her pace. ¡°Then you¡¯ll just have to be tricky or something.¡±


    Movement caught Rowan¡¯s eye. ¡°Wait! I see something.¡±


    Gretta looked back to see where Rowan was looking. He pointed at a spot two hundred yards along the edge of the mining pit, where a man and a child were climbing out. The man helped the child to the top and then looked back down.


    Rowan and Gretta followed his gaze to where Gabriela stood, pointing her gun. They saw her hand jerk, and a moment later, the crack of the gunshot rang out. Miguel was falling. He tumbled down the pit''s edge, falling fifty feet and landing on a truck ramp. The shot had been an impossibly long one. She had hit him right in the chest. Sure, Rowan knew a 9mm bullet could go well over a mile, but with wind, gravity, and simple human inaccuracy, nobody could have made that shot. Clearly, her magic did more than help her sense threats; it also allowed her to achieve the impossible shots.


    Gabriela started jogging up the pit, her determination clear even from a distance.


    ¡°She might be old, but she moves like there¡¯s a flash sale on floral print towels,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get there first,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Stay out of sight so she doesn¡¯t shoot you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if her danger sense is triggered by intention or simply because we¡¯re nearby,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta started running, and together, they began the jog around the edge.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°If I had been flying behind Gabriela but meant no harm, would she have known and shot me, or did she know because I was planning to drop down and shift into a spider to attack her?¡±


    ¡°You think her magic can sense intention?¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a lot of small animals skittering about, and she wasn¡¯t shooting any of them. As far as I can tell, many spells seem to understand intention; it¡¯s just using the caster¡¯s intention rather than the intention of others.¡±


    ¡°Your musings are inspiring,¡± Gretta muttered, pushing herself harder. ¡°How can you talk so much while running?¡±


    ¡°Sofia looks like she¡¯s about to climb back to her dad,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta looked, and Rowan was right. Sofia was starting to climb back down toward her father.


    They were already running as fast as they could, but they¡¯d been pushing themselves all day. There wasn¡¯t anything left for either of them to give.


    Rowan heard the familiar feminine voice. Keep running! Hurry! She needs you.


    I¡¯m trying, he thought. I¡¯m all but tapped out.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Get to the girl, and I can try to buy you a few seconds to get her out.


    You are here?


    The voice didn¡¯t answer.


    Rowan looked around the edge of the pit. A few workers scrambled to their vehicles to investigate the smoke and fallen vehicle, but nobody else was out of place.


    ¡°There¡¯s a parking lot over there and a building,¡± Rowan said. ¡°If we can get Sofia there, we can borrow a truck and put some distance between us and Gabriela.¡±


    ¡°We need to get the girl first,¡± Gretta said between gasps. ¡°How are you not out of breath?¡±


    ¡°I run a lot,¡± Rowan said. He risked getting close enough to the edge to peer down to check Gabriela¡¯s progress.  ¡°Looks like Gabriela¡¯s magic can¡¯t help her climb any faster. She¡¯s pretty spry, but we¡¯ll get to Sofia first.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± Gretta asked. ¡°We let her shoot us? There¡¯s nowhere to hide from bullets.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way,¡± Rowan said. Inwardly, he thought, I hope you have a plan that goes beyond me getting shot more.


    As they ran, Rowan occasionally peeked over the edge to check on Gabriela and Sofia. Sofia had stopped descending the steep pit wall only a few feet below the top. She looked frozen in fear, and Rowan grew even more concerned for the child. Gabriela was climbing and, through some luck, wasn¡¯t looking up when Rowan checked on her status.


    ¡°Sofia looks stuck,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta gasped between words. ¡°How far down?¡±


    ¡°A few feet down, but we¡¯re getting close enough that Gabriela will see us if she looks up,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°Any cover?¡± Gretta asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s wide open, but Gabriela is pretty far away,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I¡¯ll be quick.¡±


    Gretta laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll be quick. You get a car. I¡¯m going to pass out after this.¡±


    Rowan scanned the parking lot ahead, spotting a pickup truck where two workers were unloading tools and parts.


    ¡°Try not to get shot,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I really, really don¡¯t want to explain to your aunt what happened. She will not be understanding.¡±


    ¡°The Wild Mother expects us to use our strength to protect others,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Get the truck.¡±


    Rowan sped up, veering to the right and toward the parking lot. He sincerely hoped that Abby wasn¡¯t upset with him for not pushing harder to be the one to take the risk of getting shot. He figured that Gretta knew the risk and that there was a risk Abby would be upset if he didn¡¯t honor her bravery.


    The two workers, a man and a woman in blue uniforms, were going back and forth from the pickup, removing tools and parts, and bringing them inside the nearby building. If they thought a guy jogging through the desert toward them was odd, neither had noticed him. Rowan found that odd. He slowed down as he approached, trying to stay out of their direct line of sight using the pickup.


    The female voice in his head spoke up. Hurry up, I can only keep them distracted for so long. You aren¡¯t going to be able to just walk away from here with Sofia.


    Wow. Neat trick! Rowan thought as he hopped into the driver¡¯s seat. The keys were still in the ignition. What are you doing to them?


    The spell makes them feel tired and dulls their senses. Once they realize what is happening and adrenaline kicks in, I won¡¯t be able to keep them tuned out.


    Rowan looked to Gretta, who stood approximately over the spot where Sofia would be in the pit below. She was calling down, but Rowan couldn¡¯t make out the words. She shifted into a twenty-five-hundred-pound elephant. She was enormous, even by elephant standards. The elephant reached down with its trunk. A series of shots rang out. The elephant bellowed in anger and pain but still pulled up Sofia, set the child on her back, and then turned toward Rowan. She was bleeding from multiple wounds.


    Rowan started the truck and put it in gear, pulling away from the workers, who were nearly back inside with their final load of tools.


    Thank you again, the voice said through what sounded like crying. When this is over, I¡¯ll find a way to repay you.


    I spend most of my time as a coyote, so I expect payment in the form of mice or other small rodents.


    The voice laughed and sobbed. Done.


    Rowan swerved the truck and slammed on the brakes. He hopped out and opened the back door to the extended cab. Gretta carefully lowered Sofia into the cab.


    ¡°She¡¯s safe. Now shift back,¡± Rowan urged. ¡°We have to go.¡±


    The elephant closed its pained eyes, and then there was a surge of magic, and Gretta was back into human form, falling toward the ground. Rowan stepped forward and caught her.


    ¡°Easy there! Watch your head.¡±


    He lifted her into the cab, straining with the effort. Gretta wasn¡¯t large, but even small people could feel heavy when unconscious, and Rowan wasn¡¯t exactly a weightlifter.


    The lead woman shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t take our truck!¡±


    Rowan got into the cab and looked back. ¡°Sorry about this!¡± He shut his door and hit the gas.


    ¡°You okay back there?¡± Rowan asked.


    Sofia was crying softly, huddled against Gretta, who mumbled something unintelligible and seemed barely conscious.


    The female voice spoke: You¡¯ll need to switch vehicles soon. The police, sheriff¡¯s department, and FBI will be after you. Most of what happened is on camera. I obscured what I could, but with Gabriela¡¯s connections, they¡¯ll hunt you down.


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of places to hide,¡± Rowan muttered.


    Poor Miguel. He was Sofia¡¯s hero. The female voice made a sound that might have been another sob.

 Chapter 17. Dark and Smelly

    Rowan glared. ¡°Explain again why we¡¯re abandoning a perfectly working vehicle?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been driving twenty minutes down a road in a direction we were last spotted traveling by people who saw us steal this vehicle. If law enforcement is called, they will put up roadblocks, but they¡¯ll also drive on this road,¡± Gretta said. She held up her phone. ¡°But most importantly, an Amber Alert was already issued with this vehicle¡¯s description. Maybe for a car theft alone, they might not be on top of things, but with murder and kidnapping? This¡¯ll be an all-hands-on-deck situation. We need to get off the road.¡±


    Rowan pulled over. ¡°This is a desert. They''ll spot us from the air if they have a plane or helicopter. Not to mention that we have no supplies¡ªespecially not water.¡±


    Gravel pinged against the wheel well as he came to a stop.


    ¡°I can do something about the water situation, but we need to put distance between us and this truck. If you are right about Gabriela, and she has law enforcement connections, we need to find a way to lie low for a few days before we head in a direction they don¡¯t expect.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all exhausted,¡± Rowan said. ¡°You look like you might pass out at any moment, and I¡¯m not doing much better.¡±


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± Sofia said. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Gretta said. ¡°None of this is fair, and you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, but we have to keep moving.¡±


    Rowan and Gretta exchanged glances, then got out of the truck.


    ¡°Can they track your phone?¡± Rowan asked.


    Gretta sighed. ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before they start thinking about tracking me. My fingerprints are on file, so they will likely identify me from the ATV incident. And that¡¯s assuming they don¡¯t spot me from the parking lot cameras at the mine.¡±


    Gretta tapped a few icons to set her phone to airplane mode and shoved it in her pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯d guess that Gabriela will have told them about you by now,¡± Rowan said. ¡°We can wipe down the truck quickly to make it less likely to have prints from here, but you are right that we didn¡¯t wipe down the ATV. And frankly, we¡¯ll probably leave behind hair or something else that¡¯ll put us at this scene.¡±


    ¡°I can help with that,¡± Sofia said in a small voice. ¡°I have a magic word that cleans.¡±


    ¡°We got this,¡± Gretta said. ¡°It¡¯ll just take a minute.¡±


    Sofia held her hands towards the vehicle and said, ¡°Rescarnis!¡±


    Dust, dirt, and small items from within the truck shifted and flew about as they arranged themselves. Rowan and Gretta watched in amazement. When things settled, the outside of the vehicle was covered in a fine layer of dust, and the interior was messy in a new way.


    ¡°Nice try!¡± Gretta said encouragingly. ¡°You moved most everything about. We¡¯ll still need to try to clean it by hand quickly.¡±


    Sofia frowned. ¡°The magic word is supposed to clean the space you use it on. But my mom says it only works if your room was clean yesterday.¡±


    Rowan touched the driver¡¯s side window, leaving a clear set of fingerprints and a few smudges in the dust. Then, he braced himself and spoke the same word as Sofia, ¡°Rescarnis.¡±


    The fingerprints and the smudges in the dust disappeared.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I think I know what is happening. I think the spell restores something to how it was the day before, and the truck was dirty yesterday.¡± He smiled. ¡°This is perfect.¡±


    Gretta smiled. ¡°That makes sense! Nice job, Sofia.¡±


    Sofia wobbled, and Gretta caught her.


    ¡°Usually, it doesn¡¯t make me so tired,¡± Sofia whispered. ¡°You aren¡¯t tired, and you did the spell, too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a busy few days, and when you did the spell, you did it on the whole truck,¡± Rowan said. He didn¡¯t mention that he was exhausted. She didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°Would you like to ride on my shoulders?¡±


    Sofia shook her head. ¡°My dad said I¡¯m strong enough to walk now.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    Rowan nodded. ¡°You are very strong, but if you need to rest, it¡¯s important that you let Gretta or me know, okay?¡±


    Sofia nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid anymore. I¡¯m eight now, so I don¡¯t get tired like a baby would.¡±


    Gretta smiled. ¡°Everybody gets tired, sweetheart. Even adults.¡±


    Sofia shook her head. ¡°Not my dad! He never got tired.¡±


    Gretta nodded. ¡°Your dad was very strong.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Rowan said with a gesture into the desert to Sofia.


    Sofia marched ahead. She didn¡¯t know where she was going, but since Rowan and Gretta didn¡¯t know where they were going, they didn¡¯t object. The only direction necessary for the moment was away from the truck.


    The noon desert heat rose, and the shortening shadows from the scattered scrub brush and cacti became more sparse.


    ¡°We are going to need to stop to drink soon, and we probably should find shelter to wait out the hottest part of the day,¡± Gretta said. ¡°There¡¯s not much for shadows right now, and I¡¯m starting to worry about heat exhaustion.¡±


    Rowan nodded. ¡°I think you are right. If we don¡¯t find shade and water soon, heatstroke will be a major issue. And we can¡¯t stay out in the open once planes and helicopters get involved.¡±


    ¡°My mom gave me two special, magic words for emergencies,¡± Sofia said. ¡°But, they are secret words. I¡¯m not supposed to tell anybody, not even my dad.¡±


    ¡°Magic words, like the one you cleaned the truck with?¡± Gretta asked.


    Sofia started to cry.


    Rowan looked at Gretta, unsure of what to do. Gretta stepped forward and hugged the child.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± Gretta said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us the words, and it¡¯s not an emergency yet.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I waited too long to use them,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Gabriela is a powerful sorceress,¡± Rowan said. ¡°They probably couldn¡¯t have stopped her.¡±


    Sofia started crying harder, and Gretta glared at Rowan.


    Gretta mouthed the words ¡°shut up¡± to Rowan and then whispered to Sofia, ¡°You are going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°Umbraeth,¡± Sofia whispered.


    Nothing happened.


    She squeezed her eyes shut as if making a great effort. ¡°Umbraeth.¡±


    More nothing.


    ¡°You are tired, sweetie,¡± Gretta said. ¡°You don¡¯t have the strength to open a channel.¡±


    ¡°What was that word supposed to do?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°It helps you find a safe place.¡± Sofia leaned her face into Gretta, hiding. ¡°Maybe there are no safe places.¡±


    ¡°Umbraeth,¡± Rowan said. Instantly, he felt a tugging sensation, like somebody gently pulling on his wrist. He raised his hand and let the sensation help him point. ¡°I feel something.¡±


    Sofia looked up and pulled away from Gretta. ¡°Where? We need to go fast while you can still feel it.¡±


    Rowan looked at Gretta, who shrugged and then nodded.


    He let the sensation lead him, walking briskly with Gretta and Sofia behind. They came to the edge of a rugged, rocky hill with a shear face on the north side. He stopped when he arrived at a small hole, big enough for a coyote to fit into.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s an old coyote den,¡± Rowan said.


    Sofia ran forward, but Gretta stopped her before she looked into the hole.


    ¡°There might be an animal in there,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°If the magic led him there, it¡¯s safe,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Safe for Rowan might not be the same as safe for you. Let him look first,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty small for even you to hide in. If I shifted to coyote, I could hide in there, but that won¡¯t help three humans.¡± Rowan looked from Gretta and Sofia to the hole. ¡°If anything jumps out and bites me in the face, I hope you have a plan.¡±


    ¡°I promise, if anything jumps out, I¡¯ll laugh,¡± Gretta said.


    Sofia snickered.


    ¡°Not helping,¡± Rowan said.


    He knelt and peered into the hole. The scent of coyote urine nearly knocked him over. Beyond the smell, there were other signs that a coyote or other small animal had used it as a den, but the hole was deep and opened into a larger space. Rowan couldn¡¯t see well enough in human form to tell how deep the hole went, but it looked like it might be a cave.


    ¡°If we made the opening big enough to get in, there might be room for all three of us,¡± Rowan said without conviction.


    Gretta frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not hiding in a feces-ridden coyote hole.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie,¡± he said. ¡°The smell is a bit tough. As a coyote, I¡¯d be fine, but as a human, even if we squeeze through the opening, I don¡¯t think I could spend any amount of time in there.¡±


    ¡°If the magic word led us here, then this is the best hiding place,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Mom said to trust the magic.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the magic only finds the best hiding place for the person who used it,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Rowan can turn into a coyote, and that¡¯s a great hiding place for a smelly coyote.¡±


    ¡°If he needs a hiding place for three people, then it¡¯s a hiding place for three people,¡± she said, her voice sure.


    Gretta eyed Rowan. ¡°Maybe he wasn¡¯t thinking of everybody else.¡±


    Rowan rubbed his face, then started digging with his hands to make the opening bigger. ¡°Great, now you¡¯re going to make me prove it¡¯s big enough for three people.¡±


    The sound of a plane from the east made Gretta turn. The hum of the small plane¡¯s engine grew louder as it approached.


    Gretta glanced around at the nearby shrubs. ¡°Rowan, you might want to hurry. If they are searching for us from the air, we¡¯ll need to get under some cover quickly. While Rowan plays in the sand, maybe Sofia and I can try to gather some bushes and grasses we can hide under.¡±

 Chapter 18. Wily Coyote

    For the past hour, Gretta and Rowan had been digging and occasionally hiding under bushes while an airplane wove a pattern overhead.


    Now, Gretta, Sofia, and Rowan huddled in a cave entrance that had once been a coyote den, reeking of dung and urine. While the den portion was not big enough for even one human, the cave opened up into a space more than large enough for everybody.


    Rowan gestured to the ground outside the den entrance and said, ¡°Rescarnis.¡± He pulled magic through himself and directed it at the sand and dirt outside. In moments, the footprints faded, and the ground looked much the same as it had before.


    ¡°Why waste the energy on a spell?¡± Gretta asked.


    ¡°That plane was flying a search pattern,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°Sure, but they can¡¯t see footprints,¡± she said.


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about them sending dogs¡ªthey¡¯ll pick up our scent.¡±


    ¡°And you think that spell works on smells? You should¡¯ve used it on the scat!¡± Gretta said, pointing at the pile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but either way, I don¡¯t think this place smelled any better yesterday.¡±


    ¡°It does help with smells,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried it on a smell this bad, though.¡± She pointed her hand at the scat and said, ¡°Rescarnis.¡±


    Nothing happened, leaving them to wonder if Sofia lacked the strength or if the spell didn¡¯t work.


    Gretta used her phone¡¯s flashlight to guide them deeper into the cave. The cave walls came together above her as if they had been part of a jagged tear in the earth. The ground beneath her feet was uneven, a mix of loose stones and packed dirt brought in by erosion. She could feel a cool draft from deeper in the cave, and while the smell was musty, she¡¯d take it over the smell of urine.


    She scanned around until she spotted a place without sharp rocks and smoothed it over. ¡°You can rest here, Sofia. I¡¯ll hold the light for a bit so you can get familiar with it, but I need to save battery, so I can¡¯t keep it on the whole time.¡±


    Sofia sat down on the cleared spot. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    Gretta knelt next to Sofia. ¡°I can make some water, but it¡¯d help if we had a cup or bowl. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have one, so I might have to create the water in your hands.¡±


    Sofia removed her small backpack. ¡°I have a bottle," she said, pulling out an empty water bottle and handing it to Gretta.


    Gretta held it up, concentrated with her remaining energy, and said, ¡°Nalqesh.¡±


    The water bottle filled slowly, and all three watched in quiet amazement. They had all seen magic, but tired and thirsty, watching magic pull water from the air was satisfying. Gretta handed Sofia the bottle when it was full of water.


    ¡°Do you think you can share?¡± Sofia said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a bottle of my own, and I doubt I have the strength to do that spell again without some rest.¡±


    Sofia took a long drink and then handed the bottle back to Gretta. ¡°Sure, but what about using Tenebryn?¡±


    Gretta took a drink from the bottle and handed it to Rowan. He drank deeply before returning it to Sofia, who tucked the empty bottle into her backpack.


    ¡°What is Tenebryn?¡± Gretta asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the other word my mom taught me for emergencies,¡± Sofia said. ¡°It makes your hiding place hard to find.¡±


    Gretta looked to Rowan, who shook his head.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re all too tired to use that right now,¡± Gretta said. ¡°If we hear somebody coming, we can try.¡±


    ¡°Sleep while you can. I¡¯ll watch the entrance for now, and when I think I¡¯m too tired to watch, I¡¯ll wake you,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°What about spiders?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t spot any crawlies,¡± Gretta said. ¡°If it helps, I can sleep next to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Sofia said.Stolen novel; please report.


    Gretta laid down next to Sofia, and they both used Sofia¡¯s little backpack as a pillow. Gretta turned off the light from her phone, and they were plunged into darkness. The light coming from the den was nearly completely blocked by Rowan as he sat in the small cave entrance watching.


    Rowan struggled to stay awake, his head dipping as sleep threatened to overtake him. Sofia and Gretta¡¯s soft breathing only deepened his exhaustion. The ground was already uncomfortable, but he started stretching every few minutes to help with blood flow and then adjusting rocks for maximum sitting discomfort.


    The sound of voices sent a holt through him. He didn¡¯t have a watch or phone, so he could only guess at the passing time. He could still see light outside the den, so he knew the afternoon sun was still beating down on the desert.


    He tapped Gretta¡¯s foot. She stirred, shifting carefully to avoid waking Sofia. Then she stopped moving and breathing as she listened to the voices.


    ¡°Tenebryn,¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan felt the magic from her sweep by, and the darkness wrapped them in a sensation that he could only describe as comforting. Sofia¡¯s breathing slowed, and it sounded like she had fallen into an even deeper sleep.


    Gretta crawled over to Rowan and peered into the coyote den, which served as the foyer of their temporary home. They watched and listened. As the sounds of sniffing and panting approached, Rowan and Gretta scooted further into the darkness. There was no room in the small cave to deal with an angry dog.


    ¡°Old coyote den,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said. ¡°It stinks, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d fit people in it. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± a man said. ¡°The dogs are onto something.¡±


    ¡°Look, Glenn,¡± the woman said. ¡°The dogs are smelling coyote. People wouldn¡¯t fit in there.¡±


    The entrance to the den became obscured by a face, and both Rowand and Gretta froze. The man shined a flashlight into the den, pointing out piles of scat and bits of fur. He seemed to look everywhere in the small den except at the cave entrance in front of him. His eyes never looked toward them despite virtually nowhere else to look.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Glenn said. ¡°Just a den. We can move on. The piles of branches out here were suspicious, though, you gotta admit.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they rested here for a bit,¡± the woman suggested.


    The sounds of the two people and the dog faded, but as so little sound traveled through the den to Rowan and Gretta, they kept holding their breath, wondering if they were truly gone. Gretta eventually had to release the spell she was holding or risk needing to lay back down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a turn watching for a bit,¡± Gretta whispered. ¡°You look like you might pass out.¡±


    Rowan didn¡¯t argue. After the adrenaline of the moment had passed, he was so tired that he would fall asleep whether he wanted to or not. He pulled further back from the entrance, curled up with an arm under his head, and fell asleep the moment after he closed his eyes.


    Gretta was still tired. The nap had taken the edge off her fatigue, but the hiding spell had nearly drained her back to nothing. If Rowan hadn¡¯t looked like he would pass out at any moment, she would have lain back down, but he had looked like he had moments before exhaustion, so she decided she needed to take a watch.


    She focused on directing a slow trickle of healing magic toward her tiger form. Her ace in the hole had always been the ability to shift into a tiger, and her inability to rely on it now worried her. She could still shift into an elephant, and while that was comforting, there were far fewer cases when an elephant was more beneficial than being a tiger.


    When the light outside started fading, Gretta shook Rowan awake.


    ¡°We should move. It¡¯ll get cold, and we should try to go someplace with an actual bed and get some rest,¡± she said.


    Rowan nodded and crawled out of the cave first, checking for any signs of danger. Not that he expected any, but he thought a little caution was warranted.


    When Sofia and Gretta emerged, Rowan cast the Rescarnis spell to clean all three of them. Though the spell removed the worst of the sweat and dust, their clothes remained torn and threadbare, bearing the marks of their journey. It didn¡¯t heal their exhaustion or injuries, but it provided relief from the grime and smell.


    ¡°That was a frivolous use of magic,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°I think it was good. You both smelled bad, but now you aren¡¯t that smelly,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡± Rowan smiled and ruffled Sofia¡¯s hair. ¡°We have two problems that are stopping us from sleeping in a bed tonight.¡±


    Gretta looked skeptical. ¡°We have no money, and hotels need ID.¡±


    ¡°Okay, at least two,¡± Rowan said. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of nowhere with no car, and we¡¯re being hunted by law enforcement and an uber-powerful sorceress who will watch every road out of here.¡±


    ¡°Can you turn into a horse?¡± Sofia asked. She sounded a little too hopeful.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I could carry you in elephant form, but I¡¯d stand out.¡± She turned to Rowan. ¡°Maybe Rowan can turn into a horse?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s not in my bag of tricks,¡± he said. ¡°I think we¡¯ll need to head back toward Tucson on foot.¡±


    ¡°Back to Tucson?¡± Gretta asked. ¡°Is that where Gabriela will be?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where she was, but she¡¯ll expect us to keep working toward California or maybe cut south to Mexico. She might even watch Phoenix, but doubling back toward Tucson and heading toward New Mexico may give us time to rest and regain our strength.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to get far without a car,¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°There were trucks back at the mine. We can ''borrow'' one.¡±


    Gretta put her hands on her hips. ¡°Your brilliant plan is to double back toward the people chasing us?¡±


    Rowan smiled. ¡°They won¡¯t suspect it.¡±


    Gretta pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I expected more from you.¡±


    Rowan hesitated, his smile shifting into a sheepish grin. There was a glint in his eye. ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have a better plan,¡± she admitted. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 19. Watching Me, Watching You

    Gretta knelt, allowing Sofia to climb down from her back. The deep purple hues of dawn glowed behind the mountains as Gretta trudged on, exhausted from hiking all night. She and Rowan had taken turns carrying Sofia, but everyone needed a proper night¡¯s sleep, and the afternoon nap the day before was not enough.


    ¡°Wait here, and I¡¯ll pick a car for us,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°Wait here?¡± Gretta put her hands on her hips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait here, and I¡¯ll pick out a car?¡±


    Rowan¡¯s eyebrows raised, and then he shrugged. ¡°Okay, Sofia and I will wait here while you find a car.¡±


    Gretta looked at the fenced-in parking lot with about a dozen pickup trucks, then back at Rowan with a grimace. ¡°Because I have no idea how to break into a car and steal it.¡±


    Rowan grinned.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I¡¯m not a soldier under your command who you can just order around, and you¡¯ve assumed you¡¯re the best person for the job without consulting me.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Rowan said. ¡°And how would you like to proceed?¡±


    ¡°With less smugness,¡± Gretta said, a hint of violence in her tone.


    Rowan¡¯s face became a perfect mask of casual indifference. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with your vehicle, Ms. Sullivan.¡±


    Gretta punched him in the arm. ¡°We¡¯re all tired. Don¡¯t be an ass.¡±


    Rowan grinned. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    He dashed toward the parking lot fence before she could respond. Six pole-mounted area lights illuminated the vehicles, and a camera was positioned above each light. The boom gate at the lot''s entrance had a keypad and a badge scanner. Four people left the lot along the sidewalk toward the administrative building next door.


    Between one step and the next, he wrapped himself in an illusion. He only vaguely remembered the man and woman he saw unloading tools from the truck he had stolen, but he used the likeness of their uniforms and basic features from the man: dark hair, broad shoulders, a bit of a gut, and thick arms. Because he couldn¡¯t remember the man¡¯s face, and Rowan didn¡¯t want to look like melting wax, he used his memory of a famous man from a TV game show that he grew up watching.


    Rowan didn¡¯t use illusions often, as most animals rely on a combination of scent, sound, and sight. He could only produce a passable visual illusion and had no idea how to fool the other senses. Since he had avoided people for over two decades, he hadn¡¯t practiced even visual illusions much. An illusion that moved with him was challenging to maintain, but he''d be fine if he didn¡¯t talk or need to make any facial expressions. He figured that everyone else at this time would also have a blank, bland expression.


    He walked straight past the gate and toward the administrative building. Four people coming off a shift walked in, and Rowan fell in right behind them.


    The first person swiped a badge to open the door, and everybody filed in. He maintained the same slow-moving pace as the workers. The inside of the administrative building was bland, tan, efficient, and geometric. Most of the lights were off. A long desk with six plain black office chairs faced the room but sat empty in the dark¡ªthey probably were used during the day shift. To the right was a wall of small lockers and the entrances to two restrooms, and the only lights were directly above them. On the far wall ahead were several corkboards. Rowan glanced around and realized that along the same wall as the doors they were walking through was a large box mounted on a wall with a sign that reminded people to return keys before they left after their shift.


    He stepped into a shadow, his intuition guiding him. ¡°Tenebryn.¡± The shadows around him felt like they closed in. The sensation was not uncomfortable; in fact, it was comforting. The workers seemed to forget about him, pulling items from their lockers: purses, thermoses, and lunch bags.


    As they were leaving, one of the workers stopped at the large box near the doors, typed a code on the number pad, and then hung a pair of keys on a hook next to rows of other keys.


    The moment the last person left through the door, he walked toward the box, typed the code, and scanned the labels above the sets of keys. There were keys for carts and trucks. He picked a pair labeled for a truck and walked out the door.


    He casually strode to the parking lot, walked past the gate and the cameras, unlocked the truck using his newly acquired keyfob, then got in. Pulling up to the boom gate, he remembered that he didn¡¯t know the code. On a hunch, he tried the same code he used for the key box. After three long seconds, he pondered ramming through the gate. It lifted, and he smoothly drove out.


    The moment he was out of the lot, he dropped the illusion. He had used up nearly every ounce of magic he could pull and would be lucky to stay awake while driving. A few moments later, he pulled up next to Gretta.


    He opened his door and walked around to the passenger side. ¡°Mind driving?¡± he asked.


    Gretta grinned. ¡°You¡¯re tired after a ten-minute excursion to pick out a truck? You must be a lot of fun on a Saturday night.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°If we survive until next Saturday, I¡¯ll let you be the judge.¡± He plopped down in the passenger seat and leaned back.


    ¡°When I grow up,¡± Sofia said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to get a truck. I¡¯m going to have a car. Something blue.¡±


    ¡°Good choice,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°Buckle up,¡± Gretta told Sofia, putting the truck into gear. ¡°Um. How much time do you think we have before they come looking for the truck?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Rowan said. ¡°It could be minutes or hours. I don¡¯t think anybody realized what I was doing, but it¡¯s probably safer to assume they are already after us.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look like the situation was urgent when you pulled up,¡± she said.


    ¡°Best to play it cool,¡± he said. ¡°Even if they catch you, you look badass.¡±


    ¡°My dad says¡­ um¡­ you shouldn¡¯t say ass,¡± Sofia said in a small voice.


    ¡°And he¡¯s right,¡± Gretta said. ¡°You sound like an uneducated donkey.¡±


    Rowan opened one eye and peered at her, then closed it again. ¡°Hee-haw.¡±


    Gretta smoothly drove back toward Tucson, keeping one mile under the speed limit. When she reached town, the sun peeked above the mountains, dazzling her eyes.


    She looked over at Rowan, who was snoring lightly.


    ¡°Rowan,¡± she said.


    Rowan let out a little snort and jolted awake. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where did you leave my car and my laptop?¡±


    ¡°Your car is at the Cat Adoption Center.¡± He let out a yawn. ¡°Your laptop is in the men¡¯s room by the food court.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an outlet mall not too far from here,¡± he said. ¡°Hop on the interstate and go south one exit.¡±


    She glanced at him. ¡°And there¡¯s a cat adoption center there?¡±


    He was already slipping back down into his seat like he might fall back to sleep. ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Why a cat adoption center?¡±


    ¡°Because I thought a cat lady would appreciate a little C.A.C. in her life,¡± he said.


    ¡°Two armed sorcerers were chasing you, and you decided to find a cat adoption center so that you could say those words to me later?¡±


    ¡°I was under a lot of pressure, and it sounded good in my head.¡± He gave a little shrug. ¡°Can you keep it down? I can probably snooze another five minutes before you get there.¡±


    Gretta was silent as she navigated onto the freeway. ¡°Why is my laptop in the men¡¯s room?¡±


    ¡°I figured there was a chance they might take your car, and I thought it was best if they didn¡¯t also get your laptop.¡±


    ¡°Did they take my car?¡± she asked, wondering if she was wasting time and risking being seen driving a stolen vehicle on the interstate for nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°Shh.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an ass,¡± she said.


    ¡°Donkey,¡± he said.


    She growled, then checked the back seat to see that Sofia was asleep.


    ¡°Where did you hide my laptop in the men¡¯s room?¡± she asked.


    ¡°In the ceiling tiles above the last stall,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, though. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. We¡¯re about to be pulled over,¡± she said.


    Rowan sat up and looked behind them. A police car was tailing them. The lights weren¡¯t on yet, but he figured they were already checking the plates. Ahead of them was the interstate exit toward the outlet mall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think things will go well if they pull us over,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta pointed her right hand behind her, glanced back, and said, ¡°Somnalis!¡±


    With great effort, she channeled magic through her body, sending it toward their pursuers. The spell of sleep latched onto the officer driving the vehicle, and his head slipped forward. He was only unconscious for a fraction of a second, but he drifted off the road into the ditch. The cost of such a powerful spell over such a long distance was nearly enough to cause Gretta to pass out. Only raw determination kept her eyes open.


    She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to get a visit from the FBI.¡±


    ¡°They were already going to visit,¡± Rowan said. ¡°At this point, creating a little extra paperwork for them makes me feel better.¡±


    Gretta turned into the outlet mall parking lot. ¡°Where¡¯s my car?¡±


    ¡°Down there,¡± Rowan said. ¡°You might want to hurry. I doubt you bought us more than a few seconds.¡±


    Rowan pulled out her keyfob and started pressing the unlock button. ¡°There it is,¡± he said, pointing to a row over.


    ¡°Sofia, when we stop the truck, you¡¯re going to have to be super fast,¡± Gretta said. ¡°We need to get away from the police before they get here.¡±


    ¡°The police protect people,¡± Sofia said.


    Gretta nodded. ¡°Normally, but right now, they want to take you away, and they can¡¯t protect you from Gabriela.¡±


    ¡°Leave the car here,¡± Rowan said. ¡°We can walk to the next row, which might give us a few more seconds since they might not remember what we look like. They probably didn¡¯t get a good look through the truck¡¯s window.¡±


    Gretta opened the door for Sofia.


    Sofia started crying. ¡°My seatbelt is stuck!¡±


    Rowan opened the other side, and they started pulling at Sofia¡¯s belt. It didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Magic.¡± Rowan looked around for the culprit.


    Gretta pulled out the pocket knife she had taken from Jonathan and began sawing at the seat belt. Progress was unbearably slow.


    ¡°I need to get out,¡± Sofia begged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be stuck!¡±


    ¡°Hold still, sweetie,¡± Gretta said through gritted teeth. ¡°Almost there.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Rowan said. ¡°The cops are pulling into the lot. We¡¯re almost out of time.¡±


    ¡°Somebody is already watching us. I can feel them,¡± Gretta said. ¡°They feel¡­ judgmental.¡±


    Rowan groaned. ¡°Not now.¡±


    The police car from the freeway smoothly cruised in their direction. Rowan could see the driver talking into a radio.


    ¡°Do we get back in and drive?¡± Gretta asked, still sawing away.


    ¡°Finish cutting her free,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°If it comes to a fight, take Sofia and run,¡± Gretta said, her voice firm. ¡°I can handle the cops if I don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡±

 Chapter 20. Queen of Burgers

    The knife cut through the last threads of the seatbelt.


    Gretta hopped out of the truck and glanced back at Sofia. ¡°Go with Rowan.¡± Then she turned to Rowan and said, ¡°I saw a fast-food burger place across the way before we turned in. Pick me up there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get killed,¡± he said while dashing to Gretta¡¯s red Honda Civic.


    As she was walking toward the police car, she said. ¡°There¡¯s a sorcerer here somewhere. Keep your eyes open, birdbrain.¡±


    Rowan helped Sofia into the backseat, shut the door, and then got in and pulled out. The police car¡¯s lights turned on, and the siren released a single whoop.


    Rowan exerted a minimum effort of will, only large enough to create an illusion to mask the license plate at the back of the car. He wanted to save his strength, and even that much magic threatened him with unconsciousness.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to work on my endurance,¡± Rowan whispered.


    Gretta marched toward the police car, blocking them from chasing the Civic. She could hear Rowan driving off, but her eyes were on the officer behind the wheel, reaching for his seat belt. She was just a few feet away from the bumper when she dove to her right, pulling in magic to her, and shifted to a small tabby cat.


    The police car screeched to a halt. Gretta dove under one car, crept along as fast as she could while crouched, and dashed to another. She kept repeating the process as she worked toward the end of the long row. Behind her, she could hear the police officers talking.


    ¡°She was right here,¡± the male officer said.


    ¡°She couldn¡¯t have gone far,¡± his female partner said. ¡°Check under cars.¡±


    Gretta didn¡¯t slow down. They¡¯d be looking for a person, not a cat, and she was already multiple cars away, moving considerably faster than a person could navigate. She was a little nervous that one of the cars she was under might decide to pull out while she was under it and turn her into roadkill, but thankfully, she made it safely to the end of the row.


    She surveyed the parking lot. Rowan had gotten out of the lot and was already pulling into traffic going right. This made her nervous since the fast food place was to the left. He was a disciple of the trickster god, but he hadn¡¯t abandoned her yet, so she¡¯d just have to trust that he wouldn¡¯t abandon her yet.


    Whatever reason he¡¯s helping, he seems to be still helping. Maybe he doesn¡¯t get along with the god of destruction. You¡¯d think that his god, the god of chaos, would be friends with the god of war, but maybe the god of war is a neat freak. Either way, I need the ally. If, or more likely, when he betrays me, I¡¯ll find a way to settle up.


    Shifting from human to animal or back to human took tremendous magic to switch one form from the astral and the other to reality, but once shifted, it took no magic to sustain. That meant that she would be a cat for at least a few hours at this point, and she had to hope that nobody would call animal control or simply run her over while she navigated the three blocks to the restaurant and then hung around looking for a ride.


    She let out the most resigned sigh a nine-pound cat could muster and trotted across the street. The pavement was hot. When the air is 115 degrees Fahrenheit, the ground is about 175 degrees. That¡¯s hot enough to fry an egg¡ªnot that you¡¯d eat that egg; the salmonella would likely survive, but the egg would cook. Her cat paws were tender when she reached the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. If cats could swear, she would have found new and creative ways of arranging four-letter words to express her displeasure.


    Across the street, back in the outlet mall parking lot, she spotted a man wearing a gold button-up dress shirt and a green tie talking to the police. With striking green eyes matching his tie, the man looked straight at her as he spoke to two police officers.


    Gretta felt judgment in that glare, and she realized he was the source of judgment she had felt earlier. He was the sorcerer. Along the sidewalk were small desert bushes, and Gretta took the chance to dash between them and out of sight.


    That man was not one of the god of war¡¯s disciples. Where they moved like soldiers, this man she would bet money on was a disciple of the Beacon of Light¡ªgoddess of order and judgment.


    Her thoughts were running wild. This is why you don¡¯t team up with a disciple of chaos! Before you know it, even the good guys are after you. Since when have the god of war and the god of judgment worked together? Oh, yeah, since they both hate the trickster god. Effing tricksters! And where is the trickster disciple? Oh, yeah, he drove off in the wrong direction!Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She wove through bushes and avoided the sidewalk, crossing streets only as necessary to reach the fast-food burger place.


    When she finally arrived at the burger place, her red Honda Civic sat in the parking lot near the back. Rowan had the windows down and was eating a burger. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. Had he discovered her parking change in the center console?


    She lept from the ground, straight through the window, and landed hard in his lap. She wasn¡¯t careful with her claws or where they dug in.


    Rowan coughed. ¡°I sincerely hope that was an accident.¡±


    Gretta looked at him and let out a hiss.


    Rowan rolled the windows up and started the car. ¡°We¡¯re low on gas because somebody forgot to fill up, but we should probably put a little distance between here and the police. I masked the license plate on your car, but I wouldn¡¯t count on that being enough. They probably know you are involved and will be looking for your car. At best, I might have given us a few hours before they figure out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Gretta crawled back next to Sofia, who was eating a cheeseburger and wearing a small paper crown.


    ¡°I seriously hope that you aren¡¯t a stray cat.¡± Rowan shrugged and pulled out into traffic, heading east.


    Gretta curled up next to Sofia and fell asleep.


    She woke up sometime later to the sound of gravel under the tires. She let out a meow.


    ¡°Rowan,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I think Gretta needs something.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t speak cat,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta likely had the energy to return to human form, but if she did, she¡¯d immediately need to sleep again. She let out a more aggressive, drawn-out meow.


    ¡°I think she needs a litter box,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta leaped from the back seat onto the center console and hissed toward Rowan.


    He glanced at her and then back to Sofia. ¡°Sounds like a bathroom emergency. We might need to pull over. Cat pee smells¡ªOw! Why did you bite me!¡±


    Gretta let out another hiss.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she needs to go potty,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Maybe she does, maybe she doesn¡¯t.¡± Rowan sucked on the fresh bite mark on his wrist.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she turn back into a person?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°She likes being a cat,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta let out a warning hiss.


    ¡°Or, she¡¯s saving her strength,¡± Rowan said in a rush. ¡°If she shifts back into a human, she¡¯ll be tired, and maybe she¡¯s worried about taking a nap right now.¡±


    Gretta gave a meow.


    ¡°What does she want?¡± Sofia asked again.


    ¡°Evidence suggests she wants to bite me again, but other than that, I got nothing,¡± he said.


    Gretta let out a hiss.


    ¡°Maybe we could guess what she wants us to talk about,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go first?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Well, maybe she wants to know that she slept all day.¡±


    Gretta stared at Rowan.


    ¡°It was more like an hour,¡± he said.


    Gretta gave a meow.


    ¡°Maybe she wants to know where we are?¡± Sofia asked. ¡°We¡¯re out in the desert. Rowan had to pull off when he saw police making a roadblock.¡±


    Gretta gave a meow.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t recognize us. I saw them in time, and a freak dust storm blew through. Nobody could see anything.¡±


    ¡°It was like everything was brown,¡± Sofia said. ¡°It was a little scary because we couldn¡¯t see.¡±


    Gretta let out a hiss.


    ¡°Sofia was in no danger. I could see. That was part of its freak nature.¡± He winked at Gretta.


    ¡°Was that your magic?¡± Sofia asked a little awe in her voice.


    He glanced back and smiled. ¡°It was.¡±


    ¡°The magic was so big! How did you do that?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°It was tough, but it¡¯s easier for me to make an illusion if it doesn¡¯t move or isn¡¯t complicated. I didn¡¯t make millions of pieces of dirt; I just made a big brown dome around them. It was large and far away, and I¡¯m still tired from doing it, but it wasn¡¯t moving or detailed, so it was something I could manage. Magic like that works best when they don¡¯t realize it is magic.¡±


    ¡°My mom said her magic is like that,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Your mother must be smart,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°My mom is very smart,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I miss her.¡±


    ¡°Where is your mom?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She came to see me right before the bad men showed up, and I haven¡¯t seen her since.¡±


    ¡°Your mom was there when they came to your dad¡¯s apartment?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°She was, but I don¡¯t know where she is now.¡± Sofia sniffed. ¡°Maybe they took her.¡±


    Rowan thought of Miguel¡¯s fate and imagined that Sofia¡¯s mother might be in a similar condition, but he didn¡¯t want to say anything. From the look Gretta gave him, he imagined she was warning him.


    Rowan lowered his voice. ¡°My little stunt at the roadblock might have bought us a ten-minute lead, but the gas tank has been on E for a bit, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a gas station out here. I couldn¡¯t pull a repeat illusion without a good night¡¯s rest. We¡¯re both well beyond our limits, and I¡¯m shocked that either of us is awake, so if you have any brilliant ideas on how we get out of here, you¡¯ll have to scratch them out in the sand.¡±


    Gretta wanted to tell Rowan that their situation was worse than being chased by the police. The green-eyed man was likely on their trail and had some judgment to deliver. She figured that Rowan was at the top of the naughty list, but her name would be in the second spot.

 Chapter 21. Home

    The car¡¯s engine sputtered and died. Rowan guided it off the dirt road and onto the shoulder. The sun was setting, but the air was still warm. The desert-scape was dotted with scrub brush and tall saguaro cacti.


    ¡°We¡¯re out of gas,¡± Rowan said.


    The cooling engine made a ticking noise. Still in her small tabby cat form, Gretta let out a baleful meow.


    ¡°More walking?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°Unless you learn how to fly,¡± he said. ¡°Which, by the way, would be helpful.¡±


    Sofia unbuckled her seat belt and pulled on her little backpack. ¡°I wish I could be a bird, but the only magic words I know help me hide and clean.¡±


    ¡°Those are very useful magic words,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Unfortunately, we need to distance ourselves from the people chasing us.¡±


    ¡°It would be fun if Gretta turned into an elephant and carried me,¡± Sofia said with a hint of hope.


    Rowan looked at Gretta, who shook her head. ¡°Gretta¡¯s elephant form is hurt. Besides, I think she¡¯s drained right now. You¡¯ll have to walk until you¡¯re tired, and then I¡¯ll carry you on my back.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°You see that mountain?¡± Rowan asked.


    Sofia nodded. ¡°Are we going to climb it?¡±


    Gretta let out a meow that sounded grumpy.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not going to climb it, but near the base of it, there used to be a few houses there, back when this was still the wild west,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s sort of a ghost town, or it would be if there had been more houses.¡±


    Sofia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are their cowboy ghosts?¡±


    Rowan smiled. ¡°If there are, I haven¡¯t seen any. There¡¯s not much there, but I keep some supplies hidden. It¡¯s sort of where I live.¡±


    ¡°You live in a ghost town?¡±


    ¡°There are barely two boards still put together, so you¡¯ll have to lower your expectations a little, but yeah, that¡¯s where I live. I spend most of my time as a coyote, so I generally don¡¯t need a roof, but we¡¯ll find a way to make it comfortable for the three of us while we rest up.¡±


    Rowan and Sofia started walking into the desert. Gretta let out an angry meow back near the car.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Rowan said, clicking the keyfob to lock the car.


    Gretta ran to catch up, then sprinted past them into the desert, presumably to scout ahead.


    ¡°Do you think we can find my mom?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Rowan said. ¡°We don¡¯t know where she is, and we¡¯ll need to get away from those people, but I¡¯ll do everything I can to get you back to your mother.¡±


    ¡°My mom knows everything, and she probably knows we¡¯re looking for her,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I¡¯ll bet she¡¯s coming to get me right now.¡±


    ¡°She might, but she needs to be careful because there are many dangerous people around,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°My mom is going to be so mad at them,¡± Sofia said.


    Rowan¡¯s smile was sad. ¡°I believe that.¡±


    As the sun set and the temperature dropped, Sofia grew tired. A fifty-pound child might not sound like much until you carry her a few miles, but the poor kid had been pushed as hard as the adults.


    Rowan knew the surrounding desert better than anyone. He had spent years hunting and roaming this area as a coyote and knew every cactus, tree, and rock. Soon, they came to a dense scrub.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he said.


    He led the way into the scrub, and nestled between them were piles of rocks that might have once been walls but would be unremarkable from a distance. One corner-shaped section of stacked rocks looked more like old walls than anything they had seen so far.


    ¡°You can shift back to human now if you¡¯d like,¡± Rowan said to Gretta.


    She stared at him and let out a meow.


    He shrugged. ¡°Or you can stay in cat form if you¡¯d like, but you might have a tough time climbing a ladder. I suppose I can carry you down.¡±


    She blinked at him.


    He shrugged, walked over to a patch of dirt, and brushed off debris. Under the loose sand was sun-bleached wood. Rowan grabbed a corner and lifted it. A trap door with rusty iron hinges opened, revealing a musty cellar. A wooden ladder led down into the dark. The cellar¡¯s floor was maybe five and a half feet down, meaning he had to duck while down there, but Gretta might barely be able to stand without hunching much.


    ¡°It smells,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad,¡± Rowan said. ¡°A little musty, but we won¡¯t have to worry about being spotted by planes overhead or people on ATVs. I keep some supplies here for emergencies¡ªfood, water, a blanket, and such..¡±


    Gretta let out a meow again.


    ¡°It is not that bad, especially in human form,¡± Rowan said. ¡°You¡¯ll barely smell it.¡±


    ¡°I smell it,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Look, this is my home. I don¡¯t have anywhere else to take you.¡±


    ¡°You live down there?¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°When I¡¯m human,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Sure, I spent more time as a coyote, but when I need a safe place to be or decide it¡¯s nice to have hands for a few days, that¡¯s where I live.¡±


    Gretta blinked again.


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to go and lay down. You two can stay here if you¡¯d like,¡± he said.


    Gretta and Sofia didn¡¯t even know he was a god, and the degree to which they were unimpressed by his hovel was evident. All of the other immortals had their magical domains outside the realm of mortals that they could shape to their will. And Rowan? Rowan had a dusty old root cellar. His cellar wasn¡¯t even impressive by the standard of a homeless person.


    He climbed the ladder and found the small solar-powered lamp he used to light the place. He kept it charged, and while it wasn¡¯t bright, it was better than pitch black when getting situated. The lamp sat on a blue plastic barrel near the ladder''s base.


    The cellar had old shelves along the walls, filled with jars that had been there since the house was abandoned. The shelves were made of heavy planks but bowed due to age and damage from termites and water. The space was big enough for a twin-sized foam mattress and a blue plastic barrel filled with his emergency supplies.


    He unsealed the barrel, removed a wool blanket, a gallon jug of water, a bowl, and a few protein bars, and then resealed it. He put the blanket on the foam mattress and the water and bars on top of the barrel next to the lamp.


    Sofia climbed down the ladder.


    ¡°Are there any animals in here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nothing here but you,¡± he said.


    Gretta let out a meow from the top, looking down at him. So, he held out his hands, and she let him pick her up. He set her down on the mattress. Then he put the bowl on the ground near the mattress and poured water into it for her.


    ¡°Sofia, hand me your water bottle, please,¡± he said.


    She obliged, and he filled her bottle.


    Rowan smiled. ¡°Drink some water and have a snack. I¡¯ll keep a watch for trouble while you guys rest.¡±


    ¡°You are leaving us down here?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not big enough for three of us, and Gretta needs rest more than I do right now.¡± He took a swig from the water jug and then climbed the ladder.


    ¡°Uh, if you need to go to the bathroom before you sleep, let me know. There is some toilet paper in the barrel, and I can show you a spot to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold it,¡± she said.


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°That lamp probably won¡¯t have enough juice to last all night, but you are welcome to leave it on for as long as it¡¯ll last.¡±


    He started shutting the trap door.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°You have Gretta, who is the strongest person I know,¡± Rowan said. ¡°And I¡¯ll be out here keeping an eye out for trouble. This door doesn¡¯t lock, but it¡¯s difficult to spot.¡±


    Panic crept into Sofia¡¯s voice. ¡°What if they have dogs again?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll lead them away,¡± he said. ¡°Get some rest. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    He shut the trapdoor and heard Sofia whisper, ¡°Tenebryn.¡±


    He didn¡¯t feel any magic and suspected she didn¡¯t have enough strength left to cast the spell, but if saying it made her feel better, he was glad she knew the word. After brushing loose dirt back over the door, he used his remaining strength to shift into coyote form. He curled up in the corner the ruins of the wall made and laid his head down, waiting for danger.


    Gretta and Sofia had been on the run for too long now, and now, he¡¯d save his strength for when trouble found them. He wasn¡¯t a fighter, but they had nowhere to go, and Gretta desperately needed time to recover. Gretta¡¯s ability to heal her tiger form was paramount to Sofia¡¯s survival. In a way, he was jealous of her healing ability.


    As he lay there, listening to the desert night sounds, Rowan wondered if he¡¯d ever take raven form again. He had no healing magic and thought of the void he had been in while last in raven form¡ªthat place in the astral between domains. Was that where death waited for him?

 Chapter 22. Purple Darkness

    ¡°I need to go to the bathroom,¡± Sofia said with a clear note of urgency. ¡°Rowan? Are you there? I can¡¯t open the door! It¡¯s too heavy!¡±


    Sofia banged on the door again.


    Gretta¡¯s eyes opened. The tiny cellar was nearly completely dark, even to her cat eyes, with only a pinhole of faint light coming from a crack in the trapdoor. She pulled in magic, letting it fill her, and then she harnessed the energy and shifted back to human form. Her human eyes struggled to adjust to the blackness, and she had to navigate by the sound of Sofia¡¯s banging.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Gretta said, her voice a little hoarse from disuse. ¡°It¡¯s so dark in here that you might fall off the ladder, and I might step on you.¡±


    She heard Sofia hop lightly off the ladder and walk over to her.


    ¡°I can see in the dark,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Take my hand, and I¡¯ll show you where the ladder is.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you can see in the dark?¡± Gretta said.


    Sofia took Gretta¡¯s hand, which was startling.


    ¡°My dad says it¡¯s one of my gifts,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to tell anybody, but my dad told me to trust you. You can turn into a tiger, and I know that, so it is only fair.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the Wild Mother took such young disciples,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not a disciple of the Wild Mother,¡± Sofia said.


    Sofia gently placed Gretta¡¯s hand on the ladder and stepped back.


    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t know there¡¯s a spell that lets you see in the dark,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a spell. I can always see in the dark,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I have to go to the bathroom super bad.¡±


    Gretta climbed the ladder and shoved the trapdoor open using her shoulder and legs. Light flooded into the cellar, and she blinked. It was early morning, and Rowan was nowhere to be seen. She had a niggling feeling of wrongness.


    ¡°Only disciples have magic that doesn¡¯t use a magic word,¡± Gretta said to herself more than to Sofia.


    Sofia blushed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anybody,¡± she said. ¡°My dad says that it is a secret. Can you help me up?¡±


    Gretta hopped down from the ladder and looked at Sofia. ¡°I¡¯ll spot you. I think you can do it, but if you fall, I¡¯ll catch you.¡±


    In a scramble, Sofia was up the ladder and into the desert. Moments later, Gretta followed. By the time Gretta was out of the cellar, Sofia was already behind a bush.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Rowan?¡± Sofia asked.


    Gretta looked around. She could see coyote paw prints walking off, but Rowan was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Rowan?¡± Gretta called out as loud as she dared. She scanned the desert scrub as far as she could see, and the only movement she caught was a few small birds.


    Sofia came back around from the bush. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s hunting rabbits?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back down into the cellar and get some water and food? I¡¯m going to quick look around for Rowan,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°Maybe he has something secret he¡¯s doing?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°He said he was going to keep watch, so I expect him to be here,¡± Gretta said. ¡°He better not be doing anything secret.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s mean. I¡¯d feel it if he wanted to hurt me,¡± Sofia said. ¡°But, I can feel when people have a secret, and he has a really big one.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can feel when people want to hurt you?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I can feel when people are¡­ bad. Rowan isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    Gretta wondered if Sofia had real power or a vivid imagination. While Gretta didn¡¯t trust a disciple of the Trickster, instincts of an eight-year-old aside, she didn¡¯t think Rowan was ¡°bad¡± either. He was a loner and might have abandoned them to avoid further problems. After all, why was he helping at all? He had nothing to gain, and Gabriela was a murderer who might kill him for simply being in the way. That was enough reason that most reasonable people wouldn¡¯t want to get involved.


    Gretta barely knew Rowan, but she noticed the similarity between his leaving without a word and her mother leaving. Gone without an explanation. Maybe everyone left her.


    ¡°Please stay in the cellar. I¡¯ll look around for Rowan and be back in a few minutes.¡±


    Sofia shrugged and climbed back into the cellar. Gretta closed the trapdoor behind her.


    Gretta found marks in the sand that might have been Rowan¡¯s, but if she was being honest with herself, they could have been made last night by Sofia or herself. She wasn¡¯t a tracking expert, and there was no clear paw definition to the sporadic imprints she saw.


    She looked up occasionally, feeling that maybe somebody dangerous was around, but she also didn¡¯t want to walk right into Rowan, who might laugh at her for following his prints and not seeing him. Beyond the movement of scrub caused by the breeze, she didn¡¯t see anything.


    Ahead, she spotted a place where the ground was more churned up. Multiple footprints had come together to a spot and then a long track away that might have been from dragging something heavy. When she looked closely, there were a few dark spots in the dirt. Maybe blood?


    She followed the drag track for a few minutes and realized it was headed straight toward the road. Had somebody taken Rowan and dragged him away, or were these from some previous night where somebody shot an animal and hauled it off? It was the wrong time of year for hunting. Maybe a poacher?


    She followed the drag marks and spotted tufts of tan fur, possibly coyote fur. She was holding an internal argument over the likelihood of Rowan abandoning them instead of the chances she had found evidence of poaching. The people after Sofia wouldn¡¯t have taken him and stopped looking for Sofia. They¡¯d still be searching.


    Gretta stopped and looked around. What if she was being lured away from Sofia? Maybe the people who took Rowan were still watching her. Or maybe she was overreacting.


    She turned around and started walking back toward the cellar. Stupid trickster disciples!


    As she walked, she scanned the rolling hills. A tumbleweed blew past, and the motion nearly gave her a heart attack. She was running when she reached the scrub that hid the old cellar. She looked around to ensure nobody was watching, opened the cellar¡¯s trap door, and climbed in, shutting it behind her.


    ¡°Did you find him?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°I need your help finding a light,¡± Gretta whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t see at all right now.¡±


    Sofia lowered her voice to a whisper. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just leave the door open?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s safe right now.¡±


    ¡°Take my hand, and I¡¯ll guide you to the mat,¡± Sofia said.


    Gretta felt Sofia¡¯s small hand in hers, and she followed until she felt her toes bump into the foam mattress.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look to see what¡¯s in Rowan¡¯s barrel and see if he has an extra light,¡± Sofia said.


    Gretta heard Sofia rummaging around. The near-perfect darkness was only broken by a faint hint of light¡ªso faint that if she stared at it, she felt dizzy and wondered if she was hallucinating it. She decided to sit down while she waited rather than risk falling over.


    She felt a book lying on the bed next to her.


    ¡°Were you reading a book?¡± Gretta asked, still in a whisper.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I love reading.¡±


    ¡°You can read in the dark?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he has another light. What¡¯s a Silmarillion?¡±


    ¡°A longwinded reference book,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Rowan has a copy of it in here,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Maybe he wanted something to put himself to sleep.¡±


    Gretta suddenly felt Sofia¡¯s hand on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if I can help you see.¡±


    Before Gretta could react, she felt Sofia pull on magic, and then a rushing sensation moved from Sofia¡¯s hand and into her. The cellar around her came into focus. It didn¡¯t look like it had in the light; the colors were completely wrong, as everything was shades of purples, reds, and oranges, but she could see. Next to her was a book entitled The Hobbit. She flipped it over and saw that the book had pictures and words, and while none of the colors were correct, she could see them fine.


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Where is Rowan?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we should hide for a bit, just in case. Rowan wasn¡¯t up there. If the people after you knew where we were, they would have already found you, so maybe we can lay low and see if Rowan returns. I¡¯m still healing, so the more time I have to recover, the more ready I¡¯ll be if somebody does come.¡±


    ¡°Can you turn into a tiger?¡±


    ¡°I could, but I¡¯d still be hurt. I¡¯d probably just be able to roar loudly.  If I have another day or two of rest, I can probably do more than roar at them until they pee their pants.¡±


    ¡°What if Rowan is hurt and can¡¯t come back?¡±


    ¡°Rowan will be fine,¡± Gretta said.


    Sofia¡¯s whisper was barely audible. ¡°You know that I can feel lies, right?¡±

 Chapter 23. Holy War

    Rowan opened his eyes and scanned the immediate area. A sound had woken him. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he had heard, but as a coyote, he was far more sensitive than a human. The sun was still below the horizon, but the night sky showed hints that sunrise wasn¡¯t far off.


    Voices. They were muffled and still distant. He cautiously stood and walked to the edge of the scrub that filled the ruins of old buildings around his cellar. Gretta and Sofia were still sleeping and wouldn¡¯t hear much unless he howled, but Gretta wasn¡¯t in fighting shape. She¡¯d had only a few hours of rest, healing both her tiger and elephant forms from bullet wounds while enduring days of relentless magic use.


    As an immortal, he could recover magic quickly, and he wasn¡¯t spending that magic on healing. His raven form was shot¡ªliterally, which felt like a serious long-term issue, but healing was outside of his domain. He wasn¡¯t even sure he could risk shifting to raven form for Gretta to heal him. He might simply die before she could do anything.


    He could hear people with a dog working their way in his direction. Without the dog, they probably wouldn¡¯t find Gretta and Sofia, but with the dog, he didn¡¯t think the cellar would be enough to hide them. He had maybe a minute before they¡¯d be on him.


    He rushed back toward the cellar. He needed to be close enough to clean the scent from the area with his remaining strength, but as far as he could manage to avoid the men finding the cellar by sight. He shifted into human form, pulled in magic, and spoke the magic word ¡°Rescarnis.¡± He forced as much energy as he could muster to clean a wide area around the cellar.


    Dust shifted subtly, imperceptible to his human senses, though he trusted the magic to wipe the scents clean from the area. With an effort, he pulled more magic in and shifted back into coyote form. Two shifts and a spell left him unsteady. He wobbled for a moment.


    He mused that he was getting stronger with the increased recent magic use. Maybe he was building up endurance as he did more magic. The past few days had been the magical equivalent of weightlifting. It wasn¡¯t that long ago that two shifts in a day would knock him out. He hadn¡¯t done much magic in the past twenty-five years. He had shifted from coyote to human or human to coyote, but he¡¯d go months as a coyote and never really pushed his magic channeling endurance.


    A now-familiar female voice spoke into his head, but that didn¡¯t make it less unsettling. Thank you for protecting Sofia.


    Rowan looked around but saw nobody. I still don¡¯t know who or what you are or if I¡¯m losing my mind, but it¡¯s super creepy that you are watching me.


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s unpleasant to feel watched. You¡¯ve been the only one I can ask for help protecting Sofia. I wanted to take the chance to thank you in case¡­ Well, in case there wasn¡¯t another chance.


    That¡¯s not ominous, he thought.


    There was a soft, sad chuckle in his mind. Thank you again, and good luck. He felt the presence of the voice retreat.


    Rowan could hear the men closing in and had no more time for voices in his head.


    He found a sandy area, made the most evident prints he could manage while still in sight of the cellar, and slunk back toward the voices. If they followed him now, they might think he was simply hunting in coyote form and that he had turned around when he heard them. He retraced his original path back to the edge of the scrub around the ghost town, hoping they couldn¡¯t tell he had passed twice.


    Three men and a dog walked closer. They were twenty yards away. The dog was sniffing the path that Rowan, Gretta, and Sofia had taken from the road. Two men in dark suits walked directly behind the dog with their guns drawn. A man in a gold dress shirt and green tie walked behind them, looking wary. He did not appear to be armed.


    ¡°I felt him pull in magic,¡± the man in the gold shirt said. ¡°He shifted, so keep your eyes open for a coyote. He¡¯s near.¡±


    Rowan recognized the judgmental aura¡ªa clear echo of Ellie¡¯s disciple, relentless and implacable. He had sensed this man before. This man was the reason Rowan had planned to leave Arizona and go to California before the semi-truck incident. Ellie, his ex-girlfriend and the goddess of order, had hounded Rowan with her disciple for weeks, and now that disciple had finally cornered Rowan.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°It looks like multiple people passed through here,¡± one of the men in suits said. ¡°He wasn¡¯t alone.¡±


    ¡°He was last seen with a woman and a child. Evidence suggests the woman is a disciple of the Wild Mother. If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll get more than one sorcerer off the street tonight.¡±


    He realized they might not be here for Sofia at all. They probably didn¡¯t know about Gabriela or Miguel. They might not look for Gretta or Sofia if he led them away. He needed them to focus on chasing him.


    He took an exhausted breath, then darted into the open, directly across their path. His legs pumped as he bounded forward. He needed them to see him, and then he¡¯d be off.


    ¡°There he is,¡± the gold-shirt man said.


    Rowan was fast, but he couldn¡¯t outrun a gun. There was a popping sound, a sting of pain in his shoulder, and a sense of falling.


    ¡°He¡¯s down,¡± a voice said.


    The world blurred into a wash of muted sounds and spinning lights as darkness claimed him.


    When Rowan awoke, he was in a plastic crate for small dogs. He could barely open his eyes, and his vision was still blurry, but there was enough light and time to take in his surroundings. He was in the back of a moving car. He could smell two people, and he could hear them breathing. They were probably in the front seat.


    His shoulder hurt and his eyes were heavy. He speculated that he had been shot with a tranquilizer. His limbs still felt very heavy, and he couldn¡¯t even lift his head.


    ¡°I hope Victor is right about the coyote,¡± the guy driving said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen what those magic freaks can do,¡± the passenger said. ¡°If Victor says that the coyote is a guy, then he¡¯s probably a guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that we¡¯re going to look pretty stupid if we bring a wild animal to the office,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°Do you think Victor will use magic on him?¡±


    The driver seemed to think. ¡°I¡¯ve seen his juju before. I wouldn¡¯t wish that on anybody.¡±


    ¡°I get that I¡¯m the new guy, but I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m being hazed,¡± the passenger said.


    ¡°Most magic doesn¡¯t look like much,¡± the driver said. ¡°Victor says he can feel it, but to me, it mostly looks like the person using the magic says a non-sense word and gets lucky.¡± The driver wet his lips. ¡°But, then, there are some types of magic that Victor says are gifts from the gods, and that shit is terrifying.¡±


    The passenger shifted in his seat. ¡°Like balls of fire or lightning from the sky?¡±


    ¡°I saw a woman create a ball of blackness¡ªabsolute nothingness¡ªand it sucked my partner in. He was just gone,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°Wait,¡± the passenger said. ¡°Was that how your old partner died?¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± the driver said. ¡°Mostly, this is a cush job. We do surveillance and watch out for weird stuff, and mostly, it¡¯s a bunch of nothing, but when things get serious, you gotta take it extra seriously. I don¡¯t think Mike believed in magic, and now he¡¯s¡­ gone.¡±


    ¡°And the coyote back there can make us disappear?¡±


    ¡°If he could, Victor would have warned us,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°Did he warn Mike about getting vaporized?¡±


    The driver was silent again. ¡°Victor said that the lady had the power of the void. We didn¡¯t know what that meant. Victor can be blunt and kind of a dick, but I think he would have given us more details if he had them.¡±


    ¡°What can this guy do?¡±


    The driver coughed. ¡°Victor said he¡¯s a god of some sort.¡±


    ¡°No, shit? A god? And you just shot him with a tranquilizer dart?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he can smite us, and from what Victor said, shooting him should work fine,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°You can kill a god with a 9 millimeter?¡±


    The leather of the driver¡¯s seat creaked. ¡°I don¡¯t think he can be killed. That¡¯s why we¡¯re supposed to lock him up and throw away the key.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s the Navajo trickster god?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. He looks pretty white to me, and from what Victor has hinted, I don''t think he''s been a god very long.¡±


    ¡°Somebody can just become a god?¡±


    The driver sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen weird shit. At this point, it¡¯s safer to assume he did. Victor seems incapable of lying, but he¡¯s a bit of a fanatic. I think he works for one of the other gods in this dude¡¯s pantheon.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re helping in some sort of holy war,¡± the passenger said. ¡°I¡¯m not cool with that.¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell, Victor¡¯s god is about justice, order, and truth. That¡¯s pretty much what we stand for. Besides, you do not want Victor to judge you. I saw a guy¡¯s mind break from it. Made the vaporization thing look pleasant.¡±


    The car came to a stop, and the driver shut off the engine.


    ¡°You carry the coyote¡¯s crate. I¡¯ll get the doors. If he wakes up, shoot him a few times. We put enough tranquilizer in him to keep an elephant out for a week.¡±


    Rowan let his eyes fall shut again. Pretending to sleep would be easy since the tranquilizer hadn¡¯t entirely worn off, though it was interesting to hear that it was wearing off well before they expected. Maybe he¡¯d have a chance.

 Chapter 24. Schr?dingers Coyote

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s coming back,¡± Sofia said.


    The day had passed, with Gretta only opening the trapdoor for bathroom breaks and to stretch every few hours. As they rested, Gretta had read The Hobbit out loud and would likely finish by some time the next day. She worried that she¡¯d have to read The Silmarillion tomorrow to keep Sofia entertained.


    Gretta had recharged the solar-powered lamp, even though Sofia¡¯s magic let them both see in the dark. Gretta was concerned that Sofia¡¯s power might not work once she slept.


    ¡°Rowan is a survivor,¡± Gretta said. ¡°We¡¯ll wait here one more day for him. If he¡¯s not back by then, we¡¯ll have to move.¡±


    ¡°We have enough food and water here for a few more days,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°We do, but I¡¯m worried that somebody will find us if we wait too long,¡± Gretta said. ¡°If Rowan left us, then he¡¯s a jerk, and we could have stayed and eaten all his food before we left, but if somebody took him, they might come back. I don¡¯t want to risk the chance that he is not a jerk.¡±


    Gretta didn¡¯t add that she was seriously hoping to leave before they had to start reading The Silmarillion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a jerk,¡± Sofia said.


    Gretta shrugged. She¡¯d met too many jerks to be so confident, but there was no sense in arguing with a kid. Sofia was still at the age where she might equate attractive, reckless, and athletic with kind, brave, and caring. Gretta was no fool, though.


    Sofia looked sad. ¡°What if he needs help and we¡¯re leaving him?¡±


    Gretta put a hand on Sofia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If we go looking for him, we¡¯ll put you in danger, and that would be the opposite of what your dad would want.¡± She paused, grimacing. ¡°And if Rowan is just off somewhere being dramatic, I¡¯d rather not risk getting killed so he can make a grand reappearance.¡±


    Gretta hated to play the dad card, but everything she said was true. There was no way to look for Rowan without putting Sofia in danger. What¡¯s more, if Rowan had abandoned them rather than been abducted, then Gretta would have to explain to Sofia why Rowan was murdered in a fit of tiger rage. That would be a difficult conversation.


    Sofia might still see Rowan as Schr?dinger''s Coyote, both alive and dead until they found him. But, the more Gretta thought about it, Rowan was gone. He was either kidnapped and brutally murdered, or she¡¯d found him, and he was brutally murdered. She¡¯d keep this revelation to herself.


    Gretta watched the child, who was tracing patterns in the dirt. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    Sofia looked up. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met your dad, and you¡¯ve talked about how he worked to keep you safe,¡± Gretta began. ¡°But I was wondering about your mom. Where is she?¡±


    Sofia looked back to the sand and began to trace again. ¡°My mom doesn¡¯t live with us anymore. When she visits, my dad and her fight.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what they fight about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I think they fight about whether I can go to California and stay with my mom in the summers. It makes my dad angry.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember when you last saw your mom?¡±


    ¡°She was there when the bad men came to try to take me,¡± Sofia said. ¡°She used her magic and told us to run.¡±


    ¡°Your mom¡¯s name is Lucia, right?¡±


    Sofia nodded.


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    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to find her,¡± Gretta said.


    Sofia¡¯s voice broke. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to live in California now, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You belong with your mom,¡± Gretta said. ¡°She¡¯ll be worried about you.¡±


    ¡°If she worries about me, why did she move to California?¡±


    Gretta shrugged. ¡°Being an adult is complicated, and you¡¯ll have to ask her that, but I¡¯m sure she loves you.¡±


    Sofia seemed to think about Gretta¡¯s words. ¡°You believe that. I can tell, but I don¡¯t know why.¡±


    ¡°Because your mom stayed to fight people to save you, even though those people were dangerous.¡±


    Tears began to fall down Sofia¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they hurt her like they hurt my dad.¡±


    Gretta knelt and hugged Sofia. She didn¡¯t dare lie and say it would be okay. Sofia¡¯s ability to detect lies was so very inconvenient.


    Gretta wondered where Lucia was now. She was here in Arizona days ago when Sofia was first attacked. Gretta remembered the damaged furniture in Miguel¡¯s living room. It looked like reality had simply been scooped away. Lucia must have been a potent sorceress to do that. Gretta hadn¡¯t seen blood at the scene, and she wondered if they had kidnapped Lucia or if she had escaped and was now desperately trying to find her daughter.


    Gretta could likely find Lucia¡¯s phone number using the software on her laptop, but she¡¯d need to be able to safely use the Internet. She still had her phone, which she could tether to her laptop for internet access, but there were three issues. One, there likely wasn¡¯t any signal out in the desert. And two, if Gabriela had help from the FBI, they¡¯d trace any cell tower pings her phone made. Her latest encounter with law enforcement made her doubt she¡¯d ever use that phone again. Three, her laptop was in the men¡¯s room at an outlet mall. Oh, and four, her car had no gas!


    The sound of a plane flying in their direction brought Gretta out of her thoughts. ¡°We should get back into the cellar and read another chapter when you are ready.¡±


    Sofia climbed back into the dank cellar. Gretta used the ¡°rescarnis¡± spell to clear away scents and footprints nearby, followed Sofia into the cellar, and closed the trapdoor behind her.


    ¡°Gretta,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Can you teach me how to heal?¡±


    Gretta¡¯s eyebrows went up in surprise. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°When they hurt my dad, there wasn¡¯t anything I could do to help him,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Maybe I could have saved him if I knew healing magic.¡±


    ¡°I saw what happened to your dad,¡± Gretta said carefully. ¡°Healing magic could not have saved him.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°I can heal myself without using a spell. It¡¯s part of my gift from the Wild Mother, in the same way I can shift shapes.¡±


    ¡°But there is a magic word as well,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°There is a spell, but even if you know the word, not everybody can use it,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Unlike a gift that a goddess gives you and you can use at will, spells are a way of asking for a goddess¡¯s help¡ªthe word gets the goddess¡¯s attention, and that goddess chooses to act on your intention. I think some goddesses won¡¯t listen when you ask for their help.¡±


    ¡°Healing is from the Wild Mother,¡± Sofia said. ¡°She would help me if you asked her.¡±


    ¡°Healing requires channeling a tremendous amount of magic. You are bringing a portion of someone¡¯s body forward in time, speeding up some processes, and, all the while, giving it the nourishment and guidance to heal well. It¡¯s a spell I had to work up to over years of practice.¡±


    ¡°Is there harm in trying?¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°You might pass out from the exertion. And if you push yourself hard enough, you might even damage your ability to channel magic. The spells you know are more advanced than I would expect any child to do, but healing is well beyond that.¡±


    ¡°What if you are hurt?¡± Sofia asked. ¡°You are the only one I have left. I need to know how to help you.¡±


    ¡°What if you lose your ability to do magic because you try before you are ready?¡± Gretta said. ¡°Imagine how sad I will be.¡±


    Sofia looked away. ¡°If you need healing and I don¡¯t try, what will happen to me?¡±


    ¡°The word is lathiel,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I doubt you have the strength to use it yet. Don¡¯t try to pull more magic if the spell doesn''t work.¡±


    ¡°Can I try it now?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look hurt,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but you have a cut on your forearm.¡±


    Gretta did have a shallow scratch from passing one of the scrub bushes near the camp. She sighed. ¡°Do not try too hard. Your mother will be so upset with me if you get hurt.¡±


    Sofia reached out and touched Gretta¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Lathiel.¡±


    Nothing happened at first, and Gretta nodded. ¡°Nothing to worry about. You¡¯re not ready yet.¡±


    There was a surge of magic from Sofia and a warmth washed over Gretta¡¯s arm. The shallow wound knit closed.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Sofia stumbled back and then sank onto the foam mattress. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to¡ª¡±


    Gretta rushed forward and checked on Sofia. The kid was passed out. She chided herself for teaching an eight-year-old healing magic. She¡¯d have to wait until Sofia woke up to tell if there was any permanent damage.

 Chapter 25. Helpful Shadow

    Rowan felt a jarring sensation when the crate he was trapped in was placed on a counter. He had kept his eyes closed most of the trip from the agents¡¯ car into the local FBI office.


    ¡°Why are we putting a crated coyote in a cell?¡± a female FBI agent asked.


    ¡°Victor says that this one is a god,¡± the agent Rowan recognized as the driver explained. ¡°He can change his shape from coyote to human. Putting him inside the antimagic cell should keep that from happening, and if he still manages to shift, he¡¯ll be in a cell that can hold him.¡±


    Rowan hadn¡¯t known that it was even possible to make an antimagic cell. Now, he was about to be put into one. Would he automatically revert to a human? Would he be stuck as a coyote? If he didn¡¯t escape before reaching the cell, he might not have another chance until they moved him. Maybe they¡¯d never move him.


    He pulled in magic and shifted. Between one moment and the next, his coyote form faded into the astral, and his spider form resolved.


    ¡°Why are all those symbols on the wall glowing blue?¡± an agent asked.


    There was a scurry of movement. ¡°He¡¯s using magic!¡±


    Rowan slipped out of the crate, over the counter''s edge, and down to the floor. He skittered across a few feet of tile and then leaped onto the agent''s shoe he had seen in the desert. He slowed down, carefully positioning himself inside the man¡¯s pant leg, and waited for the swatting. By the voice, he knew this man had been the driver.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡± the agent he was riding on said.


    ¡°Why are the symbols turning back to gray?¡± the agent he recognized as the passenger asked.


    ¡°No more magic. Maybe he¡¯s gone,¡± a female agent said.


    ¡°Did we just piss off a god?¡± the passenger agent asked.


    The answer was yes. They had definitely pissed off a god.


    ¡°He¡¯s not all-powerful,¡± the driver agent said. ¡°But he is dangerous. Let¡¯s lock the place down.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he can turn invisible?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± the driver answered skeptically. ¡°If he could, why did he let us shoot him.¡±


    The female agent sounded incredulous. ¡°You shot a god and brought him here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a very powerful god,¡± the driver said.


    There was a pop sound.


    ¡°Why did you shoot a tranquilizer dart into an empty crate,¡± the female agent asked.


    ¡°In case he was invisible,¡± the passenger agent said.


    ¡°Well, I guess he¡¯s not invisible. Maybe he can shrink,¡± the driver agent said.


    Rowan heard shuffling sounds and felt lurching movements as he rode the agent¡¯s pant leg while the agent searched around the room.


    ¡°Maybe he can teleport,¡± the passenger agent said.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± the female agent said. ¡°Why would a god who could teleport walk around as a coyote?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about a god and magic,¡± the driver said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we know why any of this is possible. He¡¯s not human. Maybe he just likes having fur.¡±


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    Fur is pretty comfortable most of the time, Rowan mused. Except when you get fleas. That¡¯s not fun at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call Victor. Sweep the building,¡± the driver agent said.


    ¡°That guy gives me the creeps,¡± the passenger agent said.


    Rowan felt the jolting steps of the agent as the agent ran down the hall, away from the cell. There were beeps, a ring, and then a voice.


    The faint phone voice asked, ¡°Agent Harris, did you secure the coyote?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m calling,¡± Harris said. ¡°He disappeared before we got him in the cell.¡±


    ¡°You let him escape?¡±


    ¡°Smith shot him with enough tranquilizer to down an elephant,¡± Harris said irritably.


    ¡°I did tell you that he¡¯s a god, right?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that he could shrug off tranquilizer and then disappear.¡±


    ¡°Well, update his file. He¡¯s a trickster god, so assume he¡¯s tricky,¡± Victor said. ¡°He might attempt to get revenge, so you probably should keep an eye out.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Harris asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m en route,¡± Victor said. ¡°Once there, I should be able to sense him, and then we¡¯ll secure him. Meanwhile, keep the building locked up tight, and don¡¯t trust anything you see or hear. Again, he¡¯s a trickster god.¡±


    ¡°How will I know it is you and not the trickster pretending to be you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll use the code phrase: you effing moron,¡± Victor said. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in two minutes.¡±


    There was a beep from the phone, and then Harris sighed and put the phone away.


    Rowan needed to get out of the building before a rematch with Victor. In a straight-out confrontation, Rowan didn¡¯t have the magical skills to take on anybody. His only viable offense was his spider form, which could be stomped on by somebody who could detect him.


    He peeked out from Harris¡¯s pant leg as they moved down a hall to an elevator. There weren¡¯t any sirens or flashing lights, so whatever the lockdown protocol was, it was being done quietly.


    Rowan recognized the hallway when the elevator door dinged open. They were near the garage. He spotted badge scanners at every door and cameras in every corner.


    Harris would stay in the building until Victor arrived. Rowan couldn¡¯t shift more than once more, so he needed a new person to ride out or a big enough opening to crawl out of.


    A man and a woman walked past Harris toward the door.


    ¡°Hold up,¡± Harris said. ¡°We¡¯re on lockdown, you can¡¯t leave.¡±


    The female agent who was trying to leave looked back at Harris. ¡°We have a location on the hacker for that Beam case. It¡¯s a cafe. If we wait, the hacker will slip away again.¡±


    Rowan saw through the glass door that the man in the gold shirt and green tie was walking towards them. He¡¯d be here in moments.


    Rowan leaped and skittered to the male agent about to leave for the hacker incident.


    There was a beep of the card scanner, and the door opened. Victor stepped in. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I sense him.¡±


    Victor¡¯s eyes were on the man that Rowan was on. The door was swinging shut.


    Victor lifted a hand and said, ¡°Tell me your sins.¡±


    Magic surged. The man fell to the ground, howling in pain. Rowan didn¡¯t waste a moment and rushed through the nearly shut door. Even through the closed door, Rowan could hear the conversation on the other side and worked along the wall.


    ¡°Get him to the cell,¡± Victor said. He was panting with effort. ¡°I¡¯ll keep him occupied.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the female agent said. ¡°Stop hurting Agent Mace.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not Agent Mace,¡± Victor said.


    Rowan needed a way out. He paused in shock. Victor had left his car running with the door still hanging open. It almost felt too good to be true. Something was off. Even if Victor was in a hurry, why was the door open and the engine running? It was too easy.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Go!¡± A woman stood in the deep shadow of the parking lot.


    He couldn¡¯t see her, but he recognized her voice¡ªshe was the voice in his head.


    ¡°Are you drugged?¡± she asked. ¡°Go!¡±


    The sounds of Agent Mace being hauled away broke Rowan from his reverie. He shifted to human form and jumped into the car. Looking back at the shadow, he saw that the woman was gone.


    Rowan busted through the boom gate at the parking garage exit and onto the street. He was in an unmarked FBI vehicle, but he figured he had only a few blocks before every law enforcement agent in the state would know he was in a stolen car. He¡¯d need to ditch the vehicle and find a place to lay low for a few hours to recharge. He missed his raven form. How would he get out of the city and back to Gretta and Sofia?

 Chapter 26. The Real Hero

    Rowan wove through traffic as he sped north. He wondered how long it would take Victor to realize that Agent Mace was truly Agent Mace. Not long. Once Victor realized he¡¯d left his car running, he would find it missing, and then alerts would be sent to every law enforcement officer in the city.


    Other than the brief stint driving Gretta¡¯s car, Rowan hadn¡¯t driven in 25 years, and he was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of technology in the FBI agent¡¯s car. He felt lucky that the gas pedal, shifter, and steering wheel remained virtually the same as he remembered. Two large screens vied for his attention, and while he could only spare a glance at either while he drove, he noticed that one had a map that appeared to reflect his current position and had several green dots on it. He wondered if those dots were coffee shops or the positions of other FBI vehicles. The other screen had a lot of words on it, and he didn¡¯t dare look at it for more than a moment while driving, but he spotted his name and a recent picture of him leaving a gas station.


    A brown plastic bag from the hardware store was on the floor in front of the passenger seat. He wondered if Victor had been shopping on his break. Sticking out from the bag was a twenty-ounce soda, which he leaned over and grabbed. He nearly swerved off the road when he noticed the other item in the bag was duct tape. Why did Victor need duct tape? Maybe a home project?


    There was a low hum of chatter coming over the car¡¯s radio. He scanned the dashboard and spotted a small black box with yellow letters that read, ¡°Encryption Enabled.¡± Glowing words on a button read, ¡°Push to talk.¡±


    He found a volume knob only to hear, ¡°Bravo-9, go secure. Switch to tactical alpha frequency and acknowledge.¡± The nonsensical radio chatter died out. Maybe he could try to figure out how to switch frequencies, but even if he didn¡¯t, it was all jargon and codes. He could only suppose that they were now looking for him. He knew this would happen, but it still sent a zing of adrenaline through him.


    He cranked up the air conditioning, opened the bottle of soda, and took a long pull. It wasn¡¯t coffee, but it was still refreshing.


    Will you protect Sofia again? The voice in his head asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing that,¡± Rowan said.


    I know, but it¡¯s not like I can reach you without asking you for a favor. And she¡¯s in more danger than you know.


    Rowan shook his head. ¡°How could she possibly be in more danger than I know?¡±


    Gabriela is closing in on her. I was keeping her off Sofia¡¯s trail, but you sat still too long. Gabriela is a few miles away, thanks to the FBI stumbling on you.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the FBI stumbled on me,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I think Ellie is guiding the FBI somehow.¡±


    You have an hour at most to get to Sofia and get her out of there.


    ¡°Who are you? I know you are real now.¡±


    Of course, I¡¯m real, the voice said. I¡¯m somebody who cares about Sofia.


    ¡°Are you her mother?¡±


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    I set up a distraction to keep the FBI busy for twenty minutes, but they already know you have the car. Right now, all you have going for you is a head start. You realize that they can track the car, right?


    Rowan let out a sigh. ¡°Yeah, I guessed. And you aren¡¯t going to tell me who you are, are you?¡±


    I know I¡¯ve asked a lot from you, and I owe you my life. I beg you to keep helping her.


    ¡°You owe me some answers,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I normally wouldn¡¯t help sneaky, nameless people, but you already know that I wouldn¡¯t let them hurt a kid even if you didn¡¯t ask. And there¡¯s something in my gut that tells me that you really are trying to help Sofia.¡±


    I¡¯m glad your gut trusts me. I will give you answers when this is all over. I promise.


    ¡°You realize that this is getting repetitive? You keep asking for help. And I keep blindly and selflessly giving it.¡± Rowan swerved around a slow-moving van. ¡°You know, I sound heroic, even to me.¡±


    Everyone knows that, in the end, the Trickster god always collects more than he¡¯s owed. Heroes aren¡¯t compensated, and they aren¡¯t immortals with nothing to lose but a little time. I imagine a god¡¯s assistance is nothing more than a way to escape the monotony of eternity. Gretta is a hero, and I won¡¯t let her pay the price for your help.


    The voice retreated, but the silence stung. Maybe she was right. Maybe he didn¡¯t have anything to lose. And twenty-five years as a coyote had not been exciting. Sure, he didn¡¯t want to be imprisoned and tortured by the FBI on Earth or in the goddess of judgment¡¯s prison. But, it was true¡ªno matter what¡ªhe would live an eternity. Gretta was the one with everything to lose and nothing to gain. She needed protection as much as Sofia. Of course, he couldn¡¯t tell Gretta that. She¡¯d kill him if he told her he was protecting her. She¡¯d think he was a condescending chauvinistic asshat. And realistically, she was the one with protective powers.


    He expected to see flashing lights, and what¡¯s more, the green dots on the map stayed put. This didn¡¯t put him at ease. He was sure they were closing in on him, but by the time he finished his soda, he was on a backroad near the small ghost town he had made his home for over two decades. He hoped Gretta and Sofia were still there.


    He accelerated, testing his reflexes against the swerves of the road. There was never traffic out this far in the desert, and he needed every moment he could gain.


    Gretta¡¯s little red Honda Civic came into sight, and he skidded to a halt, lining up the gas tanks. For Gretta to get away, she¡¯d need a car that the FBI didn¡¯t have a tracking device installed in. He put the car in neutral, shut off the engine, popped the hood and the gas tank in two quick flips, and hopped out of the vehicle.


    He reached into Gretta¡¯s car, opened the gas tank, and unscrewed the gas cap. Then he ran back to the open hood of the FBI car. The engine compartment was full of hoses, wires, plastic, and metal he didn¡¯t recognize. He picked a long, flexible hose and yanked it out. Fluid sprayed and dripped. Besides smelly, he had no idea what fluid it was, but that didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was that it came free.


    He grabbed the duct tape from the hardware store bag and taped the now-empty soda bottle to the end of the hose he had just liberated.


    He rammed the hose into the gas FBI car¡¯s gas tank as deep as it would go, straight past the anti-siphon valve. It moved in smoothly, which felt like pure luck.


    He squeezed the soda bottle, which made loud crinkling noises, and when he released the squeeze, the suction drew up gas through the hose¡ªbut not enough to get gas to the bottle. He squeezed and rereleased. The bottle took a moment to re-inflate, but it had gas in it this time. He pulled the bottle off the end of the hose, which caused gasoline to splash on the ground before he jammed the hose into Gretta¡¯s car¡¯s gas tank.


    He could hear the trickle of gas flowing. He kept looking down the road the way he had come, expecting to see vehicles closing in on him, but he was good. The FBI wasn¡¯t here yet. He knew they were likely the least of his worries if the shadow woman was right because Gabriela was likely already out here looking.


    Somewhere to the southeast, he heard a dog bark. Time was up.


    Rowan removed the hose from Gretta¡¯s tank, replaced the gas cap, and pushed the FBI vehicle off the road into the ditch. He then disconnected the car battery in case it made it harder to track the car and closed the hood.

 Chapter 27. RSVP

    The sun had set hours ago, and Gretta was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but Sofia still hadn¡¯t woken up from her overexertion. With the setting sun came the biting cold of the desert. Rowan had two wool blankets, but Sofia¡¯s little body was wrapped in both. Gretta was considering shifting to cat form for both the fur and because she could then curl up next to Sofia on the small foam mattress and be comfortable.


    Gretta debated whether sleeping when the kid was sleeping off exhaustion from magic would be irresponsible or if sleep was the responsible choice. After all, if somebody found them and Gretta wasn¡¯t fully rested, she might not be able to protect Sofia.


    She was about to curl up next to Sofia on the mattress when a sound came from the cellar trapdoor.


    ¡°Gretta,¡± a familiar male voice whispered.


    She moved to the ladder. ¡°Rowan?¡±


    Rowan opened the trapdoor. ¡°You need to grab Sofia and get out of here!¡±


    Gretta felt a mixture of relief and anger at seeing Rowan, but the urgency in her voice brought her back to the present. She glanced back at the sleeping form.


    ¡°Sofia¡¯s unconscious from pulling too much magic. What¡¯s happening? Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°Long story. The FBI took me. I escaped and came back, but I believe Gabriela is on her way here,¡± Rowan rattled off.


    ¡°They are now,¡± Gretta said irritably. ¡°You probably led them here.¡±


    ¡°They were already on their way, but I don¡¯t think they know exactly where you are,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I sense they are in the area but are still looking for Sofia. If we leave now, we might get away before they arrive.¡± He didn¡¯t mention the voice. There was no sense in telling Gretta about shadowy helpers.


    Gretta picked up Sofia and the blankets and ran back to the ladder. ¡°Take her.¡±


    Rowan reached down and pulled up the unconscious child. ¡°She¡¯s really out of it,¡± he said.


    ¡°She wanted to learn a healing spell.¡± Gretta hopped up to the surface and closed the cellar trap door. ¡°She passed out.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you let her try that.¡±


    ¡°Can we talk about it later?¡± Gretta scanned the desert for threats, knowing that Gabriela and her armed thugs were out there.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I¡¯m not used to being the responsible one. I don¡¯t mind savoring it. Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan led the way through between patches of scrub and cacti. ¡°I borrowed an FBI car.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get out of here in a stolen FBI car?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be silly,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I managed to siphon gas from it, and your car now has enough gas to make it out of here.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be looking for my car,¡± she said.


    ¡°Maybe, but I figured we¡¯d get further than we would in a distinct stolen car. I smeared mud on your rear license plate to make it fairly illegible, so maybe that will help.¡±


    Gretta rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll fool them. I thought you were some sort of trickster disciple. You didn¡¯t learn anything in training.¡±


    Rowan frowned. ¡°Tricksters are forged on the street, not in a school.¡±


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    ¡°Get down,¡± Gretta whispered, pulling on Rowan¡¯s arm to get him to kneel.


    Flashlights bobbed toward them. This, more than the cold night air, gave Gretta goosebumps.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off. Get Sofia out of here,¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan shoved Sofia toward Gretta. ¡°You are the one who can protect her, and you¡¯ll be able to help her. This is my chance to buy you some time.¡±


    Gretta hesitated. Her tiger form wasn¡¯t fully healed. Her elephant form was hurt. She could use it, but they¡¯d likely to mow her down in a hail of bullets.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± She took Sofia¡¯s sleeping form.


    ¡°The car is about 100 yards that way,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Stay low, don¡¯t look back, and don¡¯t stop.¡±


    ¡°Rowan,¡± Gretta said urgently.


    Rowan patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Gretta watched Rowan stay low as he dashed back in the direction they had come. When he was ten yards away, his footsteps became remarkably louder, and she heard him swear loudly. The idiot was intentionally drawing their attention.


    While carrying the child, Gretta kept as low as she could manage and dashed toward the car. She was nearly there when she heard a dozen shots and dogs barking. Her heart had been racing, but now it was moving at hummingbird speeds.


    ¡°Damn it, Rowan.¡±


    She reached her car, opened the back door, and slid Sofia in. She ran around to the driver''s side and was about to get in when she heard a single gunshot. There was something final in that. She stood frozen, waiting to hear more, but the night was silent and cold. A cold sensation spread from her gut outward.


    Gretta got in and started the car, keeping the headlights off. She put the car in gear and made a U-turn back toward the city. Anybody chasing her would be looking further out, right?


    She flipped her lights on when she reached a highway and turned east.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Sofia asked from the backseat.


    Gretta glanced back. ¡°Rowan gave us time to get away.¡±


    ¡°He came back!¡± Sofia said, beaming.


    ¡°He did.¡± Gretta was both smiling and crying. ¡°The idiot decided to lead the people chasing you away.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll find us again,¡± Sofia said.


    Gretta had to press her lips together so as not to let out a sob. That last gunshot felt very final. That wasn¡¯t somebody wildly shooting a moving target. That sounded like an execution.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Sofia asked.


    After being sure she had control of her voice, Gretta cleared her throat and answered, ¡°New Mexico.¡±


    Why was she sad about an idiot she barely knew? He probably planned the whole thing, and he was doing this so that she¡¯d be impressed by how brave he was when he came back later. She was not impressed. Rowan was an idiot, and she refused to see what he did as anything but stupidity. He wasn¡¯t dead. He probably was faking it. That¡¯s what a disciple of the Trickster would do. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t believe her own reasoning. Somehow, she could feel he was gone. There was a space in the fabric of magic that had felt empty right after that gunshot.


    Ahead, she spotted flashing lights, and traffic was slowing down.


    ¡°Crap!¡± Gretta looked for a spot to turn off the highway. She was considering turning around when the flashing lights flipped on behind her.


    A voice magnified by a bullhorn called out, ¡°FBI! Pull over!¡±


    Gretta sighed and pulled over. She wasn¡¯t going to start a high-speed chase with a child in the backseat, and the FBI weren¡¯t monsters who would hurt a child.


    The moment her car stopped, four agents were running toward her vehicle. She kept her hands on the steering wheel and in plain sight. The agents were all holding guns pointed at her.


    ¡°Get out of the vehicle. Interlace your fingers behind your head and lay facedown on the ground.¡±


    Gretta stepped out of the vehicle with her hands up and, as instructed, got down on the ground. The pavement was still warm from the day, but the night air was cold.


    In moments, she was handcuffed and patted down.


    ¡°Gretta, don¡¯t let them take me,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Gretta said, though she wasn¡¯t sure this was true.


    The FBI was known to have a department that kept an eye out for magic users. People they found disappeared without a trial. They wouldn¡¯t suspect a child of being a magic user, though. They¡¯d get her back to her mother.


    A wave of magic washed over her, bringing the feeling of judgment.


    ¡°Look what we have here,¡± a man in a gold shirt and green tie said. ¡°We lost a coyote but gained a tiger. I think that¡¯s an upgrade.¡±


    Gretta clenched her teeth. She¡¯d seen cop shows. She had the right to remain silent and probably a few other rights she wished she knew right then, but of course, they probably wouldn¡¯t apply to her. To the FBI, magic users weren¡¯t technically humans and could be treated with the same disregard as squirrels and skunks.


    The man knelt next to her. ¡°We¡¯re going to have such a fun talk about where the coyote got off to. Even if you don¡¯t talk, I wonder if he¡¯ll return for you. I¡¯ll bet he will, and we¡¯ll be ready to throw a party.¡±

 Chapter 28. Bad Cop. Bad Cop.

    Gretta sat in a small, plain room on an unremarkable yet comfortable chair next to a modest, nondescript table. Two plainclothes agents sat in the room with her. One agent reclined in his chair to her right, positioned far enough away that if she focused on him, she couldn¡¯t quite keep the other agent to her left in view. The agent on the left maintained a more rigid posture in the corner beside the table.


    ¡°You can see how this looks,¡± the agent to her right said in his deep, rich voice. His name was Agent Mackinaw. His skin was the warm, deep copper tone of somebody with Native American heritage. ¡°An amber alert was issued for Sofia Vega days ago. Her father is found dead in a mine pit. And now? You were seen driving out of town with the kid¡ªafter evading the authorities in an outlet mall parking lot.¡±


    ¡°Lawyer,¡± Gretta said slowly, enunciating the syllables.


    Agent Delmark, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, placed a candy bar on the table and slid it toward her. ¡°You look tired and hungry. Why don¡¯t you eat something?¡±


    Gretta glanced at the candy bar. It was peanut butter and chocolate and looked amazing, but she resolutely avoided starting at it. She returned her stare to Mackinaw. ¡°Lawyer.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you what I think happened,¡± Delmark said. ¡°We found the body of one Rowan Carter a few miles north of where you were pulled over. There¡¯s evidence that he had been there a few days with at least one, probably two other people.¡±


    Gretta swallowed. They found Rowan¡¯s body. She blinked rapidly and took in a slow breath.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a known associate of his,¡± Delmark continued. ¡°We think that maybe he took the girl, and maybe you, the detective hired by Lucia Vega-Martinez, managed to find him, but he was more dangerous than you expected, and he kidnapped you, too.¡±


    ¡°W-who?¡± Gretta asked, her mind still reeling. ¡°That¡¯s not who hired me.¡±


    Agent Mackinaw leaned forward, speaking softly. ¡°She is Sofia¡¯s mother and Miguel¡¯s ex-wife. You know who Miguel was, correct?¡±


    ¡°I know who Miguel is,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I was hired by a woman claiming to be Adriana Vega, but she turned out to be Gabriela. I think her last name is Ramirez.¡±


    ¡°We have your bank records, and it looks like Ms. Martinez paid you,¡± Delmark said. ¡°You can be honest with us. We¡¯re trying to help.¡±


    Mackinaw cut in. ¡°Where did you discard the gun after you shot Mr. Carter?¡±


    Gretta looked from Delmark to Mackinaw. ¡°I didn¡¯t shoot Rowan. There were people after Sofia. He was leading them away.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Carter¡¯s body had been shot three times,¡± Agent Delmark said. ¡°We didn¡¯t find a weapon at the scene, though. We¡¯re waiting for forensics to confirm, but all three shots were from the same caliber weapon. The last shot was point-blank to the head. Messy business. Where did you leave the gun?¡±


    Gretta sat stunned. Maybe this was all an elaborate trick. Maybe the FBI only thought they found his body.


    Mackinaw leaned in and held out a tissue toward her. ¡°Did you say Mr. Carter had accomplices?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gretta stammered. ¡°That¡¯s not what happened.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Agent Mackinaw said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you walk us through what happened, starting with when Ms. Martinez hired you?¡±


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    ¡°Gerald, why don¡¯t you get her a water? She looks thirsty.¡±


    Mackinaw looked from Gretta to Delmark, then nodded and stood. He shut the door behind himself.


    ¡°Mackinaw thinks you¡¯re just a victim in all of this,¡± Delmark said. ¡°I¡¯m not buying the waterworks. If you don¡¯t tell us what really happened, things will get messy. Messier.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°We deal with a lot of scum, but at least they are human scum. I heard what kind of freak you are, and I wouldn¡¯t subject any human to that, even the murderers.¡±


    When the door opened, Mackinaw walked in holding a paper cup, which he set on the table in front of Gretta. He then sat back down near the door.


    Somehow, Delmark¡¯s threat had sobered her. She had been trying to figure out what had happened to Rowan, but now she saw the game. The agents had been trying to unbalance her and keep her off guard. Rowan probably wasn¡¯t dead. They were probably lying their asses off.


    She was genuinely concerned about Delmark¡¯s comments about her being a freak not fit to share a cell with a human murderer. She had been warned that the FBI policed magic users, but she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. She had been protecting a child.


    Gretta¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Lawyer.¡±


    A voice from the camera in the corner of the room spoke. ¡°Put her in a containment cell. You aren¡¯t getting more out of her until she¡¯s had time to realize her situation.¡±


    Gretta recognized that voice. It belonged to the green-eyed agent she had seen in the outlet mall parking lot. He was the same person who had arrested her. He had magic, and she suspected he was a disciple of judgment.


    Mackinaw shook his head, pulling cuffs out from his jacket. ¡°What did you say to her?¡±


    Delmark shrugged. ¡°Keep your eyes on her. If she shifts in here, I¡¯ll shoot her even if she¡¯s got your head in her mouth.¡±


    They knew she could shift. For the briefest second, she considered not letting Mackinaw cuff her, but she was in an FBI building. She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, but if she killed two FBI agents, she really would be locked up or killed. Her tiger form was still not fully healed, though she could take both of these guys. She sighed and let him cuff her.


    Mackinaw led her down the hall, and Delmark walked behind them. She wondered if he had a gun drawn or if it just felt that way.


    They passed a room with a man in a suit handcuffed to a chair. He had an FBI lanyard around his neck and was crying. He repeated the words ¡°my fault¡± over and over.


    A well-dressed woman who also wore an FBI lanyard sat next to him. ¡°Agent Mace, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not your fault. You didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Keep moving, or we¡¯ll carry you,¡± Delmark said behind Gretta.


    Gretta picked up her pace to keep up with Mackinaw.


    ¡°That was Mr. Carter¡¯s work,¡± Delmark said. ¡°He was here earlier and used some of his trickster juju to escape. Look how that worked out for him.¡±


    Gretta had never seen Rowan manipulate someone¡¯s mind, and that man appeared broken. Then she wondered if Rowan could manipulate her and if she would even realize it. Maybe he had some way of getting into people¡¯s heads and making them do what he wanted.


    The sign above the door ahead read ¡°Containment¡± in bold red letters.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bit of a smell,¡± Mackinaw said. He sounded apologetic as he opened the door.


    The wave of air that hit her was heavy and damp and smelled like a mixture of lemon cleaning fluid and a cloying scent she couldn¡¯t identify. Blood?


    She paused in the doorway when she saw a metal table with Rowan¡¯s naked form splayed out on it. His skin was pale. He had a bullet wound in his thigh and on his arm, but it was the small hole in his forehead that caused her to wretch.


    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Delmark said.


    Mackinaw dragged her into the room and toward a small cell in the corner. Glowing blue runes lit up as she approached.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s one of them. Secure her,¡± Delmark said. ¡°She¡¯s already pulling on magic.¡±


    She heard the click of Delmark¡¯s safety come off as he leveled her gun at her. The barrel was black and deep as she looked into it. She might never forget that moment.


    Then Mackinaw hurled her past the bars and into the wall. The door slammed shut, and with it, she felt her connection to magic snap. She had been pulling a steady stream to heal her tiger form and hadn¡¯t even been conscious of the connection until it was gone. Now, she couldn¡¯t feel her other forms, like they didn¡¯t exist.

 Chapter 29. Beyond the Veil

    The first bullet struck Rowan in the arm, sending him spinning to the ground. It took him a moment to realize he had been shot. He had to glance at his arm to grasp what had happened. The footsteps grew closer, accompanied by a few more wild shots in his direction. He scrambled to his feet, only for his right leg to go completely numb, causing him to collapse back down.


    ¡°He¡¯s down! He¡¯s down!¡± a man shouted. His voice was loud, yet his tone remained even and dispassionate, as though he were announcing a five percent discount on used coyote skins.


    Gabriela stepped around the nearest bush. ¡°Where¡¯s the child?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s bleeding out,¡± the man who had been shouting said, then turned to another man. ¡°Sweep the area. They are nearby.¡±


    ¡°Last chance,¡± Gabriela said, raising her pistol in his direction. She was walking toward him.


    Rowan tried to think of a witty response, but everything was happening quickly. Darkness was closing in at the edge of his vision. He started to speak. ¡°Go fuck y¡ª¡±


    He didn¡¯t hear the shot that killed him, but it was his entire universe for a fraction of a second before darkness hit him.


    One moment, he was dying in the desert, and the next, he was drifting through the void. Unlike his first death by semi-truck, he kept his wits this time. Maybe one can get better at dying, he mused.


    He was gradually falling toward a distant white light. Beyond it were other lights he hadn¡¯t noticed before. One was green, and another was red. Were each of those lights a domain of another immortal?


    The last time he had been in the void, he was escaping the goddess of judgment, his ex-girlfriend Ellie. The light that had led back to Earth was white, right? However, he remembered it being a warmer color, perhaps slightly more yellow-orange. The white light he was falling toward now felt harsh.


    His instincts told him to resist being pulled in, but resisting the fall is as difficult as it sounds. Like everyone who has fallen from a great height and not wished to, he fought it, but there was no way to slow down or resist. It was pulling him in.


    He desperately tried to recall how he had navigated back to Earth. What was different? He had fallen without any control the previous time, too.


    The sensation of order and judgment grew as he moved toward Ellie¡¯s domain. Maybe, like a magnet, order and chaos were attracted, and that was why it, of all the domains, was sucking him in. However, he had also fallen when escaping to the mortal realm.


    As he fell, he could start to make out details of cathedral windows. He would land right back with her and then be trapped forever.


    When escaping, he had seen a thread of chaos and followed it back to Earth, effectively riding it out of the void.


    The windows were closing in, and he needed a plan now. He decided to shift to raven form. Maybe he could fly in the void? His raven form had been seriously injured when Gabriela had shot him, but after dying, he felt whole again and instinctively knew that his raven form was also healed.


    As he pulled in magic, an act that felt as natural as breathing, he spotted the thread of chaos that came from him and back into the void.


    He spread his wings, catching not an air current but a current of chaos magic. He caught that magic and rode it. He gained altitude and began drifting away from Ellie¡¯s domain and back into the void. He knew the distant gold-white light was Earth, and he felt the current of magic he was riding moving that way.


    A tidal wave of magic hit him. It felt like the magic of secrets and darkness. It was as if a titan had breathed in, and he was merely a butterfly being sucked into its lungs. He spun wildly and out of control for a moment, and then the absolute dark of the void became murkier. There was air under his wings now, and not magic. He had fallen into the domain of the Veil, the goddess of knowledge.


    He blinked, and the murk resolved into a deep purple landscape of rolling hills and stands of apple trees. A river meandered through one valley. The sky shifted from dark purple to light purple blue, as if the world sensed him and wanted him to feel welcome.


    A woman reclined on the grass near an apple tree by the river. She waved to him.


    He glided down and landed a few feet away from the woman. With an effort of will, he shifted back to human. The typical exertion felt lessened, and he wondered if pulling magic was easier here.


    ¡°Nadia!¡± He held out his arms.


    She stood and embraced him.


    ¡°Rowan! I¡¯ve missed you.¡± She pulled away to arm''s length and took in his appearance. ¡°You look much the same as I remember you.¡±


    ¡°Whenever I die, I seem to return to the same condition I was when we ascended.¡± He took in her flowing dark robes, gold necklaces and wristbands, and elegantly woven dark hair. ¡°You look amazing! I see being a goddess only made you more radiant.¡±


    She thumped his chest gently. ¡°No need for flattery!¡±


    Rowan smiled. ¡°Um. Did you intentionally pull me here? I need to get back to Earth. There¡¯s this whole thing going on with a kid who needs help. I suspect she¡¯s one of yours.¡±


    ¡°She is one of mine.¡± Nadia smiled. ¡°You have a little time yet, and I wanted to speak with you.¡±


    Rowan waited while Nadia walked over to the tree and plucked off an apple, which she tossed at him.


    He caught it and took a bite. ¡°Delicious. Tart and crispy, the way I like it. And what might I do for you?¡±


    Nadia smiled. ¡°When planning ascension, we only thought about the challenges we¡¯d have to overcome to do the ascension itself. I don¡¯t think we realized the problems that would come afterward.¡±


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    Rowan swallowed another bite. ¡°I don¡¯t remember any challenges.¡±


    Nadia laughed warmly. ¡°I doubt you remember the planning either, but the rest of us spent weeks making sure we¡¯d succeed at the ascension and avoid being incinerated.¡±


    ¡°Incineration?¡± He took a final bite and tossed the core into the river.


    ¡°Well, as you know, nobody was incinerated, and we ascended, but we didn¡¯t realize that all of the information we had gathered on the process had been from your predecessor, the previous Trickster god.¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°And you were tricked?¡±


    Nadia nodded. ¡°She got us good. The previous immortals were tired of the job¡ªthey¡¯d been doing it for thousands of years and were exhausted and wanted to move on, but they couldn¡¯t without somebody else to take their place.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to give me a history lesson?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°This is probably why I don¡¯t remember the planning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep it short and use small words,¡± she said. Her tone was light and teasing. ¡°We didn¡¯t realize we¡¯d be trapped in our domains with only a few ways to return to Earth.¡±


    ¡°But, you can take over somebody else¡¯s body and return as an avatar,¡± Rowan said with a move-it-along gesture.


    Nadia nodded. ¡°Yes, but most of us are unwilling to destroy a human being just to walk on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Except Marcus Ramirez,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°Except Ellie¡¯s boyfriend, Marcus,¡± Nadia said.


    Rowan blinked. ¡°Wait! Ellie and Marcus were¡ªtogether?¡±


    Nadia nodded. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re the only one in the group who would find this surprising. They grew pretty close while researching the ascension process. That¡¯s probably why Ellie dumped you.¡±


    ¡°Why did you guys include me at all? It¡¯s not like I wanted to become a god.¡±


    Nadia shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s probably why Ellie kept you around. You weren¡¯t much of a threat, and they needed somebody with enough power to ascend and who wasn¡¯t motivated to be an issue later.¡±


    Rowan rubbed his face, trying to make sense of the new bits of information. ¡°Sure, but what about Abby. I thought she was my friend.¡±


    ¡°Abby is your best friend,¡± Nadia said, ¡°but I was her lover and wanted to be with her forever. I convinced Abby that even though Ellie and Marcus might be using you, she and I would protect you, and you¡¯d be glad later that you had become immortal.¡±


    ¡°So, everybody used me,¡± Rowan said, one eyebrow quirked.


    ¡°To be clear, Abby only ever had your best interests in mind,¡± Nadia said.


    Rowan clenched and unclenched his teeth and then nodded. ¡°Abby would never betray me.¡±


    ¡°She is your most loyal friend,¡± Nadia said. ¡°And because of her love for you, I have done my best to help you.¡± Nadia tilted her head and examined Rowan. ¡°What¡¯s that feeling? You¡¯re irritated, but I can¡¯t feel why.¡±


    ¡°Of course, the goddess of knowledge and secrets can tell what I¡¯m thinking and feeling,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as clear-cut as you think,¡± Nadia said. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re upset now, but before that, were you feeling¡ªjealous?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m irritated that my best friend ended up with a hot girlfriend for eternity, and I ended up sleeping in a desert for 25 years.¡±


    Nadia smiled sadly. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t point out that I also ended up with a hot girlfriend thanks to your sacrifice. There is an issue with our relationship that only you can fix.¡±


    Rowan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to know.¡±


    Nadia chuckled. ¡°No, nothing like that. The problem is that we can¡¯t see each other or speak directly.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even speak to each other? There¡¯s no spell for that? I¡¯ve had some lady in my head for days now. She moved in, and I can¡¯t evict her.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I think I know who that is,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s another one of mine, but she hasn¡¯t moved in. She¡¯s praying.¡±


    Rowan shook his head as if trying to clear it. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A human can talk to a god under a few specific conditions, but the primary way is through prayer. You must be allowing it, though.¡±


    ¡°I could block her?¡±


    ¡°You could,¡± Nadia said. ¡°Though, I think she is one of the few people who have ever prayed to the Trickster god. I¡¯d be jealous if it weren¡¯t that she¡¯s trying to save one of mine.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she just pray to you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave here. The most I can do is offer advice and strengthen her spells, but she is up against forces that only a god who is present could fight. If you didn¡¯t help her, she¡¯d likely beg me to take over her form as an avatar.¡±


    Rowan looked sick. ¡°You¡¯d kill her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could do that to her,¡± Nadia said. ¡°Not unless it was a matter of stopping Marcus, but we don¡¯t have to worry about that because we have you.¡±


    ¡°Um. I¡¯m here, not there, and so far, I¡¯ve died twice in a week.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to minimize your suffering, but you can¡¯t die, and you can get back there.¡±


    ¡°Dying is a terrible experience. Both times were a trauma that may stay with me¡­ well, not for as long as I live, because we know that will be like in a week at this rate, but¡­ I¡¯ll be traumatized forever.¡±


    Nadia nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t died, but I can imagine death is traumatic.¡±


    Rowan held up a hand and waved it. ¡°We¡¯re off-topic. You wanted relationship help from me. Even though I¡¯m single, my ex-girlfriend is trying to torture me, and my life expectancy can be measured in days. What could I possibly do for you?¡±


    Nadia produced two small, dark crystals, each slightly larger than a quarter. ¡°I haven¡¯t wasted the past two decades. I¡¯ve created a magical artifact that I hope will allow Abby and I to see and hear each other again. We might be trapped in our separate domains, but maybe we can be together again.¡±


    ¡°You reinvented the telephone. Sort of a phone-a-god?¡±


    ¡°Better,¡± Nadia said. ¡°Here, take one.¡±


    Rowan accepted one of the crystals and examined it. It was beautiful, but he wouldn¡¯t have known it was a magical artifact.


    ¡°Imagine my face while you hold it out,¡± she said.


    Rowan smirked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be hard since you are right here.¡±


    He held up the crystal and imagined Nadia¡¯s face. A zing of magic leaped from him and shot straight to the crystal that Nadia held. She raised it to eye level, and both crystals came to life.


    Before him stood two Nadias, each appearing solid and real. Beside Nadia, the one he recognized as the true Nadia, was a copy of himself.


    The Nadia copy reached out and touched his hand, and he felt it and understood. He was aware that, in his periphery, the same scene was playing out between his clone and the real Nadia.


    ¡°This is wild,¡± he said.


    Nadia closed her hand, and the extra Nadia and Rowan disappeared.


    ¡°Will you bring it to her?¡±


    Nadia had created one of the most incredible artifacts he had ever heard of, and she trusted him to bring it to Abby.


    He looked away. ¡°You know that I can¡¯t navigate the void. If you hadn¡¯t pulled me in, I¡¯d be visiting Ellie now.¡±


    ¡°I know that you are the only one of us who can freely visit any domain and that if you had studied, you¡¯d know how to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t study,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not a great messenger.¡±


    ¡°You are the only messenger, and this might be my only chance to ever speak to her again.¡± Nadia put a hand on each of Rowan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Please, do this for us.¡±


    This was a terrible idea that would likely get him imprisoned or killed.


    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡± He resisted screaming and ranting about how dumb he was. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it. Only because it will make Abby happy.¡±

 Chapter 30. The Groove

    Gretta sat in the darkness on the hard ceramic tile floor of her cell. The air was thick with the stench of death and lemon-scented cleaner. She had a stainless steel bucket, which she presumed was meant to be a toilet, but was holding her vomit. Her stomach hurt with emptiness, and her mouth was parched.


    While she knew a spell to help her see in the dark, it hadn¡¯t worked. She had tried the spell despite the camera watching from the corner of the containment room, unsurprised to find herself cut off. The blue runes on the wall around the room glowed brighter the harder she pulled on magic, and despite nearly passing out from exertion, she didn¡¯t feel the slightest twinge of power reach her.


    Beyond the flashing red light of the camera in the corner, a soft green glow emanated from a counter, hinting at active devices. The faint jade glow didn¡¯t reveal what the devices were, but considering they had left Rowan¡¯s body on the stainless steel table, her suspicions were unsettling.


    The lock clicked, and then there was a beep. The door opened, and clean air drifted in. A tall woman with dirty blonde hair in a tight bun entered. Her white lab coat flapped behind her. She held a coffee in one hand and a donut in the other. She wore earbuds and swayed to a beat that only came out as muffled thumps.


    The overhead lights flickered briefly and came to life. Gretta blinked. The woman set her coffee and donut on the counter next to tools that Gretta could now see with the lights on. Gretta preferred the dark, where Rowan¡¯s naked body wasn¡¯t easy to see.


    The lady pulled a pair of blue latex gloves from a box on the wall and tugged them on. Then she donned a paper cap and a clear plastic face shield.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Gretta asked.


    The woman didn¡¯t so much as glance her way as she moved a cart out from under the counter. There was a scale and some shiny bowls. The woman picked up a small metal rotating saw off the counter and stood over Rowan like she was eying a piece of lumber.


    ¡°I said¡ªwhat the hell are you doing?¡± Gretta asked again, this time nearly shouting.


    The woman¡¯s shoulders sagged slightly, and then she set the saw down, picked up a gun, and turned around. She aimed the gun right at Gretta.


    The woman was nearly yelling, presumably because of her music. ¡°I¡¯m going to work in peace. You can be conscious or not. I¡¯d rather not waste the money on a dart, but that¡¯s what discretionary budgets are for.¡±


    Gretta glared at the woman but remained silent. She didn¡¯t believe an FBI agent could tranquilize a prisoner without justification, yet the circumstances felt far from normal. The room appeared only partially equipped for an autopsy. The setup was too makeshift¡ªlacking refrigeration, overhead vents, and floor drains. This wasn¡¯t a morgue¡ªit was a containment chamber.


    The woman turned around, set the gun down, and picked the saw back up. Gretta couldn¡¯t watch as the saw spun back up. There was a crunch and grinding sound, and if she could have vomited, she would have, but her stomach was empty. In a way, she was thankful she had turned down the candy bar.


    When the grinding stopped, there were wet sucking sounds, tearing, and wet plopping sounds. She couldn¡¯t look. She wasn¡¯t friends with Rowan. She barely knew him, but he had tried to save Sofia and her, and now he was being pulled apart a few feet away.


    The woman hit the button on a recording device. ¡°Heart is 11 ounces, exceeding the typical for a six-foot-tall male human.¡± Her voice was a pleasant, light soprano. She was upbeat, as if she were talking about the perfect dress going on sale.


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    Another plop, the scraping of metal, and the woman spoke again. ¡°Liver is comparable in weight to a six-foot-tall male human.¡±


    And so the continued weighing of Rowan¡¯s organs went, with the woman comparing Rowan to a human as if he were an alien, and all the while, she sounded excited.


    The click of the lock and a beep made Gretta look at the door. Agent Mackinaw strolled in. He looked at the table and then at Gretta. His face was a grim mask.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± the woman said. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy here.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, Doctor Hicks,¡± Mackinaw said. ¡°I need to speak to Subject 16.¡±


    It took a moment for Gretta to realize that Mackinaw was talking about her. She was no longer a suspect or even a human. She was now Subject 16? Was she going to end up on the table next?


    ¡°I¡¯m not done with the examination,¡± she said.


    Mackinaw looked from Rowan¡¯s disemboweled body to the doctor. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going anywhere.¡±


    Doctor Hicks smirked. ¡°Fine. I could use a few hours of rest. At least help me wheel this subject to the coolers.¡± She pulled off her protective facemask and hat.


    Mackinaw shook his head. ¡°Subject 15 is supposed to stay in the containment room at all times.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll putrify by morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°Our orders are to keep every last one of his cells in this room. Apparently, this one is special.¡±


    ¡°Nothing could come back from this,¡± she said. ¡°I think Victor is overreacting.¡±


    Mackinaw glanced at the camera and then lowered his voice. ¡°Every single cell stays here.¡±


    ¡°Then I better find a few bags to seal this up, or nobody on this floor will be able to breathe.¡±


    ¡°Victor has arranged for incineration. Agents will be here in twenty minutes to escort the body.¡±


    ¡°Can I keep a few brain cells?¡± she asked.


    Mackinaw shook his head. ¡°You can leave your tools and gloves here. They will clean up for you. Do not try to sneak that vial in your pocket out of here.¡±


    Dr. Hicks shrugged. ¡°You can¡¯t blame a girl for trying.¡±


    ¡°Victor will blame you, and nobody wants to break in your replacement.¡±


    Dr. Hicks took the vial from her pocket and set it on the table next to Rowan¡¯s body, then stripped off her gloves and lab coat and dropped them on the floor. She stomped out.


    Mackinaw watched her go for a moment before sighing, turning around, and walking over to Gretta¡¯s cell.


    ¡°The clean-up team will come through in a moment, and then I¡¯ll get you some food and water,¡± he said.


    ¡°Go to hell,¡± she said.


    He nodded toward the bucket. ¡°You can¡¯t have much left in you, and if you don¡¯t at least drink, it could be bad for your health.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you are worried about Subject 16. Did the other subjects die from dehydration?¡±


    ¡°Generally, they die from the acute exposure of brain matter to sunlight,¡± he said. ¡°Some of your kind can be pretty tough and bounce back from nearly anything, but we¡¯ve found that none of them survive brain removal.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Why are you so worried about Rowan, then?¡±


    ¡°What do you know about Rowan Carter?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He was trying to protect a kid.¡± Gretta shrugged. ¡°Other than that? I think he was a disciple of the Trickster god.¡±


    Mackinaw¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, do you?¡±


    ¡°I know that I¡¯m not going to be able to afford rent and that sitting here isn¡¯t helping my prospects for finding a waitressing gig.¡±


    Four men rushed into the room wearing head-to-toe hazmat gear and pushing a cart. In less than three minutes, they had Rowan in a body bag with his organs in a bin marked Hazardous Waste. Two men wheeled out Rowan¡¯s remains, and the other two began washing down the room. Three minutes later, the room smelled like chemical cleaners, the autopsy tools were bagged up, and there wasn¡¯t a trace that Rowan had ever been there.


    Mackinaw walked out after them and returned a few minutes later with a plastic water bottle and a candy bar.


    ¡°A little advice. Make jokes when you can.¡± Mackinaw slid the water bottle and the candy bar between the bars at Gretta. ¡°There won¡¯t be much to laugh about from here on out.¡±


    When he left, the lights went out again, and Gretta sat in the dark, wondering how her life had led her to a cell. She stared at the outline of the water bottle and candy, trying to decide whether to take them.

 Chapter 31. Blanket Hog

    Rowan woke from a relaxing, long nap, feeling more recharged than he had in years.


    He stood and stretched. ¡°I feel guilty about napping when Sofia is in danger.¡±


    Nadia, who sat by the river not far away, looked back and smiled. ¡°I told you, I slowed time so that you might rest. You needed to recharge.¡±


    ¡°You said that, but I still feel guilty,¡± he said. ¡°It has to be incredibly difficult to slow time.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°If I were not here, it would be exceptionally difficult. Here, it¡¯s only moderately taxing. When you leave, I¡¯ll allow the time to flow naturally again.¡±


    ¡°What about in the void between domains? Is the time there the same as on Earth?¡±


    Nadia smiled. ¡°Ah, that is complicated. There is no true time in the void beyond the time you bring with you.¡±


    ¡°That makes absolutely no sense. Maybe explain it to me like I¡¯m five.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing in the void¡ªnot even time. When you enter it, you bring with you time. However, as you near the domains of other immortals, they have their own time which radiates out, and you¡¯ll find it easiest to let it take hold.¡±


    ¡°Let it take hold?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°You make it sound like I have a choice.¡±


    ¡°A god isn¡¯t a body anymore,¡± Nadia said, gesturing to herself. ¡°We are this domain, and we are each infinite. You are like the rest of us, except your domain is body-like. When you are in a domain, you are in one of us. It¡¯s why gods are all powerful in their domains.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Rowan said. ¡°If I¡¯m in you right now, I going to have an awkward conversation with Abby later.¡±


    ¡°You are such a teenage boy.¡± Nadia laughed. ¡°But, if it amuses you, think on this: When you are talking to her, you¡¯ll have to think of my feelings when you are in her.¡±


    Rowan covered his face and clenched his eyes shut. ¡°Gah! Too far! Too far! We have to stop joking about that. Abby is my best friend and like a sister to me.¡±


    ¡°You started it,¡± Nadia said, a teasing note in her voice.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°I really should go.¡±


    Nadia sobered. ¡°You should. After being alone for so long, I have appreciated company, but I won¡¯t be able to slow time much longer, and I¡¯ll need rest soon.¡±


    Rowan held out his hand. ¡°It was great to see you again. I¡¯ll give Abby the crystal.¡±


    Nadia ignored his outstretched hand and pulled him into a hug. ¡°Thank you, Rowan.¡±


    Rowan was about to shift when he had a thought. ¡°Do you know why it is easier to pull magic here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here twenty-five years, but I remember how difficult it was to pull even a small amount of magic while on Earth,¡± Nadia said thoughtfully. ¡°I imagine reality resists magic, and there is no reality in the void to resist it. The only real resistance is that we are each pulling on it and making it more difficult for each other.¡±


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    ¡°So, it¡¯s like a blanket, where the immortals are each tugging at it, but there¡¯s only so much to go around?¡±


    ¡°Close enough.¡± She smiled. ¡°The others will know I was a blanket hog last night, but it was also how we feel you in the void. You draw magic, and there is less for us.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I appreciate the insight.¡±


    ¡°I am the goddess of knowledge,¡± she said. ¡°I may not know all things, but I appreciate gaining understanding.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been helping Gretta, Abby¡¯s niece¡ªwhich I guess sort of makes her my niece. Someday, she might go looking for her mother. To keep her safe, you should discourage that.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°You want me to discourage Gretta from finding her mother?¡±


    ¡°Her mother is gone,¡± Nadia said. ¡°Gretta, very understandably, wants to know what happened to her. If she looks, none of us can protect her, and Abby will have lost not only her sister but her niece. I¡¯m asking you to help protect Gretta.¡±


    Rowan frowned. ¡°Can you tell me what happened to her? Maybe if Gretta had answers, she wouldn¡¯t look.¡±


    Nadia shook her head. ¡°That answer will only lead to more looking, and the only place with answers will destroy her.¡±


    ¡°Oof. So, to recap, you know something bad happened to Gretta¡¯s mother, and Gretta wants to know what happened, but I have to stop Gretta from finding out because if I don¡¯t, Gretta will be destroyed. And for some reason, you aren¡¯t telling me what happened, either.¡±


    Nadia looked sad and nodded. ¡°Close enough.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother arguing. The goddess of knowledge was also the goddess of secrets. She had already given him more than he would have ever expected from her, which he imagined she only done to convince him to visit Abby. He supposed a certain amount of vague doom warning was inevitable, and the visit had been way more pleasant than he had visited Ellie.


    Rowan sighed and then shifted to raven form and shot into the air. He could feel the threads of magic here more than on Earth and ride them. He let them lift him until he broke through the sky and into the void.


    His eyes focused on the distant, gentle green glow of Abby¡¯s domain. That was where the Wild Mother and his best friend resided. He reached out, felt a current of her nature magic, and banked in that direction, riding the new current.


    A force slammed into him. He hadn¡¯t felt this discombobulated since being hit by a semi-truck. A flash of red, black, and orange streaked past, followed by a blur of movement, and then he crashed into the dry, hard earth. He lay there, stunned, gazing up at the amber sky. Storm clouds on the horizon danced with fire.


    He was in a barren land. Where the Arizona desert was full of palo verde, saguaro cacti, prickly pear, and dozens of other resilient plants, this place was dark, cracked stone with a smattering of orange sand. Nothing lived here. On the horizon, there was a city of dark metal and machinery.


    This was the domain of the god of power, innovation, and strategy. The one the other gods teasingly called the Lord of Destruction.


    ¡°Welcome, little coyote,¡± a smooth, resonant voice behind Rowan said.


    Rowan struggled to his feet and turned. A man in rugged plated armor stood there holding a dark spear with a glowing orange tip pointed in Rowan¡¯s direction.


    Rowan attempted a smile, but he only managed a pained grimace. ¡°Hey, Marcus! Long time no see!¡±


    ¡°Walk with me,¡± Marcus said.


    Rowan watched the glowing hot tip of the spear. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to drop in like this.¡±


    Marcus grunted. ¡°I know.¡±


    Rowan thought about shifting and flying straight up. Marcus must have sensed this because he raised two fingers to his lips and whistled.


    The sky filled with a thousand winged human forms, each made of a dark metal and carrying a spear with a glowing tip. They flew directly toward Rowan and Marcus, and as they neared, Rowan realized that they each bore the same face. Marcus had created a legion of airborne metal angels designed to resemble Ellie, featuring glowing orange eyes.


    ¡°Laser eyes?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t walk with me, you¡¯ll find out,¡± Marcus said.


    Rowan shrugged and started walking toward the dark metal city, following Marcus.

 Chapter 32. Indignant

    When Gretta awoke, she had a terrible realization: she needed to pee.


    She¡¯d been in the cell since yesterday, and the bottle of water from Mackinaw might have been necessary for survival, but now she regretted it. It might have been some comfort that the room was dark, but she was confident that the camera in the corner had infrared vision. There was no dignified way to pee in a bucket, and the flashing red light on the camera only made the experience more mortifying. For this, more than any other indignity, she would find the one responsible and show him his entrails.


    A beep gave her a moment¡¯s warning before the door opened. She finished zipping her pants as Agent Delmark walked in. Standing outside the containment room was Victor, the green-eyed man. He was wearing a blue shirt and purple tie today. She noticed the runes around her flared to life.


    ¡°Hey, Vic,¡± she said. ¡°Afraid to come in here? Worried that Maybe Delmark will gut you if you don¡¯t have your magic?¡±


    Victor¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Face the back of the cage. Hands behind your head. Fingers interlaced,¡± Delmark said.


    Gretta placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.


    Delmark pulled out a bulky, odd-looking gun. ¡°I¡¯m happy to zap you into submission, but as I understand it, the jolt kills humans as often as not.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You aren¡¯t human, so we don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll react. I¡¯m willing to experiment if you are.¡±


    Gretta sighed. She wanted to fight, but she didn¡¯t need to give Delmark a reason to hurt her while she was defenseless. There would be a time to fight, just not yet. Gretta clenched her teeth, then faced the back of the cell and laced her fingers behind her head.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he said.


    She heard the cell door open and tried to turn to see what was happening when he punched her in the kidney. There was a short scuffle as he wrestled her to the ground and, in a few moments, had her in handcuffs. She knew multiple martial arts styles, but between the sucker punch and the man¡¯s extra 50 pounds of muscle, Gretta¡¯s ability to fight had been meaningless.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could turn around,¡± Delmark said. ¡°Attacking me like that was very daring, and there will be consequences.¡±


    Both Delmark and Gretta were panting despite the relatively short exchange.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t attack you,¡± Gretta said between breaths. ¡°It was all on camera.¡±


    ¡°What camera?¡± Delmark mocked.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Victor said. He sounded bored. ¡°Your job is to bring her to the interrogation room, not act out a rom-com.¡±


    Delmark¡¯s eyes went hard. ¡°The only difference between you and her is that you work for the Bureau.¡±


    Victor smiled. ¡°The only difference between you and me is that I would survive her if she weren¡¯t in that room, but you would not.¡±


    Delmark smirked. ¡°We¡¯ll see who survives.¡± He shoved Gretta forward, and she stumbled out of the room.


    The moment she passed the room¡¯s threshold, she felt magic surge back into her. She began to pull on the energy needed to shift into a tiger when a mental force slammed into her.


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    ¡°Kneel,¡± Victor said. His will was backed by magic.


    The energy she had been pulling slipped from her grasp, and she fell to her knees.


    Victor stepped closer and glared down at her. ¡°Do not sully the natural order again.¡±


    His words pressed down on her, and it felt like a thin film had coated her mind, making it impossible to grasp magic. She could still feel it, but it slipped away when she tried to touch it.


    In a smooth movement, Victor pulled his gun and shot.


    Gretta looked down, blinking in shock, but saw no injuries. She heard the collapse of a body behind her. She looked back and saw Delmark lying bonelessly on the ground. His face had a look of surprise. A pool of blood was spreading on the ground around his head.


    ¡°Justice served,¡± Victor said.


    ¡°You killed him,¡± Gretta stammered. Her eyes were fixed on Delmark¡¯s face and the small bullet wound in his forehead.


    She hated Delmark, but Victor had murdered him. It wasn¡¯t a fight. He had simply picked a moment when Delmark was distracted and killed him.


    Victor shrugged. ¡°He intended to interfere with the pursuit of justice, and moreover, he tried to kill me.¡±


    Gretta gave Victor a confused look. ¡°Tried to kill you?¡±


    ¡°On your feet,¡± Victor said. ¡°Let¡¯s find a comfortable place to¡­ talk.¡±


    Gretta considered her options. She was handcuffed, and Victor was trigger-happy. She couldn¡¯t do magic, and he could. He was multiple inches taller than her and quite a few more pounds. She had martial arts training, but he likely did as well. She was poorly rested after spending the night in a cage, and he looked fresh like he slept on a memory foam mattress. Asshole. She stood.


    Victor smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad we can be civil. First door on the left, have a seat.¡± He gestured to a room on the left.


    Gretta walked ahead of Victor and went into the small interrogation room. She assumed it was an interrogation room. The table and chairs were bolted to the ground, and one hole wall was a giant mirror. Nobody chose the hard steel and mirror aesthetic for a relaxing time.


    She hesitated for a moment and then decided to sit. While there would come a time to resist, this wasn¡¯t that time. She¡¯d get worn down and beat up over nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in shortly. Make yourself comfortable,¡± Victor said as he closed the door and left her alone.


    She could hear Victor¡¯s muffled voice. Though she couldn¡¯t make out the words, the indignant edge in his tone was unmistakable. A few moments later, Victor walked in and adjusted his tie.


    ¡°I have a busy afternoon, so I¡¯d appreciate you saving me the trouble of making you tell me the truth,¡± Victor said.


    Gretta kept her eyes on Victor¡¯s purple tie. The way he had made her kneel and cut off her access to magic was like nothing she had ever experienced. He seemed to have the ability to somehow influence her will. She wasn¡¯t sure how far he could take that or how much that cost him, but forcing an opponent to kneel at an inopportune time could be deadly. She had met very few other disciples¡ªGabriela, Rowan, and Miguel were the most recent, and none of them unsettled her the way Victor had. He had taken away her free will with a word.


    Victor seemed to nod to himself. ¡°Tell me what you know about Lucia Vega-Martinez.¡±


    Gretta shrugged. ¡°When I was looking for Sofia, I found that she had a sister named Maria Martinez, who owned the cabin where I found Miguel. Other than that, I don¡¯t know much. For some reason, you guys think Lucia hired me, but she did not. And that¡¯s all I got for you.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Victor said. ¡°You don¡¯t think you are lying. I wonder what that means.¡±


    She looked up and accidentally looked into his green eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a human lie detector?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I believe it''s well established that no one thinks we are human.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve answered your question,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing wrong. All I¡¯ve done is try to save a little girl from a mad woman. That¡¯s not a crime.¡±


    Victor smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing you¡¯ve done. You have broken the laws of nature.¡±


    She smirked. ¡°And the FBI has jurisdiction over the laws of nature?¡±


    ¡°Only my lady, the goddess of order, has that jurisdiction, but I am her tool here. I will have to pray, and she will decide your fate.¡±


    Defiance welled up in Gretta. He was a tool. A dangerous tool, but she wasn¡¯t going to die in this basement without a fight.

 Chapter 33. Swimming with Angels

    Rowan and Marcus walked side-by-side into the massive, metal city. Every surface was sharp, matte black metal. Only a psychopath could have designed something so unwelcoming. There were no benches or chairs, and you couldn¡¯t lean against a wall without being cut or pierced. Even the ground was made from unforgiving dimpled metal plates that hurt his joints while walking on it.


    ¡°So, this is what the god of power¡¯s soul looks like,¡± Rowan commented.


    ¡°What do you think power is?¡± Marcus asked with a hint of condescension in his voice.


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Guess it¡¯s what keeps the lights on.¡±


    ¡°Power is the ability to remove obstacles. Anyone can have anything they want as long as they can take it. Most people are weak, though, and can¡¯t remove the obstacles preventing them from having their desires.¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Not everything a person wants can be taken.¡±


    Marcus gestured around with his glowing spear tip. ¡°I can take anything. That is the nature of power. If something stands in my way, I have the strength to make it mine.¡±


    Rowan studied the red-orange horizon. ¡°Some things can only be given.¡±


    ¡°Absurd,¡± Marcus said. ¡°If something can be had, then it can be mine.¡±


    Rowan smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of love, have you?¡±


    ¡°Useless and sentimental.¡± Marcus was silent for a moment. ¡°I see what you are implying: one cannot take love. But you are wrong¡ªlove can be won by overcoming obstacles, which requires power.¡±


    ¡°I can see why you and Ellie got together,¡± Rowan said.


    Marcus scoffed. ¡°I doubt you know anything about me. We only met while preparing for the ascension, and you were oblivious to everything. If you are telling me that she gave you love, then you are a fool.¡±


    Rowan nodded. ¡°No, Ellie never loved me. And it¡¯s true that I¡¯m not much for reading old books, but I¡¯m here in your soul now, and there¡¯s more than a few subtle hints about who you are.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what she saw in you,¡± Marcus said.


    Rowan coughed. ¡°I think she dated me to get revenge on her parents. I doubt she was ever interested in me.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Marcus said. "Trust me¡ªliterally no one thought it was because of your looks or your inability to read.¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Rowan said tonelessly. ¡°It¡¯s fun breaking down my failed relationship with Ellie, but is that really why I¡¯m here?¡±


    Marcus clapped Rowan on the back. ¡°You¡¯re the one that came here, but now that I have you, I don¡¯t want you mucking up my return to Earth.¡±


    ¡°Why is it that you want to return to Earth? You have all these¡­ creations to keep your company.¡± Rowan pointed toward the clusters of Ellie angels that, he supposed, were squadrons or maybe flocks.


    Marcus chuckled. ¡°They look great, but as you pointed out, this is all me, and they¡¯re more or less robots without a single interesting thought.¡±


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    ¡°So, you are going back to Earth because you are lonely?¡±


    Marcus grabbed Rowan by the arm and swung him around. He jabbed a finger into Rowan¡¯s chest with each word. ¡°I have been alone for twenty-five years.¡±


    ¡°Do you trim those nails?¡± Rowan rubbed his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve been virtually alone for the same time.¡±


    Marcus¡¯s laugh took on a maniacal tone. ¡°Virtually alone! On Earth! People are everywhere. Even if you didn¡¯t talk to them, you saw and heard them. You don¡¯t know true isolation.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re lonely and decided that it was worth it to kill a little girl to return?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to understand. Not yet. You¡¯ve been allowed to walk around on Earth for years.¡± Marcus shoved Rowan, sending him flying into a steel wall. ¡°Do you know how few people have the potential to host a god? You have to have at least disciple-level power. That¡¯s not even one in a million people.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a child.¡± Rowan stood and brushed himself off.


    ¡°She¡¯s a mortal,¡± Marcus said, ¡°They don¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°What about Gabriela?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°My mother?¡± Marcus laughed. ¡°A useful tool, like any other mortal.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Said like a man trying to protect his mother from an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself,¡± Marcus said. ¡°You¡¯re not much of an enemy, and you aren¡¯t leaving here to threaten her.¡±


    ¡°How are you planning to keep me here?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°I¡¯m the only one that can travel the void.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even do that well,¡± Marcus said. ¡°You ran into me like a kid with a learner¡¯s permit in a grocery store parking lot.¡±


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds!¡± Rowan rubbed his forehand. ¡°I probably should have looked both ways.¡±


    The ground began to shift. Rowan had to cover his ears as a grinding sound reverberated through his being. A large glass case filled with water rose up from a dark opening. There was a clunk as the gears stopped, and the glass case came to rest. Water sloshed as a metal cover was lifted by four angels.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I can¡¯t kill you. You¡¯re as immortal as the rest of us. I might try to blow off some steam, but I¡¯ll need a place to put you when I''m done. I figure that most of what you can do will be hampered by a few thousand gallons of water, which should keep you here until the next time I want to toy with you. Maybe you¡¯ll understand what being alone is truly like by then.¡±


    ¡°A few thousand gallons,¡± Rowan repeated. ¡°Thanks for making it so spacious.¡±


    ¡°Least I can do since you¡¯ll be drowning non-stop for eternity.¡±


    ¡°Very thoughtful,¡± Rowan said. He pointed at the massive spire in the center of the town. ¡°And that¡¯s where your consciousness resides?¡±


    When Marcus looked toward the spire, Rowan pulled in magic and shaped it into the perfect illusion of himself. Using all of his will, he had the illusion move while he blended himself into the wall. It wasn¡¯t invisibility, but Marcus might buy it if he wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    Marcus shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m pretty much everywhere. You get that this is my soul, right?¡± Then his eyes narrowed, and he looked at the illusionary Rowan.


    Rowan was about to shift into his raven form, but Marcus spun around and hurled his spear. The searing hot tip lanced straight through his shoulder and pinned Rowan to the steel wall.


    ¡°I heard about your illusions from Ellie,¡± Marcus said.


    Rowan tugged at the spear, but it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°You talk?¡± Rowan asked through gritted teeth. ¡°I thought you were alone.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t talk directly. We have to pass messages through our disciples like teenagers.¡± Marcus stood over Rowan. ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like having a disciple.¡±


    Rowan panted as he tugged at the immovable spear. ¡°How do you get new disciples?¡±


    ¡°The secret is always to have more than one.¡± Marcus grabbed the spear shaft and yanked. ¡°That way, if you lose one, you have others, and your faith doesn¡¯t die out.¡±


    Rowan collapsed to the ground, bleeding. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many people capable of being a disciple.¡±


    ¡°Which is why it¡¯s important to keep them all to yourself,¡± Marcus said. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you came here to learn how to be a god or if you are stupid.¡±


    Rowan tried to stand. ¡°Evidence suggests the latter.¡±


    Marcus kicked Rowan in the chest, hurling him into the steel wall again. ¡°Clearly.¡±


    With a whistle, two angels descended. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind the dark. I don¡¯t want to spend eternity looking at you.¡± He looked to the angels. ¡°Put him in the tank, then send it back below to the high-security area.¡±

 Chapter 34. Soda Pop

    A knock at the interrogation room door startled Gretta. Victor stood, never taking his eyes from Gretta, as he stepped out and shut the door behind himself.


    At most, she had moments before he returned. Now was her chance to mount an attack. She reached for her magic. The oily feeling was still there, making the magic slip through her mental grasp. She fought it, but it wasn¡¯t containing her mind so much as coating it. It didn¡¯t resist, but she still couldn¡¯t grasp the magic, no matter how hard she tried. She feared she might give herself an aneurysm from the effort. Her mind raced as she imagined being permanently incapable of magic.


    The handle on the door wiggled, and she knew Victor was about to step back in.


    There were many types of magic, and while she generally pulled magic from the Wild Mother¡¯s domain, there were other domains, like that of the Beacon¡¯s domain. The Beacon was the goddess of order, whereas the Trickster was the god of chaos. Maybe chaos magic would work where other forms of magic would not? Her connection to the other domains was tenuous at best. She could work minor spells from the chaos domain, but even untying shoelaces was typically exhausting.


    The door cracked open, and she knew her time was up. She closed her eyes and reached for chaos magic. At first, it slipped past, but then the slightest hint of magic returned to her mind, and she felt hope.


    ¡°Stop pulling magic, or you die now,¡± Victor said.


    Gretta opened her eyes. Victor stood in the doorway with his gun trained on her face. Agent Mackinaw stood slightly behind Victor with his weapon out but not trained on her. She released the thread of magic. She couldn¡¯t do anything powerful enough and quick enough with chaos magic to risk being shot in the head.


    ¡°Return her to her cell,¡± Victor ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you.¡±


    Mackinaw stepped into the room, towering over Victor. His face was an unreadable mask, but she thought she saw hate in his eyes. Victor shouldn¡¯t sleep with his doors unlocked.


    ¡°On your feet,¡± Mackinaw said in his deep voice. ¡°Don¡¯t make this difficult. We¡¯re still cleaning up Delmark¡¯s body, and the cleaning crew will be even unhappier if we make another mess.¡±


    Gretta stood and let Mackinaw guide her from the room and down the short hall toward her cell. With every step closer, she was carrying herself toward an inevitable autopsy. Victor had felt her pull chaos magic. He wasn¡¯t going to let her out of that room again. She wanted to fight back, but she sensed Victor watching her every move. He¡¯d shoot her the moment she pulled on magic, and she didn¡¯t know a chaos spell powerful enough to save her from a clip of bullets.


    Men in overalls were mopping the floor where Delmark¡¯s body had been. She noticed that Mackinaw had been gentle, and while his hand completely encircled her bicep, he wasn¡¯t squeezing. She¡¯d been on the jiujitsu mat with too many asshats, and when they grabbed a limb with their oversized hands, they could squeeze hard enough to turn her arms into swollen, bruised sausages. Mackinaw was being gentle.


    ¡°The floor is slick. Watch your step,¡± Mackinaw said.


    Gretta bit back a retort. There was no sense in alienating the only person showing her a hint of compassion. He wasn¡¯t an ally, but he wasn¡¯t doing this willingly, either.


    When they crossed the threshold, Gretta felt the void where her magic should be, and the blue runes flared to life. Did they block all magic? She reached for chaos.


    Gretta slipped on the wet floor, and Mackinaw caught her.


    ¡°Into the cell,¡± Mackinaw said.


    Gretta stepped into the cell, and Mackinaw closed the door.


    He pulled out a small key. ¡°Hold out your hands.¡±


    She complied, and in a moment, he had the cuffs off.


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    ¡°I¡¯m going to my office,¡± Victor said from the hall. ¡°I¡¯ll be unavailable for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Big plans, Vic?¡± Gretta asked.


    Victor eyed her. ¡°You live while the goddess wills it.¡± He spun and walked away.


    Gretta wobbled her head and held out a hand in a mocking imitation of Victor. ¡°You¡¯ll get the stick pulled out of your ass when the goddess wills it.¡±


    Mackinaw looked nervously from Gretta to the hallway, but if Victor had heard, he didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Be careful,¡± he whispered. ¡°If he sees that on the recording, he might make you wish you were dead.¡±


    Gretta rolled her eyes. ¡°And now the big, bad Mac is going to threaten me?¡±


    Mackinaw cleared his throat. ¡°My name is Agent Mackinaw, and that wasn¡¯t a threat. You don¡¯t know what he¡¯s capable of.¡±


    Gretta laughed and probably sounded like somebody who had lost her mind. ¡°Like killing one of his coworkers in cold blood?¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡± Mackinaw held out both hands in a keep-it-down gesture. ¡°And yes. He doesn¡¯t see you as human. You¡¯re less than an insect to him.¡±


    Gretta raised one eyebrow. ¡°I recall that you called me Subject 16?¡±


    Mackinaw winced. ¡°Ms. Sullivan.¡± He took in a breath. ¡°Gretta. Please understand that this is an impossible situation. There¡¯s only been one survivor of this containment unit, and she was nothing like you.¡±


    Gretta leaned forward and whispered, ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°Lucia Martinez.¡± Mackinaw glanced back at the camera and started to back away.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°A few days ago,¡± he said. ¡°Before then, I wouldn¡¯t have thought it was possible. Your kind can¡¯t do magic here¡ªthe containment room is state of the art.¡±


    Mackinaw plucked a soda off the counter near the door. He passed it to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s a few calories and some hydration. I doubt Victor will be pissed enough to kill me, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t tell him I gave it to you. He might be trying to wear you down with hunger and thirst.¡±


    Gretta looked at the camera. ¡°And you¡¯re not worried about him seeing me?¡±


    Mackinaw shrugged. ¡°In for a penny. I¡¯ll be up there and watching in a few minutes. If he heard anything up to this point, I¡¯m already dead, but if he hasn¡¯t, I¡¯ll have a chance to clean it up.¡±


    Gretta held the cold soda can for a few seconds while she watched him walk away. The door shut, leaving her in the dark. Mackinaw was risking his life over 150 calories and 12 fluid ounces of carbonated water. Was he stupid? Was he that kind? Or, this was part of some elaborate good cop act. Hell, maybe it would drug her and make her pass out. Or maybe he just wanted to watch her pee in the bucket again. Eff that.


    She tossed the soda can directly at the camera. She nailed it, the camera¡¯s lens shattered, and the blinking red light went black. Soda sprayed as the can spun wildly on the floor for a few moments before rolling into a corner where it hissed and bubbled.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to see me coming.¡±


    Certainly, Mackinaw would know something was wrong when he reached the surveillance room and saw that the camera was out, but by then, it¡¯d be too late.


    With a mad grin, she reached out for the chaos magic again. This time, she found it with ease. Whatever oily magic Victor had used on her was gone. Only the runes blocking her nature magic remained. But those runes didn¡¯t react to the chaos magic at all.


    ¡°Draleq,¡± she whispered and touched the cage¡¯s lock.


    Magic rushed through her mind and out of her hand. She had never felt this much strength empower one of her chaos spells. It was nearly on par with one of her nature spells.


    Arcs of blue lightning danced along the metal. The lock clicked, and the door swung open.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered to the god of chaos. ¡°And thank you for Rowan.¡±


    A faint male voice whispered in her mind, making a strangled ''glrrrrk'' sound.


    She shrugged. Maybe the god of chaos forgot how to talk.


    The door to the containment center was still locked, but this would be with a digital lock. She could try the same spell again, but she had a plan. She went over to the counter that had held various autopsy tools earlier and found it empty. She flipped through the drawers until she found a set of clean scalpels on a tray. She grabbed one and then proceeded to slash through rune after rune on the wall.


    Within moments, she had rendered the magic containment useless. When the third rune was damaged beyond repair, she felt her nature magic rush back. She pulled at it, and the shift came instantly¡ªshe was a tiger.


    What had been a nearly dark room to her human eyes was now a panorama of color. She made a low rumble of pleasure. The chemical cleaner tickled her nose. She listened intently and heard no coming footsteps. Mackinaw hadn¡¯t alerted anybody yet.


    With the runes down, even if they caught her again, they couldn¡¯t hold her. They¡¯d have to kill her, and that¡¯s how she preferred it.


    She backed up and studied the door. It was meant to keep humans in. Gathering herself to pounce, she mused that a prehistoric-sized Amur tiger exceeded its design specs by roughly 700 pounds of pissed-off cat.

 Chapter 35. Glrrrrk

    Rowan dangled between two angels as they flew him toward the large aquarium Marcus had designed as the Trickster¡¯s tomb, torture chamber, and display case. Rowan¡¯s bleeding and injured shoulder sent jolts of pain through him. The angels stunk of oil and diesel, a smell Marcus must have intended for reasons unclear to Rowan.


    Rowan struggled, but the metal angels had a literal steel grip. He pondered shifting to crow form. Could he fly faster than the angels? Their wings seemed more like decoration than propulsion, meaning they were flying using magic rather than physics. He remembered how fast they had filled the sky and doubted he could outpace them. If Marcus had talked to Ellie, then he had likely planned for Rowan if for no other reason than Marcus was not just the god of power but the god of strategy. If Marcus was anything, he was calculated.


    He looked around for Marcus and spotted him strolling toward the aquarium. He wasn¡¯t going to supervillain this execution and leave Rowan to die alone. Overachieving, effing murderers.


    At this point, Rowan was less worried about dying than being trapped in the aquarium and not dying. Each beat of an angel¡¯s wing brought him closer, and now the open aquarium was only feet away. He needed to escape now.


    He pulled in magic, and both angels holding him turned their glowing eyes on him. He could feel the heat radiating from those stares. A deeper red formed within each iris. He suspected that was the only warning he¡¯d get. He shifted into a spider as molten bolts of steel shot through the space his head had been moments before. The abrupt change in weight caused the angel he was riding to bolt up a few feet higher, and the arm holding him jerked up even higher. The angel¡¯s slick arm flung Rowan through the air. As he spun downward, he realized why the oil on the angel¡¯s skin mattered. Marcus had thought of everything.


    Rowan fell straight into the aquarium with a little plop.


    ¡°Seal it,¡± Marcus said.


    Rowan¡¯s eight legs floundered in the water as a giant metal cover settled above him, blocking the sky. He was sinking, and while air trapped between the hairs of his carapace would allow him to breathe for a few hours, he was going to drown in here if he didn¡¯t do something. He could use his remaining energy to shift to an octopus, the form he had only used once before, but that was a card he wanted to save. If Marcus knew about Rowan¡¯s octopus shape, the god of strategy wouldn¡¯t have made a prison of water.


    An odd sensation came over Rowan, a request as someone far away in reality pulled on chaos magic. He saw a new surrounding. Through the bars of a cell, he could see glowing blue runes on the walls. Oddly, a can of soda was in the corner, fizzing loudly from a small puncture. From the vantage point of the spellcaster, he saw a feminine hand reach out toward a lock and whisper, ¡°Draleq.¡±


    The spell was weak, but he recognized the freckles on the back of the hand, and with every ounce of energy he had, he willed magic to flow to Gretta to power her spell. He released the last of his stored strength.


    A crash, hiss, and thunk brought his consciousness back to his watery prison. A molten-tipped spear had cut straight through the metal top of the aquarium and smashed through his body. He was on fire and drowning, and none of his limbs were working.


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    In his mind, he heard the whispered words: Thank you. And thank you for Rowan.


    He tried to respond ¡®Good luck,¡¯ but all he could manage was: glrrrrk!


    His consciousness didn¡¯t fade into oblivion. Instead, it shifted into the Astral. He knew his consciousness was back in his human body because of the absurd pain in his stabbed shoulder, but he guessed he was in the Astral because he was looking down at Marcus, who was holding a spear and glaring at the aquarium as if daring something mighty to blow the lid off. He mused that maybe Marcus suspected he had a secret combat form. While untrue, it might be something Rowan could use against Marcus in the future.


    The real giveaway he was in the Astral was that, despite floating in the open air, none of the hundreds of angels seemed to see him.


    The chaos magic that had tied him to Gretta still buzzed in his awareness, the last remnants of his magic draining as his body was annihilated. His Astral form wavered, fragile and insubstantial, barely held together by magic ungrounded from any physical body. He could feel himself slipping back, reality reasserting itself as Marcus¡¯s world dragged him down. Even the angels sensed his return, their eyes snapping toward the spot where he would soon solidify.


    He clung to the last strands of chaos, letting them drag him skyward. If he wasn¡¯t fast enough, he¡¯d snap back into reality¡ªvisible, vulnerable, and wingless.


    Even as he gained altitude, the angels closed in, spears flashing past him, slicing through his incorporeal form like they expected him to suddenly decide to be solid.


    When the shift was inevitable, he returned to Marcus¡¯s reality as a raven, and felt relief that the shift had not cost him more¡ªas he was completely drained and passing out now would lead to a very uncomfortable eternity. Spears shot through the point his human heart would have been, and he banked to the right, gave a mighty flap of his wings, and slipped back into the void.


    Even as he broke free, he felt his broken spider form snap back to the Astral. His relief at being free was short-lived as Marcus unleashed a massive pull of raw magic, creating a vortex that threatened to drag him back.


    He beat his wings against the pull and mentally sought a strand of nature magic. A terrifying moment passed when he felt his tail feathers touch Marcus¡¯s domain again, but then Rowan found the thread he was looking for and grabbed hold. It wasn¡¯t much. It was just a trickle of magic, but it was enough to pull himself free from the vortex and further out into the void.


    As he glided, he spotted the soft emerald glow of Abby¡¯s domain. Taking care to watch for any other domains that might blindside him, he floated gracefully into the light and out into a lush green world of giant trees and meandering animals of every description.


    Laying on a small island on a patch of soft grass was a woman he¡¯d know from anywhere: his best friend, Abby. She was dressed in a flowing violet dress, and her short dark hair was nearly as wild as Rowan¡¯s. She looked almost nothing like her niece Gretta, except maybe something about the shape of those twinkling blue eyes.


    ¡°Why is your tail still on fire?¡±


    Rowan didn¡¯t land so much as he tumbled through the grass, still smoldering.


    ¡°Stay still, and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Abby was smiling despite the seriousness of Rowan¡¯s condition. She clearly knew that, as an immortal, he wouldn¡¯t die on her, and this would make a great story to mock him with later.


    ¡°Cookie ice cream,¡± Rowan managed to squawk.


    Abby¡¯s smile turned mischievous. ¡°You think the cookie ice cream story is going to prevent me from telling everybody about the burning raven who landed so hard in my domain that he shit on my grass?¡±


    Rowan let out a baleful squawk.

 Chapter 36. Performance Review

    Gretta stood atop the twisted wreckage of a metal door. Four hits¡ªmore than she expected¡ªhad finally done the job, leaving her in the hallway of a below-ground level in the FBI¡¯s regional office in Tucson. There were three side doors, two of which led to interrogation rooms, and a third had remained closed on her brief trip past, so she was unsure of what was there.


    Drywall dust hung in the air, a silent testament to the force of her blows. She sneezed.


    An elevator door was at the end of the hall. The light above it displayed the number three and then shifted to a glowing number two. Gretta stalked forward, noting the cameras in the hall watching her.


    She¡¯d seen enough movies to know what came next¡ªagents bursting through the door, guns blazing, and grenades flying.


    Her eyes darted to the exit sign on the door next to the elevator, observing its strangely reassuring information about fire escape protocols. If she were an FBI agent about to take on a ticked-off giant tiger, she''d make sure there was a way out. The stairwell would be perfect for that since they could shoot and retreat. What if the moving elevator was a distraction? Maybe a giant cat trap?


    On her hind legs, she swatted the camera off the wall, then crushed it underfoot. The least she could do was blind them.


    After a few precious moments, she decided they¡¯d come from the stairwell, not the elevator. However, the elevator would have a camera, and it wouldn¡¯t be a safe way to exit. She had the strength for one more shift, but a second would knock her out.


    She¡¯d lost track of time in the FBI office. Judging by the silence, it was night. The building might be mostly empty. She decided that any plan involving sneaking through the building vents would require too much shape-shifting. Speed and surprise were her only advantages.


    A tiger''s paw wasn¡¯t great at opening a door meant to pull, but she managed it after two attempts. She had to squeeze into the steel and cinderblock stairwell.


    She could hear footsteps running down¡ªlikely one person. The stairwell was dim but not dark enough to hide. She padded up the first flight, rounded the corner, and bounded up to the next in one go.


    There, she came face to face with Agent Mackinaw, who froze with both hands raised in front of him.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have his gun out, and he would not hurt her, but not because of any kindness on his part. No, this decision was hers, and she would do the hurting.


    Her mouth opened, and a rumble echoed through the stairwell. Mackinaw glanced back and then to her. Sweat dripped down his temple. He swallowed hard as she leaned in, her fangs inches from his face.


    ¡°Look, that kid you were with was abducted from child services,¡± he stammered.


    This made Gretta pause. She huffed impatiently, and the released breath pushed Mackinaw¡¯s hair back.


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    He seemed to sense that he was still breathing because he had something interesting to say, so he continued. ¡°Um. She was in child services, and there was a break-in. S-somebody took her.¡±


    Gretta let out another rumbling growl that reverberated off the walls.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I know! Look¡ªI wasn¡¯t going to hurt you. My gun wasn¡¯t even out!¡±


    Her eyes narrowed, and she inhaled as she inched forward. Mackinaw stood perfectly still as she let out a bellowing roar that shook the building.


    He closed his eyes, appearing to accept his fate. He whispered, ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I was trying to help you.¡±


    She¡¯d press him for more information but couldn¡¯t risk shifting to human. Gretta swept out with one paw and knocked him aside, then leaped up the flight of stairs, leaving Mackinaw lying on the stairwell landing, staring up after her.


    When she reached the ground floor, she saw a door with signs that read, ¡°Emergency Exit¡± and ¡°Warning: Alarm will sound!¡±


    She pushed the door open, allowing the cool night air to envelop her. The building alarm began blaring. In front of her was a dark, empty parking lot. Realizing she needed to move, she dashed across the lot and into an alley.


    A homeless man was rummaging through a plastic bag of belongings. When he noticed her, she was already dashing past. He let out a frightened yelp, but she didn¡¯t stop to look back. She needed to put as much distance between herself and the FBI¡¯s office as possible. She wasn¡¯t sure if Agent Mackinaw was genuinely helping her or if he was an idiot. Frankly, she was leaning toward the second option. Victor had already lost Lucia and Rowan. Now her? That was three magic users in a week. Yeah, that wouldn¡¯t look great on his Bureau performance review.


    A tiger is not a long-distance runner. While she could easily do forty miles per hour for a few hundred yards, she couldn¡¯t sustain that. Beyond the issue of overheating, her muscles were suited for powerful, short bursts of usage, and they were not capable of sustained running and would cramp up if pushed too far. She didn¡¯t have as much endurance as a human or a small cat, and an otter or elephant wasn¡¯t better for a long, fast escape. She had enough for one last shift¡ªshe''d hold onto it, saving it for the right moment.


    She could hear police sirens and imagined a call for all units to converge on the area. Since there were no street lights, she kept to the side streets and alleys and only crossed one major well-lit street as she worked north toward the desert.


    It was a long path, and she occasionally saw people and cars. However, as she neared the edge of the city, she felt she had managed to avoid enough people that she would escape. For the few people who saw her, tonight would be one hell of a story¡ªbut Gretta doubted anyone would believe a tiger had been on the loose.


    A teenage boy sat on his bike in the middle of the road, staring at her. He seemed oblivious to everything but her, and she noticed a car approaching, wondering if he would move. She decided that the best way to help him was to stop being a spectacle. That was when she heard the roar of an engine.


    She spun around, eyes searching for the threat. Headlights flared, blinding her. Then¡ªwham. The impact sent her tumbling down the road.


    The car''s hood was destroyed, and the driver¡¯s side headlight was dark. Gretta blinked as she watched the driver get out of the vehicle. Pain was screaming through her body, and as she tried to get up, she realized her shoulder was broken.


    The teenage boy muttered, ¡°Whoa¡­¡± His eyes flicked from Gretta to the crumpled car and then to the man stepping out. His face paled as he saw the gun. ¡°Nope!¡± He whipped his bike around and pedaled like hell.


    Gretta pulled on healing magic, using what strength she had left to try to mend as the driver started walking toward her with unhurried steps. He was smoking a cigarette. As he took a slow drag, the cherry light was enough for her to make out his face.


    Victor let the smoke curl from his lips, eyes locked on her like a predator amused by its prey. Then, smirking, he said, ¡°You should have stayed in your cell.¡±

 Chapter 37. Charmed

    ¡°Stop squirming,¡± Abby said.


    Rowan was still in raven form. Abby held him with one hand on his feathery chest while cradling his burnt, broken body with the other.


    Rowan let out a squawk and said, ¡°Tickles!¡±


    Abby was smiling down at him, but her words were stern. ¡°I know you are ticklish, but you¡¯re also pretty busted up. Stay still for like two seconds. If I mend the bones crooked, I¡¯ll have to rebreak them, which will be more fun for me than you.¡±


    Rowan stayed as still as he could manage. A gentle pulse of magic flowed over him, through him, and even into the astral, where he felt it touch his other forms. Moments passed, and he felt like he was drifting along in a river of warm, bubbly water while drinking a cool, fruity beverage. The feeling subsided, and he ached in the absence of its comfort.


    ¡°All done.¡± She set him down and waved her hand over the grassy area, cleaning away all evidence of his unpleasant landing.


    Rowan drew in magic and shifted back to human. ¡°Thank you so much! I seriously need to learn to heal.¡±


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t such an idiot, you¡¯d know that you¡¯re a god and that your body is just a physical manifestation of¡ª¡±


    Rowan hugged her. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡±


    Abby smirked and returned his hug. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, too.¡±


    Rowan pulled away. ¡°Oh! I have something from your girlfriend!¡± He held out the small, dark crystal.


    Abby frowned as she took it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Rowan grinned. ¡°Hold it up to about eye level and imagine Nadia¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°If this is a trick, you won¡¯t be happy,¡± she said suspiciously. ¡°I have more than the bird shit story saved up, you know. Nobody knows about the time you were stuck in the cafeteria¡¯s fridge without¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a trick,¡± he said. ¡°Imagine her face.¡±


    Abby held up the stone and closed her eyes for a moment. A moment passed where nothing happened, and then a tendril of green lightning shot into the sky. There was an answering tendril of purple, and they wound together and formed a dancing bond before fading from view.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Abby asked.


    ¡°Pure magic,¡± Nadia said. She stood in front of Abby, holding her own crystal. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes.


    Abby tentatively reached out, and when her hand touched Nadia¡¯s face, she began to cry. They stood there frozen, more than magic dancing between them.


    ¡°Uh, maybe I should leave you two¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stay put,¡± Abby said to Rowan without taking her eyes off Nadia.


    Abby leaned in and kissed Nadia. It was a soft, slow kiss, and both women had tears streaking their faces.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if we¡¯d ever see each other again,¡± Abby whispered.


    ¡°Nothing can keep us apart,¡± Nadia said.


    Rowan cleared his throat. ¡°Um. Maybe I can swing back here in a few years.¡±


    Nadia looked annoyed, but Abby laughed and pulled back from Nadia. They held hands as if they were afraid to let go.


    Using the hand that held the crystal, she waved at an open spot on the ground. A stone pedestal rose to chest height. On it was a delicate golden chain with a small tiger medallion.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Rowan said as he moved closer and studied the pendant.


    ¡°It¡¯s not for you,¡± Abby said, leaving off the implied ¡®dolt.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s for Gretta.¡±


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    Rowan picked it up and felt a jolt of magic. This wasn¡¯t just jewelry; it was magic seamlessly woven into existence, much like the crystal artifacts Nadia had crafted.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Rowan asked.


    ¡°For her to survive the trials I expect to come over the next few years, she¡¯ll need more than gifts I could give her.¡±


    Rowan could see the magic dancing in the medal. He recognized it. ¡°This isn¡¯t just magic. This is part of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what an artifact is,¡± Nadia said. ¡°Idiot.¡±


    Rowan turned and looked back. ¡°So that crystal¡ªit¡¯s part of you?¡±


    Nadia nodded. ¡°Giving up a little of what I am to be with Abby is worth all of me.¡±


    ¡°But you had me carry it¡­ Marcus intercepted me. He could have taken it from me, and you¡¯d have been weakened forever.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± Nadia said. ¡°And you are the only one who can bring an artifact from a god¡¯s domain to anywhere else, so I had to take that risk.¡±


    Rowan held up the necklace. ¡°Abby, you¡¯re asking me to bring this to Earth? What will happen if somebody takes it from me or Gretta?¡±


    ¡°Once Gretta wears it, nobody will be able to take it from her,¡± Abby said. ¡°Just don¡¯t lose it before she can put it on.¡±


    Rowan frowned. ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll let her shift into the astral for brief periods, no matter what form she¡¯s in, which will make her harder to contain and give her options to avoid getting shot.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Wow! She¡¯ll be able to slip into the astral at will?¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, she doesn¡¯t have the strength to stay in the astral for long, but even a few seconds may be enough to save her life.¡±


    ¡°The only time I¡¯ve been in the astral is when Marcus smashed me like a bug¡ªliterally! I was a spider.¡±


    Abby growled. ¡°Spiders are not bugs. Nor are they insects. Bugs are in the order Hemiptera!¡± Her expression hardened, as if daring him to argue.


    Rowan grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve missed your lectures.¡±


    Abby frowned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t need to lecture if you read once in a while.¡±


    Nadia cleared her throat. ¡°Well, as a god, you can enter the astral at will, if you know how. I believe the astral is closer to the void than reality. While trying to find a way back to Abby, I researched the astral to see if I could traverse it, but even though I could feel the void, I couldn¡¯t pass into it.¡±


    Rowan blinked. ¡°So, I could just stay in the astral all the time?¡±


    Nadia shrugged. ¡°If you chose to, but it¡¯s like being a ghost. You can¡¯t touch, smell, or taste anything, and nobody will see or touch you. As a god, it takes a fair amount of energy to untether yourself from reality, and a certain amount of belief that you should be untethered, but once there, the only thing that would bring you back is the belief you should be back.¡±


    ¡°So when Marcus smited me into the astral, I only came back because I thought I should?¡±


    Abby shook her head. ¡°Smote. Technically, he smote you.¡±


    Nadia arched a brow. ¡°And he¡¯s your best friend?¡±


    ¡°Okay, after he smote me and I went into the astral, I felt like I was going to come back. That was all in my head?¡±


    ¡°What were you doing?¡± Nadia asked.


    ¡°I was trying to get out of his domain before his laser-eyed, Ellie angels stabbed me with lava spears.¡±


    Abby looked confused. ¡°Laser-eyed? Ellie angels?¡±


    ¡°Lava spears?¡± Nadia asked.


    ¡°Marcus¡¯s whole dark-steel motif with fire and lava accents might have been cool¡ªif he hadn¡¯t been trying to kill me. He had a whole army of angels that looked like Ellie, and their spears were tipped with molten metal, and their eyes could shoot heat rays.¡±


    ¡°Men,¡± Abby and Nadia said in unison.


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Anyway, I felt like I was forced out of the astral.¡±


    Nadia nodded. ¡°If you were trying to get out, maybe you were at the edge of his domain? The astral is thin as you reach the edge of a reality, and it may not be able to hold your full consciousness. And once you reached the void, there is no astral. It only exists within realities.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling tired,¡± Abby said.


    ¡°It takes a lot of energy to sustain a connection,¡± Nadia said sadly. ¡°We can rest and connect again soon. If you hold the stone, you will feel a tug on it when I¡¯m calling. Simply imagine me, and the connection will complete.¡±


    ¡°I may never set it down again,¡± Abby said.


    Nadia gave Abby a tender kiss, caressing her cheek, and then vanished.


    Abby watched the spot where Nadia had been for a moment longer before turning to Rowan. She cleared her throat and wiped away her tears. ¡°Thank you so much for bringing us back together.¡±


    ¡°You know that I¡¯d do anything for you,¡± Rowan said.


    Abby smiled sadly. ¡°That is why I¡¯m trusting you with the necklace for Gretta. When she became a disciple, there was only so much I could do to bless her. She is a powerful healer and shapeshifter, but bullets are the great equalizer among mortals.¡±


    ¡°They kill me, too,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s only because you let them,¡± Abby said.


    Rowan was about to object when a pained look crossed Abby¡¯s face.


    Abby let out a grunt as she seemed to make a herculean effort. ¡°Gretta needs help. I only have a little to give. You need to get to her.¡±


    Rowan pocked the pendant. ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±

 Chapter 38. Blast From The Past

    Sirens in the distance grew closer, but they wouldn¡¯t arrive before Gretta was dead. Not that she¡¯d expect law enforcement to side with the tiger in this situation.


    Victor held the gun under Gretta¡¯s chin. Once again, his power had made her mind incapable of manipulating magic by coating it in mystical oil, breaking her healing spell. She was still in tiger form, but getting shot in the throat at point-blank range would be fatal. With a broken shoulder, she couldn¡¯t even lunge to take him with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to let you shift back to human,¡± he said. ¡°But if I think you¡¯re pulling anything funny? I¡¯ll kill you first. I¡¯m not ending up as tiger chow¡±


    ¡°What if I do something funny?¡± A male voice asked from behind Victor.


    Gretta¡¯s eyes widened. Standing in the shadows was Rowan. He looked much the same as he always did with a hoodie and messy hair. He was grinning.


    Victor¡¯s cigarette dangled from his lip. ¡°We incinerated your body.¡±


    Rowan stepped forward, grinning. ¡°That¡¯s way nicer than what the Warlord did to me!¡±


    Gretta tried to pull healing magic, but it still slipped past her mental grip. She needed to warn Rowan.


    Rowan glanced at her and felt the order magic coating her¡ªits rigid structure the antithesis of his. He lashed out with chaos, and the spell cracked like fractured glass.


    Victor didn¡¯t seem to notice the destruction of his spell. ¡°Tell me your sins!¡± Victor demanded, his words pulsing with magic.


    Rowan sighed. ¡°Well, I figure that Abby is going to tell everybody anyway¡­ So, it was Ellie¡¯s birthday, and she was working in the cafeteria, doing food prep. Being a good boyfriend, I slipped into the walk-in cooler to wait for her. When she came to get some fresh vegetables, I was waiting for her. Anyway, long story short, when her manager wondered why it was taking so long for her to get carrots and came to check on Ellie in the cooler, there we were. Ellie was so upset with me for getting her fired that she took my clothes¡ªif you¡¯ll believe it! So, I walked out of there wearing nothing but a cardboard box and a grin.¡±


    Victor blinked. ¡°W-what?¡±


    Rowan had closed the distance between himself and Victor while telling the story and was now only two feet away. ¡°No. It¡¯s a true story. I suppose Ellie didn¡¯t tell you that one, though?¡±


    ¡°How dare you besmirch the goddess of light¡¯s name!¡± Victor swung his gun toward Rowan. ¡°Kneel!¡± He unleashed a torrent of judgment magic toward Rowan.


    Rowan leaned forward and whispered. ¡°That doesn¡¯t work on me.¡±


    Victor¡¯s finger tightened on the trigger, but he hesitated when he heard the low rumble behind him. Gretta rolled to her feet. ¡°What the¡ª¡±


    Gretta¡¯s roar sent a shockwave of silence through the night. For a mile in every direction, the world froze.


    Taking the opportunity while Victor¡¯s gun was drifting away from his face, Rowan dove on Victor and drove him to the ground. The weapon skittered away along the pavement and under Victor¡¯s damaged car.


    The sounds of sirens drew closer. Rowan wound up and slugged Victor in the body. Victor went boneless and fell to his knees.


    Rowan dusted himself off. ¡°We should get out of here.¡± He glanced at Gretta. ¡°You good to run?¡±


    Gretta nodded.


    Rowan pulled magic and shifted to coyote. He let out a yipe and dashed down an alley. Gretta took a last look at Victor. She owed him a view of his own intestines, but the sounds of screeching tires told her that she¡¯d have to wait. With a few bounds, she chased after the coyote into the open desert.


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    An hour later, the sound of sirens and the light from the city were distant. Rowan stopped and shifted to human. Gretta laid down on the ground panting.


    ¡°Tigers aren¡¯t much for long-distance running?¡± Rowan asked.


    Gretta stared at him with unblinking eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± he said. ¡°You should be safe to shift back to human now so we can talk.¡±


    She let out a low rumble.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°This will make this conversation harder, but I¡¯m willing to play charades if you are. I didn¡¯t see Sofia back there, so I assume she¡¯s someplace safe.¡±


    Gretta closed her eyes, still panting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Victor will follow after us that quickly. He¡¯d need to get his people out of bed to try to track us at night through miles of desert, where we could be hiding in ambush. And he knows from experience that it won¡¯t be easy. He¡¯s better off waiting for the morning and bringing dogs and helicopters. He¡¯ll also probably want a change of underwear.¡±


    Gretta let out a hmph of air. Then she shifted from tiger to human, and laughter burst from her. ¡°Did you smell that too? The whole trip to his office was worth it.¡±


    ¡°He caught you?¡± Rowan said with concern.


    Gretta¡¯s smile turned sober. ¡°After you¡­ left us, I got Sofia to the car, and we got away from Gabriela only to run into Victor,¡± Gretta said, bitterness in every word.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I don¡¯t think they are working together, but I don¡¯t think they are working against each other, either.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I think Gabriela has Sofia.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should explain from the beginning,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not the one responsible for all this?¡± Gretta asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been piecing together many small details, and people don¡¯t just return from the dead. I saw your body. You were dead and gone, and now you¡¯re back? Nobody can do that.¡± She swallowed hard. "Nobody mortal, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, about that¡ª¡±


    ¡°About that?¡± Gretta¡¯s voice went up an octave. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking god and didn¡¯t say anything?¡±


    Rowan winced. ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t really come up.¡± A twinge of guilt ran through him. He didn¡¯t want to be a god. He¡¯d never wanted to be a god, and being immortal wasn¡¯t the same as being powerful enough to change anything.


    ¡°I thought you were a disciple of the Trickster god, but you were the actual Trickster!¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    She stood up and marched straight at him. ¡°You¡¯re a god, and you let them take Sofia!¡±


    Rowan blinked. ¡°I haven¡¯t let anybody do anything. I¡¯ve died multiple times now trying to save her.¡±


    Gretta made air quotes. ¡°Died.¡± She slugged him in the chest. ¡°You feel pretty alive to me.¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± he said. ¡°Death hurts like crazy, and, yes, I can come back, but it¡¯s one hell of a trip. Not to mention that every time I die, another god tries to trap me forever in their home-built, eternal-suffering, insanity-inducing dungeon.¡±


    ¡°But you always escape, and you have all of eternity to do so,¡± she said. ¡°And what about Sofia?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m seriously doing everything I can to save her. She¡¯s your aunt¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s disciple.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s fist hovered in the air for a moment before she dropped it. ¡°My what?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever considered anger management classes?¡±


    Gretta raised the fist again and stepped toward him.


    ¡°Nadia, uh¡ªthe goddess of darkness and secrets, is your aunt¡¯s girlfriend, and she had mentioned that it¡¯s important that you don¡¯t look for your mother or that it¡¯ll destroy you.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s fist lowered. ¡°The goddess of secrets knows what happened to my mother? And I¡¯m not supposed to find out?!¡±


    ¡°She said your mother is gone. And that if you go looking, it¡¯ll destroy you.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s stomach twisted. ¡°Destroy me how?¡±


    Rowan hesitated, rubbing his neck. ¡°She didn¡¯t say. Just that you really, really shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Her fist curled tight again. ¡°I¡¯ve spent my whole life searching for her. And now you¡¯re telling me¡ª¡± She cut herself off, breathing hard. ¡°What else did she say?¡±


    Rowan took a careful step back. ¡°Uh, your aunt sent me with this.¡± He produced the pendant necklace for his pocket.


    ¡°We¡¯re not done talking about my mother,¡± she said, but her eyes locked at the necklace he was holding out. She might have thought it was a trick, but he could feel her goddess¡¯s magic radiating off it. Gretta reached out and took it. The moment she touched it, she knew it wasn¡¯t a trick. ¡°What is this?¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 39. A Prayer

    ¡°When Abby granted you powers, she wanted to do more, but a mortal can only hold so many gifts,¡± Rowan said. ¡°She made this to help you survive.¡±


    ¡°Is this¡ªis this an artifact?¡±


    Rowan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a piece of her soul, so you should guard it carefully.¡±


    Gretta looked alarmed and thrust it toward Rowan. ¡°I¡¯m mortal. I can¡¯t keep this safe for a week, let alone forever.¡±


    Rowan gently pushed it back toward her. ¡°I¡¯m killed way more often than you are, and way more gods have had their chance to rob me. She wanted you to wear it.¡±


    Gretta looked around the night desert as if expecting a god to step forward and try to steal the necklace at any moment.


    Rowan smiled. ¡°Abby is my best friend, and she¡¯s very smart. If she wanted you to wear it, she had a plan. She wouldn¡¯t have made it or entrusted it with you if she wasn¡¯t sure this was necessary.¡±


    Gretta tentatively slipped the pendant on. It rested against her skin for a moment before it shimmered and vanished. The pendant left behind a tattoo of the pendant itself but still moved on her skin as if it was physically present.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I guess that¡¯s not going to come off easily.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°I feel¡ªdifferent.¡±


    ¡°Abby wanted you to be able to visit the astral, which she felt would help protect you.¡±


    Gretta squinted at Rowan. ¡°I only know the basics. My other shapes exist there, tethered to this reality by the form I leave behind. They just follow me around. You can actually go there?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, I can, but you couldn¡¯t before you wore the necklace.¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°I think you get the basics. Reality¡ªboth here on Earth and in the domains of the gods¡ªis overlaid with an intangible plane called the astral. And, as you know, that is where your other shapes reside. But, if your entire essence is in the astral, you can still move around. While you are there, you can¡¯t be touched, seen, or smelled by anything back in reality.¡±


    Gretta nodded. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re basically a ghost?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a ghost, but I guess so.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°And the Wild Mother thought this would help protect me?¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s concerned that getting shot is not good for your health, and you¡¯ve been shot multiple times lately. Being intangible would avoid that.¡±


    ¡°That only works if I¡¯m always in the astral or know exactly when I¡¯m about to get shot,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°And you need the strength to go to the astral and stay there,¡± Rowan said. ¡°You probably won¡¯t be able to stay there for more than a few seconds at a time.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°So, to recap, if I think I¡¯m about to be shot and have the strength to pull myself into the astral, I can stay there a few seconds to avoid bullets.¡±


    Rowan nodded. ¡°You can also go through walls.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°How do I not fall through the floor?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fall through the floor when I went there.¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°No clue. I suspect it¡¯s best not to think about it too much. It seems like the astral is more of a place of thought than physical reality.¡±


    ¡°So, I might just fall through the floor and into the center of the Earth before coming back into reality?¡±


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    Rowan wiggled his hand in a so-so gesture. ¡°Maybe. The center of the Earth is pretty far down. You¡¯d probably end up in rock well before then.¡±


    ¡°Of all people, why did the Wild Mother have you deliver a portion of her soul to me? You make it sound like her gift is a curse.¡±


    ¡°Well, as far as we know, I¡¯m the only one that can navigate between the domains of the gods and mortal reality.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°So, she had no choice?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her best friend!¡±


    ¡°If she gave me this, I¡¯m sure it will help me, but I¡¯m scared to use it. If visiting the astral is so great, why don¡¯t you do it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°You just said that you can!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only done it once¡ªand that was while a god was killing me and you were praying to me at the same time.¡±


    Gretta put a palm on her forehead. ¡°That¡¯s right! I fucking prayed to you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for the kind words. I don¡¯t get a lot of prayers,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet. But you¡¯re dodging the subject,¡± Gretta said. ¡°You said you can do it and have even done it before. Why don¡¯t you do it rather than getting shot?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how. I guess I didn¡¯t pay attention in godhood 101.¡±


    ¡°So, the only one I know who has ever been in the astral¡¯s best advice is to not think about falling through the ground? That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got?¡±


    ¡°Well, that and don¡¯t get shot.¡±


    Gretta sighed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try to use it because I trust the Wild Mother, and she thinks it will help.¡±


    Rowan smiled. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Gretta tapped her foot impatiently. ¡°Okay, so what do I do to activate it?¡±


    ¡°Uh. I didn¡¯t ask. Maybe just¡­ think transparent thoughts?¡±


    Gretta let out a pained sigh, focused her attention on her other forms in the astral, and willed her human body to join them. The shift was easier than she expected, and she easily slipped right from reality into the astral. She was neither warm nor cold. But she felt like she could feel more magic moving through here than on the mortal plane. Despite the ease of shifting, she started to feel the drain of magic it took to remain. She was already exhausted and began to tremble with exertion.


    She gasped as her body plunged downward, swallowed by the darkness.


    As she sank, she heard Rowan say, ¡°You figured that out fast.¡±


    A moment passed as she fought off panic and exhaustion. Rowan hadn¡¯t seen her sinking, so he wouldn¡¯t know she needed help. She¡¯d have to get herself out of this. She went through the motions of taking a calming breath despite there being nothing to breathe in the astral. She just needed to reset. I have time. If Rowan can do this, how hard can it be?


    The absolute darkness of being below ground was unsettling, but as she stared up, she saw the glow of Rowan¡¯s astral being. At least, she assumed it was him. He was a translucent being of blue energy. He might have even been beautiful if he wasn¡¯t scratching his head looking at the spot she had been. Maybe it was anger or determination, but Gretta shot back up through the astral and into the air.


    When she appeared, she was a foot off the ground, looking down at Rowan, who leaned back in surprise. She landed lightly on the ground.


    She smacked him in the shoulder. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to help me?¡±


    Rowan looked confused. ¡°Help you with what? You seemed to be doing great!¡±


    Gretta glowered at him. ¡°I fell into the ground!¡±


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s exciting,¡± he said.


    She gritted her teeth. ¡°I could have died!¡±


    He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°You just disappeared. I couldn¡¯t see you, but I could still feel you nearby.¡± He made a micro shrug. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were in trouble.¡±


    Gretta smirked. ¡°Why do you look like you are pooping in your pants?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to go into the Astral,¡± he said. ¡°I have no idea how to do it.¡±


    ¡°I focused on my other forms, felt them, and then willed my body to join them,¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan¡¯s face was turning red. He let out a breath. ¡°Nadia and Abby both seemed to think I could do it, but I have no idea what the trick is.¡±


    Gretta smirked. ¡°And they didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    Rowan shook his head. ¡°Abby said you were in trouble and needed help, so I couldn¡¯t stay and get her help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to go back into the astral without a spotter,¡± she said. ¡°Falling into the ground was terrifying.¡±


    Rowan nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll get easier with practice.¡± Then he cocked his head to one side as if listening.


    Gretta smirked. ¡°What is it? Did you have your first thought?¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Sofia is praying to me.¡±

 Chapter 40. Road Trip

    Rowan rubbed his face. ¡°Gabriela has Sofia.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°She wasn¡¯t making a lot of sense. She said she could see an ¡®A¡¯ on a mountain when she looked out the window.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like Sentinel Peak. Unless somebody has painted it recently, there¡¯s a big white ¡®A¡¯ on the side. Did she say anything else?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a kid. She was rambling. She said they made her eat waffles and that it was super sticky.¡±


    Gretta looked off into the desert for a moment, thinking. ¡°There¡¯s a Waffle Barn just to the southeast of Sentinel Peak. Maybe they had it delivered, or one of them ran to get it?¡±


    ¡°There are Waffle Barns everywhere,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I doubt that means much.¡±


    ¡°There are only a few hotels down by Sentinel Peak, and maybe only two that could see the ¡®A¡¯ from a window. And there¡¯s only one Waffle Barn down there, and it¡¯s not far off the freeway. We need to get down there.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but we have no ride, we¡¯re both exhausted, and even if we get down there, there could be a hundred possible rooms.¡± Rowan scratched his head. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not used to being the voice of reason and logic. Eff it. Let¡¯s get a car and go. We¡¯ll figure it out when we get there.¡±


    Gretta playfully chucked him on the shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Let¡¯s go steal a car, get into a car chase, and fight a bunch of armed people who can also do magic!¡±


    Rowan rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta have a better inspirational speech than that.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again from ¡®eff it!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Eff it,¡± they said in unison, both grinning like maniacs as they started jogging south through the desert toward the city.


    While they were an hour out of town, running at the speed of a tiger, as a pair of humans too tired to shift, they were jogging considerably slower. When they started, the stars were clear and sharp against the deep violet sky, stretching endlessly over the open desert. But after an hour, the sky grew hazy, the glow of the approaching city bleeding out the starlight. Their footsteps crunched against packed dirt, the dry air thick with the scent of creosote and dust. Almost two hours later, as the night chill started to make their noses run and ears sting, the first flickers of city lights appeared on the horizon.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take all night to run to Sentinel Peak,¡± Gretta said between gasping breaths.


    Rowan pointed without missing a step. ¡°See that hotel?¡±


    Gretta nodded. ¡°Sure. What about it?¡±


    Rowan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s pretty nice. Looks like they have a valet service.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Gretta managed to ask.


    Rowan¡¯s smile turned into a grin. ¡°So, valets have cars and keys, which we currently do not.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t valets,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°We are tonight,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s get closer and see what we can manage.¡±


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    When they reached the hotel parking lot, they slowed to a walk, and Rowan gestured to a shadowy place around the corner from the door.


    ¡°Walk with me like we¡¯re going to go in, but then pretend you forgot something back in the car,¡± he said.


    Gretta¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll give me an excuse to stand there picking my moment to act without anybody wondering why, and it¡¯ll give you a chance to wait near the parking lot exit so I can pick you up on the way out.¡±


    Gretta sighed. ¡°I feel bad about taking somebody¡¯s car.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll get it back, or insurance will cover it,¡± he said.


    She frowned. ¡°It¡¯ll never be the same, and it¡¯ll be a huge hassle to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I thought we needed a car to help Sofia,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°We do,¡± she said. ¡°I just feel bad about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I was starting to think you would come to the dark side.¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± she said, but she was smiling.


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, I¡¯ll take a really nice car that belongs to a real asshat,¡± he said.


    ¡°How will you know?¡± she asked.


    He lowered his voice since they were getting close. ¡°Because it¡¯ll be a really nice car.¡±


    Gretta slowed down and started patting her pockets. ¡°Oh,¡± she said loudly enough for the folks at the door to hear. ¡°I forgot my phone. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Rowan gave her a wink as she walked away. For some reason, it made him feel better that she was a terrible actress. He looked back to the valet driver and the host at the podium, who had noticed the exchange but were now back to business watching for cars.


    Rowan saw a bright yellow luxury sports car that screamed wealth pulling into the lot and decided he needed a distraction to make this work.


    With a wave of his hand toward the host desk, he willed an illusion of a rattlesnake into existence, complete with an angry hiss and a rattling tail. Both men leaped back as they looked down.


    The host held both hands out, eyes glued to the illusion. ¡°Watch out, there¡¯s a rattler!¡±


    The valet glanced toward the car, but when the snake moved his way, his attention switched.


    The yellow sports car stopped at the valet station just as Rowan walked up and opened the door for the driver. With another wave of his hand, he wore a valet uniform identical to the man staring at the snake.


    A tall, dark-haired woman in dazzling diamond earrings and a matching necklace slid out of the car. A man in a sports coat stepped out from the passenger side.


    She dropped her keys in his waiting hand and stepped around as Rowan slid into the plush leather seat.


    Rowan waved his hand again, and a second snake appeared, which caused the man in an oversized blue blazer to start shouting.


    Snickering, he put the car into reverse and smoothly drove toward the parking lot exit where Gretta waited. He stopped long enough for her to hop in.


    ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± she said. ¡°They know you are stealing the car.¡±


    Rowan dismissed the illusionary snakes, letting them fade into nothing. Then he waved his hand, washing the car in a subtle light gray.


    Gretta frowned. ¡°Um¡­ Why does the hood look like asphalt?¡±


    ¡°When they call the police, they¡¯ll look for a yellow car. By blending us into the pavement, even a helicopter will have a hard time spotting us at night.¡±


    Gretta glanced behind them. ¡°Won¡¯t other cars have a hard time seeing us?¡±


    Rowan smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll just go faster than everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this plan. We need a new plan,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°Is Waffle Barn open all night?¡± Rowan asked.


    Gretta was gripping the grab handle with her right hand and had her left on the dashboard. ¡°Next time, I drive!¡±


    Rowan smirked. ¡°You can drive if you want¡ªjust hold the wheel while I scoot over.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No! That¡¯s fine. You drive this time. You do know that I¡¯m not a god, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you seem to have that astral thing down pat. The only way I can seem to get there is by getting killed.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s grip tightened as they swerved around a semi-truck. ¡°Would you say you¡¯re trying to reach the astral right now?¡±

 Chapter 41. Stumble and Bump

    The faint light of dawn glowed on the mountainous horizon when they pulled into the Waffle Barn¡¯s parking lot. Gretta was grateful to be on her own two feet again. Rowan hadn¡¯t gotten them killed, but she wasn¡¯t sure if that was luck or driving skill¡ªshe suspected luck.


    The lot had a dozen cars¡ªsurprising, given the time of day. The night air was cool, dry, and tasted of dust. The faint smell of coffee and bacon from the restaurant mingled with the smell of gasoline from the truck stop across the street.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some waffles,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be looking for Sofia?¡± Gretta asked.


    Rowan jerked his head toward the hotel a quarter block away. ¡°She¡¯s there.¡±


    Gretta put her hands on her hips. ¡°If she¡¯s there, we should go get her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping. And when was the last time either of us ate?¡± he asked.


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°What if she¡¯s being turned into the Warlord¡¯s avatar right now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d do it in a hotel. There¡¯ll be too much energy, and they wouldn¡¯t want to be interrupted. Besides, I suspect they¡¯ll do it at dawn, and since dawn is nearly here and they haven¡¯t moved, it¡¯ll be tomorrow at the earliest.¡± Rowan started walking toward the Waffle Barn.


    Gretta reluctantly followed him. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about magic, but belief seems to be half of it. If you think something has to happen, sometimes it does. The ritual to ascend had to happen in the morning, which I think was symbolism for a new beginning.¡± Rowan held the door open for her.


    She shot him a glare before pushing the door open. ¡°What does that have to do with making an avatar?¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± a man wearing a purple shirt and pants asked.


    Rowan held up two fingers to the man. ¡°I doubt that dawn matters, but at the time, we all had to believe it mattered to make it work. I suspect Marcus will feel the same way about returning to Earth. He¡¯ll see this as a new chapter, a new beginning, if you will, in his life.¡±


    The host gestured to a table, flipped over a pair of coffee cups, and slid two paper menus onto the table.


    As they were about to sit, a man in a business suit passed by. Rowan seemed distracted and bumped into the man.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Rowan muttered and clapped the man on the shoulder.


    The man looked irritated but kept going.


    Gretta sat facing the door. ¡°What if they moved Sofia while we were driving?¡±


    Rowan glanced back at the door uncomfortably, then took the seat facing the kitchen. ¡°They might have, but I think Sofia would have said something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so weird that people can just talk to you wherever they are,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°Very weird,¡± Rowan said. ¡°The first time it happened, I was sure I was losing my mind.¡±


    A waitress filled their coffee cups. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a minute to look over the menus.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°What if they knocked her out or something? Maybe she didn¡¯t have time to pray.¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Gabriela might know I¡¯m back, but she probably doesn¡¯t know that Sofia can pray to me. I suspect Sofia didn¡¯t know until recently. Maybe Nadia told her.¡± He set his menu down.


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    Gretta scanned the menu as the waitress walked back up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the Big Bessy Stack.¡± Rowan handed his menu to the waitress.


    Gretta handed over her menu, too. ¡°Same, but I¡¯d like a side of fruit instead of bacon.¡±


    The waitress jotted the orders down. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said and walked back toward the kitchen.


    ¡°Do you know which room she¡¯s in?¡± Gretta asked.


    Rowan shook his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Well, can you ask her?¡±


    Rowan raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can just send people messages. I think they have to start the call, so to speak.¡±


    Gretta took a sip of coffee. ¡°Maybe send her a dream or something? I thought gods could do that.¡±


    Rowan blinked. ¡°Maybe Nadia can do that, but that seems like something outside my domain.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± Rowan took a sip of his coffee. ¡°But what if I give her nightmares or something? I¡¯d rather not do that to her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s being held prisoner. I doubt you¡¯ll make it worse,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°Think so?¡± Rowan smirked and took a drink.


    Gretta rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay, you probably could make it worse.¡±


    The waitress returned with two plates stacked with waffles and set one plate in front of each of them.


    ¡°Need anything else?¡± she asked.


    Rowan and Gretta had already put their first oversized bites in their mouth.


    Gretta waved her fork side to side¡ªthe universal gesture of ¡®my mouth is full, you can leave now, but come back with more coffee.¡¯ She sincerely hoped the waitress understood the coffee part.


    They ate silently, each working through a stack of syrup-and-waffle delight and lost in their thoughts.


    As she stabbed a piece of fruit, she asked, ¡°How are we going to get Sofia away from them?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Same way we¡¯ve always dealt with them.¡±


    Gretta smirked. ¡°Getting shot a bunch doesn¡¯t seem like much of a plan.¡±


    It was Rowan¡¯s turn to roll his eyes. ¡°I meant¡ªI¡¯ll use my good looks to stun them and you grab the kid and run.¡±


    Gretta snorted.


    ¡°Hey, now!¡± Rowan put a hand to his chest. ¡°There is no need to laugh.¡±


    Gretta drained her coffee to hide her smile. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll improvise. And who knows, maybe they find the homeless look attractive.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s mouth was still smiling, but Gretta noticed his eyes were sad.


    ¡°I imagine they found the cellar,¡± he said.


    ¡°Was that really your home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hiding from Ellie for so long, and she has law enforcement under her finger.¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°That was all I could manage.¡±


    ¡°My rent is past due now, and the FBI is looking for me.¡± Gretta sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯m in the same boat.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure that out after we get Sofia,¡± he said.


    Gretta looked down at her empty cup. ¡°You know that I have to find my mom, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your mom is alive,¡± Rowan said.


    She looked up and found him watching her. ¡°Then I need to know what happened.¡±


    Rowan nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡±


    ¡°You know that I can¡¯t do that.¡± Rowan smirked. ¡°Besides, I like a little excitement.¡±


    Greta set her fork down on her empty plate. ¡°How are we going to pay?¡±


    Rowan pulled out a wallet and flipped through it. There was cash and a few cards. He pulled out one of the cards. ¡°Credit.¡±


    She thought back to the man he bumped into as they were about to sit, and narrowed her eyes. ¡°You better not ever pick my pocket.¡±


    He pushed the car keys toward her. ¡°Meet me at the car. If the card gets declined, it¡¯s best if the car¡¯s already running.¡±


    Gretta let out a sigh. She pondered how her life lately had turned into a whirlwind of danger and terror, and somewhere along the line, in all the chaos, she¡¯d become willing to do anything to survive, including steal. Rowan did it so easily, but she wondered if he was in the same boat. He had nothing left, and he would never have a job again. Would this be her life? Living out of an abandoned cellar to survive?


    The door jingled as she stepped onto the street. Rowan had lost everything helping Sofia. Not just worldly possessions, but he¡¯d be on the run again¡ªhe¡¯d given up the little bit of freedom he had to help Sofia.


    She got into the car and adjusted the seat. Maybe she had done the same.


    She watched Rowan walking out with a to-go box. She smiled. Things were about to get dangerous, but at least she wasn¡¯t alone.

 Chapter 42. The Beginning

    ¡°Sofia is up,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta pulled into the hotel parking lot and parked in the first open spot. ¡°Did she pray to you?¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Rowan gestured at three black SUVs parked side by side.


    A pair of men were pushing Sofia into the backseat. Sofia had a gold bracelet on her right wrist that Gretta didn¡¯t recognize.


    Gretta growled. ¡°She¡¯s not cuffed, but could that bracelet block her magic?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Hard to say. She looked a little out of it. She didn¡¯t seem to know much magic, but I doubt Gabriela gave her jewelry for fun.¡±


    Rowan unbuckled his seatbelt, only for Gretta to grab his arm.


    ¡°We can¡¯t start a fight here,¡± she said. ¡°Not only will Victor find us, but innocent people are sleeping in the hotel. Gabriela won¡¯t hesitate to shoot; a stray bullet could kill an innocent bystander.¡±


    Rowan sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I just¡ªthis might be our last chance to save her.¡±


    ¡°I know you want to charge in there,¡± Gretta said, ¡°but a frontal assault will just get us¡ªand others¡ªkilled. It won¡¯t help her.¡±


    Rowan nodded, gripping the seatbelt. His eyes remained fixed on the SUV holding Sofia.


    ¡°Buckle up,¡± Gretta said. ¡°I don¡¯t need to listen to the car dinging while we drive.¡±


    Rowan pulled his seatbelt back on. ¡°I count five goons with Gabriela.¡±


    ¡°Any chance they have magic?¡± Gretta asked.


    ¡°Magic is rare, but the older guy¡ªthe one with the red hair¡ªlooks familiar. You don¡¯t hire out-of-shape thugs unless they bring something else to the table.¡±


    Gretta smirked. ¡°Bit ageist of you? Maybe Gabriela has an HR department. Besides, he¡¯s probably your age.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± he said. ¡°Though I have to say, I feel pretty spry for my age.¡±


    ¡°Does eternal youth come with the god gig?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Sort of. I age, just like you, but whenever I die, I come back looking exactly like I did when I ascended.¡±


    ¡°Might be worth dying now and then to always be 20,¡± she said.


    Rowan scoffed. ¡°I was 25 when I ascended!¡±


    ¡°Sure, you were,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s why everybody at Waffle Barn was staring at us.¡±


    ¡°Nobody was looking,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°Yes, they were.¡± She laughed. ¡°You could practically see them trying to figure out if you were my little brother or if I was robbing the cradle.¡±


    ¡°We look the same age!¡±


    ¡°Sure, little bro.¡± Her grin widened. ¡°And when was the last time you shaved?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything! I¡¯ve died multiple times lately!¡±


    She put the car into gear and pulled out behind the SUVs. ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he muttered.


    Navigating the backstreets, they made their way southwest before merging onto Highway 86.


    ¡°I think I know where we¡¯re going,¡± Rowan said.


    Gretta glanced over at him. ¡°There are a lot of places along this road.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but one of those places is where we ascended,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll bet Marcus feels like that will give him the best chance of success.¡±


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    Gretta nodded. ¡°That seems very likely.¡± She signaled and pulled onto an off-ramp.


    Rowan looked back toward the road and the SUVs that were driving off. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Giving them some room.¡± They came to a stop at a light.


    ¡°What if I¡¯m wrong and they are going somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are wrong,¡± she said. ¡°And right now, our best shot at saving Sofia is not letting them know we¡¯re coming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big risk,¡± he said.


    She laughed. ¡°Says the guy who died twice in a week.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both tapped out,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Since they likely won¡¯t perform the ritual until tomorrow morning, maybe we should rest before we charge in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re becoming the sensible one,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Are you sure you are the lord of chaos?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting sick of dying,¡± he said. ¡°Being unpredictable and having fun is one thing, but Gabriela will be at full strength, and there¡¯s a chance she¡¯ll have another magic user with her.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention guns. Our history with bullets isn¡¯t fantastic,¡± she said.


    Rowan gave a shiver. ¡°No, it is not. I may never get rid of that nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Do you have the strength to hide the license plate?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Illusions have been getting easier lately. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s all the practice, but simple color changes aren¡¯t too bad.¡± He wiggled his fingers, and the car''s color shifted from yellow to a deep gray. ¡°License plate fixed.¡±


    Gretta drove back up the on-ramp and back onto the highway. ¡°With any luck, we don¡¯t have a cop scan the license plate and get suspicious that it doesn¡¯t match the vehicle description.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll look blurry, even on camera,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t so much change it as made it impossible to read.¡±


    ¡°How far are we going?¡±


    ¡°About an hour east of here,¡± he said. ¡°Look for signs for Coyote Mountains.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t it be called that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to do with me.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Though maybe my predecessor had a hand in that.¡±


    Gretta switched lanes to pass a truck. ¡°You had a predecessor?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t meet her,¡± he said. ¡°But we only ascended 25 years ago, but those¡­ positions¡­ have existed for thousands of years, maybe longer.¡±


    Gretta glanced over. ¡°And you stole their positions?¡±


    ¡°Nah, they were tired and wanted to move on,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can stop being immortal, but you can¡¯t move on while your spot in the greater balance is unfilled.¡±


    ¡°And where did they go? Did they just¡­ stop existing? Or are they out there somewhere, doing their own thing?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Ellie is the one who met the original coyote. She¡¯s the one that brought us together. She had said they wanted to move on and that we could do a lot of good if we took on their mantles of power. I don¡¯t think we ever got around to doing good.¡±


    ¡°The Wild Mother has given me the strength to heal,¡± Gretta said. ¡°She has me visit the children¡¯s hospital on the weekends.¡±


    Rowan smiled. ¡°Of course, Abby would find a way to do good. And that¡¯s not all her, she needs you.¡±


    ¡°She would do it if she could be on Earth.¡± Gretta chewed her lip. ¡°What¡¯s it like to ascend?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°We had to say a lot of words, draw some circles, and then it wasn¡¯t much different than dying.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°So you said some magic words that killed you the right way? That doesn¡¯t sound fun.¡±


    ¡°Getting killed hurts, but dying isn¡¯t so bad,¡± he said. ¡°The world fades out, and then you slip into the void. It¡¯s a little scary floating in nothingness, but I always get pulled toward a reality. Abby said the words are a promise to magic to fulfill a duty; she said that it¡¯s a much greater consciousness, but it¡¯s so big that it can¡¯t focus. The gods are the ones who give it more focused direction.¡±


    ¡°So, magic is like some super powerful being?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Maybe? It seems to understand intent and thought, but ever since I¡¯ve ascended, it¡¯s almost like I can feel its will.¡±


    Gretta nodded. ¡°The Wild Mother told me that magic is alive and that we give it purpose,¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s the place like that we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a cave¡ª¡± Rowan started.


    Gretta snorted. ¡°Of course there is.¡±


    ¡°Well, this one is massive, and you can¡¯t see it. You can only enter it if you find your way through the illusion masking it.¡± Rowan swallowed. ¡°It¡¯s not a pleasant walk, but it¡¯s also why Gabriela¡¯s goons probably won¡¯t be inside if we can get past them.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? Is it an illusion of something scary?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s illusion, at least not once you pass through outer protections. It¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s nightmares made real. Abby told me there were a few places like this on Earth, places of power closer to magic, but the magic warps reality and attacks your fears.¡±


    ¡°What if I fear heights?¡± Gretta said.


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°With the walk up a mountain, I think a fear of heights might be enough to keep you from getting there. But, the manifestations are creatures that seem to know what you fear and use that against you. Maybe they¡¯d try to push you off the edge. Though, they¡¯ll probably try that anyway.¡±


    ¡°How did you get through last time?¡±


    Rowan shrugged, his expression clouding over. ¡°I had Abby.¡±


    An hour passed in silence while Gretta digested everything Rowan had said. Finally, she spotted a sign for Coyote Mountains Wilderness and turned left.


    ¡°We can ditch the car and walk from here. It¡¯s a few miles, but we¡¯ll need a spot to rest for the day anyway.¡± Rowan shuddered. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever come back here.¡±

 Chapter 43. Getting By

    Gretta stood and stretched. She and Rowan had hiked through the morning to a point partway up the Coyote Mountains and then hunkered down in a stand of Palo Verde trees. Sleeping in the dirt wasn¡¯t comfortable, and the risk of fire ants, scorpions, and spiders was an unpleasant thought. Still, she woke feeling well-rested.


    The sun was setting to the west, painting the sky in shades of orange with streaks of purple and wispy clouds. To the east, above the mountains, faint stars twinkled. The air was dry and dusty, but that was pretty much everywhere in the Sonoran Desert.


    Rowan was sitting a few yards away, watching the sky. He tilted his head as she approached but continued looking up. ¡°I used to watch the satellites pass overhead with my dad.¡± A streak of light flickered across the night sky, and he pointed. ¡°I thought they were falling stars, so I¡¯d wish on them. I suspect my dad didn¡¯t want to spoil it for me, so he didn¡¯t tell me what they really were.¡±


    ¡°What did you wish for?¡± Gretta asked.


    Rowan was silent long enough that Gretta started to think he wouldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°I wished my parents would live forever.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It was a child¡¯s wish.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t wish for a toy or something? That doesn¡¯t sound like a normal kid¡¯s wish.¡±


    ¡°My mom was sick and couldn¡¯t get out of bed,¡± he said. ¡°My dad¡­ he wasn¡¯t doing well with it.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Gretta whispered.


    ¡°My mom died. Cancer.¡± His eyes stayed fixed on the sky. ¡°My dad died a few years later in a car accident.¡± He let out a breath and stood. ¡°Sofia has waited long enough. We should move if you are ready.¡±


    Gretta held out an empty bottle she had taken from the car. ¡°Nalqesh.¡± The bottle filled with fresh, cool water.


    Rowan smiled and took the bottle. ¡°Thanks. To Miguel.¡± He took a long swig and passed it back.


    ¡°To Miguel,¡± she repeated and drained the rest of the bottle.


    She pressed the air out, screwed the cap on, and tucked the bottle into her belt.


    ¡°How long will it take to get to the cave?¡± Gretta asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s only about three miles southeast of here, but it¡¯s a pretty rough climb,¡± he said. ¡°There used to be a few trees but not much cover, so if they spot us, we¡¯ll have to close the distance fast or run away, but there¡¯ll be nowhere to hide.¡±


    ¡°If we assume the redhead and Gabriela took Sofia into the cave, that¡¯ll leave four people to watch for us,¡± Gretta said. ¡°They¡¯ll probably rest in shifts, so maybe only one or two will be watching at a time.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one clear approach that¡¯s easy to walk up, but they might not know about the game trail winding up the side, out of view. It¡¯ll be tricky, but we can come from above them, and they probably won¡¯t notice.¡±


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    Gretta frowned. ¡°How do you know about the game trail?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s how I got there the first time. It¡¯s not like there was a recent map leading to the secret cave.¡±


    Gretta smiled. ¡°Then how do you know about the clear approach?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how we left. On the way up, we followed the magic¡¯s pull¡ªbut the straight path wasn¡¯t the easiest.¡± Rowan reached his hand out toward the mountain. ¡°Close your eyes and focus on your astral self¡ªyou can almost hear the magic singing from here.¡±


    Gretta closed her eyes and concentrated. A faint beat moved through the astral realm¡ªshe could feel it pulsing against her other form. Beyond its rhythm, there was almost a melody she couldn¡¯t quite hear. ¡°I feel it.¡±


    ¡°Abby could feel it too,¡± Rowan said. ¡°The others, who didn¡¯t get shapeshifting gifts, struggled to feel it. I don¡¯t know if that means Abby and I became shapeshifters because of something about our astral presence or if we always had the latent potential and just needed more magic to unlock it.¡±


    ¡°What does Abby shift into?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t usually call her by her name.¡± He smiled. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to ask. When we ascended, we had only a few minutes together before everyone except me was pulled into the void. In that brief time, I saw her turn into an owl and some sort of prehistoric lion nearly as big as your elephant form. Part of me suspects she can be anything she wants to be¡ªbecause that¡¯s who she is. She¡¯s what you need when you need her.¡±


    Gretta started walking toward the mountain, following the magic rhythm. Rowan fell into step with her. At first, the terrain was steep hills with the occasional boulder or tree interrupting the direct route, but nothing too bad. As they climbed higher, a narrow game trail became apparent, and they followed it up the mountain.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. I can barely see. We¡¯re going to slip and fall,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Should we shift or use a spell to see better?¡±


    ¡°We might need to talk,¡± Rowan said. ¡°If you know a spell to see in the dark, maybe we should use that.¡±


    ¡°I have a spell that enhances the senses,¡± she said. ¡°It won¡¯t let you see in true dark, but there¡¯s enough starlight to see with a little help.¡± She whispered, ¡°Vireth,¡± and the dark terrain became distinct shades of blue and purple, making it easy to see.


    ¡°When you cast it, focus on your sight,¡± she said. ¡°The spell can enhance your other senses, but you¡¯ll get tired quickly.¡±


    Rowan spoke the word ¡®vireth¡¯ and smiled. ¡°This is as good as my coyote sight.¡±


    Gretta chuckled. ¡°You¡¯d probably appreciate tiger vision¡ªit¡¯s way better than this spell.¡±


    The path became harder to follow in places where the terrain flattened and grass grew thicker, but the magic always guided them forward. Gretta wondered if the animals could feel it, too.


    Rowan paused and put a hand on Gretta¡¯s shoulder. His touch carried a magic that swept through her¡ªwild and untamed, promising freedom, joy, and exhilaration.


    ¡°We¡¯re close,¡± he whispered. ¡°The entrance is just beyond that outcrop.¡± He pointed to their right at a steep rock face. ¡°We¡¯ll go over it and come back down.¡±


    They climbed for another hour. Gretta¡¯s hands, scraped and bleeding, ached from scrambling up the rocks. Finally, they came to a flat spot. Three mule deer lay together in the grass near a small pool of water. One was slightly bigger¡ªlikely a doe¡ªwhile the other two were probably this year''s fawns.


    She pointed at the deer, and Rowan smiled. The doe watched them pass, perfectly still. Once Gretta and Rowan reached the other side of the flat area, they glanced down and spotted a small campsite 50 yards below. Four sleeping bags lay around a makeshift camp kitchen, which held a camp stove and two hard-shell supply crates. Assault rifles¡ªAR-15s¡ªleaned against the crates.


    ¡°How long are they planning on being there?¡± Gretta whispered.


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Maybe they think it¡¯ll take a few days. I guess Gabriella is a planner.¡±

 Chapter 44. Nightmare

    ¡°I think you should slip into the astral and enter the cave,¡± Rowan whispered.


    Gretta shuddered. ¡°You first. I don¡¯t want to fall through the ground again.¡±


    Rowan rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve got it figured out now, right? You did fine.¡±


    ¡°I only managed to find my way out because I had you as a point of reference,¡± she whispered. ¡°Why can¡¯t you go first?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°Then how are you planning on getting in there?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re humans,¡± he said. ¡°I was just going to shift into raven form and glide in.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll see you and follow you in,¡± she said.


    ¡°Sure, but they are on guard out here and not in the cave because they don¡¯t have the power to get through.¡±


    Gretta frowned. ¡°And you think I have the power to get through?¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re way more powerful than any of us were when we found our way.¡±


    ¡°If they know you are in there, they¡¯ll still be out here waiting for us when we come out,¡± she said. ¡°Won¡¯t that get us killed?¡±


    ¡°Dawn is almost here,¡± Rowan said. ¡°We need to get to Sofia.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I can bring us both to the astral, and you can keep us there?¡±


    Rowan hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can bring me into the astral.¡±


    ¡°I brought my clothes. Why can¡¯t I bring you?¡±


    ¡°You might, but you also might not¡ªfor the same reason you didn¡¯t bring the whole planet with you. There¡¯s some limit to what you can bring, and I don¡¯t know what it is.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have skin contact with the Earth, but you said that part of magic is belief in the reality it creates. Maybe I don¡¯t bring the Earth because I don¡¯t believe I can?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s Dumbo¡¯s magic feather, and then there¡¯s impossible,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Magic has limits that aren¡¯t just defined by your belief¡ªyour belief just lets you reach the limits.¡±


    She grabbed his hand, letting the sensation of his energy fill her, let out an even breath, and then willed them into the astral. Where last time, slipping into the astral for her had been as easy as finding her astral self and shifting her consciousness there, bringing Rowan with her felt like pulling a boyfriend into a clothing store. He went, but she had to pull with all her might.


    Once there, she felt his power envelop her, and the strain of being in the astral, sapping her strength, was gone. He smiled at her. He was no longer a being of flesh but an ethereal blue being that only vaguely resembled the man from reality. Motes of brighter blue light danced along his skin and into his eyes. She had to resist being stuck staring at him. He was beautiful. When she looked down at where their hands touched, she realized her skin was a translucent green filled with dancing green lights.


    She tried to ask how he was sustaining them, but there was no air to speak, and no words came out.


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    His lips moved, and he smirked and gestured toward the guards.


    Gretta felt like she was the passenger in a car ride. She knew she could pull away from Rowan and guide herself, but if she did, she¡¯d need to exert far more strength to resist popping back into reality. Letting his magic shelter her from that pull back to reality made the most sense.


    They drifted down, picking up speed as Rowan seemed to master navigation. Moving through the astral seemed like an utterly mental exercise.


    The guards didn¡¯t move as they approached. Three slept, and one sat in a camp chair, watching the valley below. She was glad they had taken the long, hard way to the top and around because the guards would have seen them coming.


    However, she wondered if they could have taken the more direct route if she had been willing to slip into the astral sooner. It had only been the prospect of dealing with assault rifles that had finally convinced her to take the risk.


    Now that she was here and Rowan was stabilizing her, the astral was pleasant. She was still learning the rules of this new plane. She could hear the nearby sounds of the guards sleeping, though it was slightly flat and distorted, and she realized that the more distant sounds of insects were now gone. As she looked at the guards, she realized they looked more translucent the further they were from her¡ªeven at this relatively close distance. She wondered if they would be invisible if she got far enough from them. Maybe living beings could also be seen up close?


    She pulled her eyes from the guards and the valley to what had looked like a solid rock face when they were in reality but now appeared to be a black void. Rowan was staring at it, unsure if they should enter. She remembered Rowan telling her that it was a place of nightmares made real.


    She pulled him forward toward the void. Sofia needed them, and they were on their way. Together, they passed into the void.


    There was a moment of disorientation, and they both fell to solid stone in complete darkness.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Rowan said.


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t the astral, then?¡± Gretta asked, knowing that if they could speak, they couldn¡¯t be in the astral.


    ¡°We¡¯re outside reality,¡± Rowan said. ¡°It feels like one of the god¡¯s domains¡ªbut it also feels different than the other domains. It¡¯s¡­ a blend of all of them and more. Can you pull us back to the astral?¡±


    Gretta felt for her astral self, but she was cut off. ¡°No. I don¡¯t feel the astral at all. Does that mean I can¡¯t shift?¡±


    ¡°Ilthar,¡± Rowan whispered. A soft white light sprung to life in his hand, illuminating a long, rugged tunnel.


    The jagged rocks were a mixture of greens and grays, and the cave floor was uneven. Gretta imagined that a fall would cause serious injuries.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that spell,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°It was the first one I learned,¡± Rowan said. ¡°After I ascended and could shift, I didn¡¯t use it. Partly because I see reasonably well in the dark while in coyote form and partly because it felt wrong. Maybe because I¡¯m the god of chaos, and the spell is one of Ellie¡¯s, but maybe I somehow thought she could find me if I used it.¡±


    ¡°She can feel when you use a spell from her domain?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°If she¡¯s concentrating, she will not just feel it, but she¡¯ll catch a glimpse of where you are.¡±


    ¡°You can feel it when I use chaos spells?¡±


    ¡°Until recently, I didn¡¯t realize what the feeling was or how to track the sensation. I get a fleeting impression of the intent and focus of the spell if I concentrate, and I can add my strength to the spell or try to sap the strength from the spell if I want to stop it. ¡°


    Gretta frowned. ¡°So, Ellie let you make that light?¡±


    ¡°She probably felt it, but enough spells are being cast every day that she probably isn¡¯t paying attention. If she tried to stop me, she might weaken the spell, but as an immortal, my connection to magic is strong enough that I¡¯d probably still be able to do the spell, even if it was weakened and took more effort.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so creepy. You know that, right?¡± Gretta put her hands on her hips. ¡°Just because I cast a spell does not give you the right to watch me.¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°It was one time, but you didn¡¯t seem to mind when I helped you escape that cage.¡±


    The raspy sound of whispers drifted out of the darkness from further into the cave.


    Gretta held out her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s stick together. I¡¯ve seen enough movies to expect that something will try to separate us. Don¡¯t let go of my hand.¡±


    Rowan took her hand. ¡°Last time, there were¡­ creatures. You can¡¯t fight them. You just have to run.¡±

 Chapter 45. Hey Bro

    Rowan let Gretta pull him along. He remembered what was down here and wasn¡¯t sure that even a god could survive it. This wasn¡¯t reality¡ªnot Earth or any domain of the immortals he ascended with. This place was a part of the entity that was magic itself, and the rules of this reality were unpredictable and fickle. He didn¡¯t understand how beings could also be places when he had last visited, but now that he had been to the domains of his peers, he understood that they were realities unto themselves with rules shaped by conscious thought. This place had that same feeling, but the intelligence behind it was vast and unknowable. It was the being behind this reality that allowed him to be immortal, but Rowan knew that it could revoke his membership at will.


    The light he held glowed steadily, but as they moved, it cast shadows off the jagged rocks¡ªthe fangs of this underworld. The path led down, and the tunnel was widening. He felt unseen eyes watching him.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Gretta stopped and looked around.


    Rowan moved closer and then started pulling her along. ¡°Don¡¯t stop. They¡¯ll catch us.¡±


    There was a scrap of metal against stone somewhere nearby.


    Gretta nearly tripped over a rock as she scanned the shadows. ¡°What will catch us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they are,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Maybe demons?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think demons are real,¡± she said.


    A faint, raspy laugh passed through the tunnel. The rumble was deep, like the earth''s shifting, and it was hard to tell where it was from. The tunnel itself seemed to lengthen subtly, like reality was stretching.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t study much about ascension,¡± Rowan said as he pulled Gretta along. ¡°But, the one bit I remember from my time here is the rule that you cannot stop moving no matter what.¡±


    ¡°What happens if you stop moving?¡± Gretta asked. ¡°That sounds like a dumb rule.¡±


    A flutter of leather echoed through the cavern. A warm draft wafted past, carrying the stench of rotten eggs.


    ¡°Did you know twelve of us set out to ascend?¡± he said.


    Gretta¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°There are twelve gods?¡±


    ¡°No, only five made it. Seven didn¡¯t survive this tunnel,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s why those who survived took on more than one role.¡± He glanced back. Sweat was now running down his temple. ¡°I¡¯m not just the god of chaos, but the god of fortune.¡±


    ¡°And why Ellie is the goddess of light, order, and judgment?¡±


    Rowan nodded. ¡°Abby suspects that if even one more of us had not made it, the ascension would have failed. We wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to take on so much power.¡±


    ¡°They are getting closer,¡± Gretta whispered.


    Rowan nodded. ¡°I feel them, too. Nadia thought the demons here were what was left of the beings who failed to ascend. This was their eternal prison.¡±


    Footsteps from behind them echoed through the tunnel. Rowan and Gretta were moving as fast as they could through the jagged obstacles, but there was no way to run without risking a fall.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Gretta said, nearly out of breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they kill you,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I think Nadia is right¡ªthey make you one of them.¡±


    The cave opened into a massive area filled with boulders and crystal shards. The light from Rowan¡¯s hand glinted in thousands of colors off every surface. Gretta hesitated, but Rowan pulled her along.


    ¡°No stopping,¡± he whispered.


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    A drum started from somewhere to their right. Thump-ba-da-thump. Thump-ba-da-thump. Thump-ba-da-thump.


    Gretta glanced around as they scrambled over rocks. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at their faces,¡± Rowan said. ¡°They will drive you mad.¡±


    ¡°W-what? You can¡¯t go mad looking at¡ª¡±


    Pale fleshy creatures started oozing in from the left, and before she could look at them, Rowan tugged her along forcefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to keep you sane.¡±


    Behind them, the slap of leather on the air made her glance back for a fraction of a second. Hooded people with bat wings floated after them. When one of the creatures noticed her looking back, it started to draw back its hood. She turned away. She felt a greasy sensation of the creature¡¯s stare against her skin and imagined the full force of that maddening glare against her mind.


    Rowan slipped and fell. The magic light he had been holding went out, sending them into darkness.


    ¡°Keep going!¡± He let go of her hand as he tried to scramble up.


    The room wasn¡¯t pure black. Now, dancing colors danced in the dark, and a faint white light glowed from a crack in the wall ahead.


    Gretta risked a moment to scan nearby and spotted the shadows of closing creatures, then rushed back to him and helped him up. Rowan was limping.


    ¡°I sprained my ankle,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to slow you down.¡±


    ¡°Lathiel,¡± she whispered, and energy poured through her and into Rowan.


    There was already a steady warmth of her magic against his, but the added influx of the spell washed through him and to his ankle.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said as his movement evened out. ¡°I¡¯m better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to slow you down,¡± Gretta mocked. ¡°No heroics. We came together, we leave together.¡±


    ¡°Head for that light!¡± Rowan pointed toward an opening that a boulder had obscured until they were closer. ¡°We get there, and we¡¯re clear.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Rowan,¡± a voice boomed. ¡°You have returned, brother.¡±


    A tall, muscular man with a face resembling Rowan¡¯s but broader and more angular smiled as he stepped before them. He looked human, except for his pure black eyes and the black talons at the tips of his fingers, which glowed with a sickly yellow light.


    Rowan knew that face, even though he hadn¡¯t seen it in twenty-five years. His older brother¡ªthe same one who called him a runt but still gave him a ride to school¡ªwas trapped here forever. For a while, Rowan had held onto the stupid hope that maybe, just maybe, Thadius had found a way out. But there was no mistaking those blackened eyes and the sickly glow of his talons. For a second, something flickered across Thadius¡¯s face¡ªrecognition? Regret? Then he grinned, fangs glinting in the dim light. Yeah. No getting him back.


    ¡°Get to the light,¡± he whispered to Gretta. ¡°Don¡¯t look at anyone or anything.¡±


    The man grinned. ¡°You will join us, won¡¯t you?¡± He leaped forward toward Rowan with his claws ready to lash out.


    ¡°Not today, Thadius.¡± The clawed hand nearly gutted Rowan, but he managed to lean to one side, grab Thadius by the wrist, and throw him toward the jagged rocks. Before Thadius had landed, Rowan was already dashing after Gretta.


    Wings beat against the air, followed by a hollow scream. Rowan dove forward, knocking Gretta into the light. Together, they tumbled through.


    They landed on a hard, flat stone floor with Gretta on top of Rowan. He had managed to grab her waist and twist as they came through to absorb the impact. He lay there groaning as she struggled to untangle herself from him.


    ¡°Well, what do we have here?¡± A man with red hair and a pistol stood over them, smiling.


    Behind him, Gabriela was in a circle with Sofia bound up and in a separate circle. Sofia¡¯s face was tear-stained. Her mouth was gagged, her hands and feet were bound, and her hair was a tangled mess. She looked desperately from Gretta to Rowan. Leaning against the far wall, casually smoking a cigarette, was Victor.


    Victor smiled. ¡°Michael, have you met Miss Sulivan and Mister Carter?¡±


    Michael raised his pistol toward Gretta. ¡°I¡¯m about to get to know them.¡±


    ¡°Hair is looking kind of greasy there, Vic,¡± Gretta said. ¡°No time for a shower?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy, but I expect I¡¯ll have a little time off soon,¡± he said, brushing back his blonde hair, which Rowan noticed was rather greasy. ¡°Just a few loose ends.¡±


    Gabriela was chanting in a low voice, and Rowan realized that the ritual to bring Marcus into the world had begun. Magic was gathering, and it felt powerful. As they spoke, a god was finding his way into a new host. Reality itself was warping with the strain of so much power.


    Sofia¡¯s voice pleaded desperately into Rowan¡¯s mind. Hurry, he¡¯s going to get in. I can¡¯t stop him.


    Rowan met her eyes and answered her prayer: Hold on! We¡¯re coming! He coughed as he struggled forward. ¡°Save Sofia.¡±


    Michael¡¯s finger twitched, and Rowan swept a leg out to trip him. The gun went off, but Gretta was gone. The bullet ricocheted.


    Rowan grinned. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±

 Chapter 46. Tiger Affection

    Sofia let out a muffled groan, her small frame jerking against the ropes. She twisted, wrists raw from struggling, but the bindings didn¡¯t give. Gabriela looked tired and covered in dust. Her hands were covered in chalk dust, and a smear of that same dust was on her cheek.


    The ritual circles surrounding Gabriela and Sofia were precise in their simplicity. White chalk against dark stone, five red-flamed candles placed evenly around each, and the Warlord¡¯s symbol¡ªa sword¡ªdrawn near every candle. But the arrangement held deeper meaning.


    Sofia¡¯s circle invited the god in; her swords faced inward. Gabriela¡¯s did the opposite. A single chalk line connected them, a tether of magic and intent.


    Lucia had explained this before, back when she¡¯d prayed to Rowan. A lifetime ago, or at least it felt that way. Breaking the circle outright would unleash lethal backlash, but tricking Gabriela¡ªconvincing her to sabotage the ritual herself¡ªwas possible.


    Michael brought his gun around and leveled it at Rowan.


    Sofia¡¯s scream from behind the gag was audible¡ªshe was losing her fight with the warlord, who would overwhelm her mind and steal her body. What child¡¯s mind could stand against the might of a god?


    Rowan loosed chaos into the world, a ripple that bent the circles ever so slightly¡ªjust enough to make them seem off-kilter, like reality had shifted half a step sideways. Subtle but potent, twisting perception itself. He layered the illusion carefully¡ªjust enough to make it seem like reality was shifting under his magic¡¯s weight. The circles on the ground rippled and stretched like ink bleeding across paper.


    To anyone not in the astral, nothing appeared different. But to those who could sense magic, it was wrong in a way they couldn¡¯t quite place.


    Sofia let out a sob.


    ¡°He did something to the circles,¡± Victor snapped.


    Gabriela¡¯s eyes flicked open, but she couldn¡¯t stop chanting. She was committed now. Any disruption would be fatal. There was pain behind her eyes like she was now straining against a force beyond her ability to withstand.


    Then, the tiger appeared.


    A massive shape, mid-air, all muscle and fury. Michael pulled the trigger.


    Pain bloomed hot in Rowan¡¯s gut. Another shot¡ªhis shoulder this time. A third¡ªfire lanced across the side of his face, his right eye going dark. He collapsed, the vision in his remaining eye tunneling. But he still saw Gretta land, her paw crushing Michael into the stone floor. Bone shattered. Blood pooled.


    Rowan coughed, forcing himself to stay conscious. No time for pain.


    Victor fired three shots in quick succession, but they passed harmlessly through empty space as Gretta slipped back into the astral. He swore.


    The magic of the ritual surged forward, flames flaring. The air thickened, electric with divine presence.


    Rowan¡¯s illusion shattered. The circles had warped, moving the swords inside Gabriela¡¯s circle and the swords of Sofia¡¯s outside. The magic of the ritual twisted in on itself, its intent forcibly rewritten.


    Gabriela¡¯s voice hitched, her chant faltering for just a breath. A crack in the foundation. Her eyes locked on Rowan, confusion warring with the inevitability she had resigned herself to. And then, something in her expression broke.


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    ¡°No¡ª¡± she choked out.


    Rowan could see the choice written on her face: let the ritual fail and hope to survive, or bring Marcus back at the cost of her own mind.


    She closed her eyes and whispered, ¡°Take me.¡±


    The candles flared, then died. The air rushed inward. And then, Marcus was there.


    Not just a whisper of power or a flicker of presence¡ªMarcus tore his way through the void and into Gabriela¡¯s body. Her spine arched violently, a gasp escaping her lips before her body stilled. Her eyes burned scarlet, and bloody tears traced down her cheeks. He looked down at his own hands, and realization crossed his face.


    Labored breathing was the only sound in the room as a moment passed.


    ¡°You destroyed my mother,¡± Marcus roared. His voice slammed into Rowan like a shockwave, driving him and Michael¡¯s corpse against the wall.


    Rowan wheezed. Talking hurt. Existing hurt. With effort, he managed something close to a grin. ¡°Thought she was just a useful tool.¡±


    Marcus stalked forward, wearing Gabriela¡¯s body, conjuring a glowing spear. ¡°She was my mother.¡± His voice was low, but murder gleamed in his eyes.


    Rowan felt the building of backlash. He had altered reality with chaos. Now, the backlash was coming. No one can upset the universe''s balance without consequences¡ªnot even a god.


    Victor still stood in the corner, gun lowered, sweat slicking his face. His hesitation cost him. Gretta materialized mid-strike, claws raking across his gut. His gun spun out of reach. She bit into his shoulder and shook. He screamed.


    Marcus turned, spear raised.


    ¡°Watch out,¡± Rowan rasped, barely audible.


    The spear launched. Gretta vanished just before it struck. Victor wasn¡¯t so lucky. The weapon impaled him, pinning him to the wall. The metal hissed as it seared through flesh and bone. His scream cut off into a wet gurgle.


    The backlash coiled around him, an unseen force twisting tighter and tighter, ready to snap. Rowan had just hoped he¡¯d be on the other side of the room when it hit. The backlash hummed in the air, the universe pulling back, ready to snap into balance.


    Marcus grinned, pivoting back toward Rowan. ¡°Where were we?¡±


    Gretta¡¯s eyes met Rowan¡¯s momentarily, the shared desperation palpable. She launched herself at Marcus.


    Rowan saw the trap too late. ¡°No¡ª¡± he whispered.


    Marcus was already moving. He twisted, meeting her mid-air, and drove his spear clean through her throat. She hit the ground, skidding to a stop in a limp heap.


    Rowan knew it was too late to move and lacked the strength to hold back the tide of power.


    Marcus grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up. The pain was too much. His body wanted to shut down.


    ¡°Speak up, little doggie.¡± Marcus¡¯s tone was mockingly light.


    Rowan¡¯s lips curled. ¡°Catch.¡±


    And the backlash hit.


    A surge of order magic exploded outward. The world lurched. The air cracked. The ground trembled. Huge, geometric shards of stone¡ªraw, physical manifestations of forced balance¡ªplummeted from above.


    Marcus barely had time to react before the first spear of granite fell. He dropped Rowan, raising a hand to conjure a shield. Metal flared to life around him in a dome of protection.


    Rowan, however, had no such defense. The universe did not play favorites. His last thoughts were of Sofia, still bound, still fighting, and of Gretta, unmoving. Then, the weight of the world fell. He fought to retain his consciousness even through the destruction of his body.


    The sheer force of the backlash whisked Rowan¡¯s soul through the void and on a collision course toward a domain of brilliant white light. He tried to muster the strength to shift to raven form¡ªthe only way he had managed to navigate the void so far, but magic was beyond him. He was simply too exhausted from working so much magic in such a short time.


    There was the breaking of glass, more falling, and then the sudden impact of landing on steel. Instantly, a latticework of crystal sprung up around him. The moment they sealed, he felt utterly cut off from magic. He noticed symbols etched into the crystal that vaguely resembled those he had seen through Gretta¡¯s eyes when she was escaping from the FBI. These were different because even chaos magic was cut off.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Ellie¡¯s white hair flowed down over her pure white gown, and she brushed it back, smiling. ¡°Comfortable?¡±


    Rowan let out a groan and rolled over onto his back. ¡°I hope there¡¯s room service.¡±


    ¡°Make jokes.¡± She smirked. ¡°This time, there is no escape. You¡¯re exactly where you belong.¡±

 Chapter 47. Shadow Path

    Gretta gritted her teeth against the pain and forced the shift. Her tiger form vanished into the astral, replaced by her human body in the realm of magic. The molten-hot spear tumbled to the ground, its weight suddenly real in this plane. Gretta rolled away, barely in time.


    The occasional rock tumbled from the ceiling, landing on the heap where Rowan lay buried¡ªalongside Marcus, trapped in Gabriela¡¯s body. Sofia was still bound somewhere on the other side of that heap.


    Gretta scrambled to her feet and sprinted, dodging shifting and falling rocks. She saw Sofia struggling to free herself from her ropes. Within seconds, she closed the distance and yanked the gag free.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± Gretta said.


    Sofia gasped for air. ¡°He¡¯s still here¡ªI can feel him.¡±


    Gretta nodded. ¡°I can feel him, too.¡± She started pulling at the knots of the rope restraining Sofia. ¡°Hold still.¡±


    ¡°Rowan¡ª¡± Sofia¡¯s breath hitched, a stifled sob trembling on her lips. ¡°I think he¡¯s gone.¡±


    Gretta forced confidence into her voice. ¡°He¡¯s a god. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Sofia shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t feel him, and when I try to pray to him, he won¡¯t answer me.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s fingers twitched mid-gesture. ¡°What am I doing?¡± she murmured, then spoke the unbinding spell¡ª¡°Draleq.¡±


    Nothing. No hum of chaos, no flicker of energy¡ªonly empty air.


    Gretta tried again, this time louder, ¡°Draleq!¡± She reached for chaos magic, but there was nothing to grasp. She blinked.


    ¡°What does that spell do?¡± Sofia asked.


    ¡°It should undo any knot,¡± Gretta said.


    The giant mound of rocks over the two gods shifted.


    ¡°Hurry,¡± Sofia said.


    Gretta rushed to the spear, then back to Sofia. The metal felt wrong, more than just heat. There was an awareness to it¡ªsharp, unmistakable loathing. Maybe it was an artifact, like the one the Wild Mother had made her, imbued with part of Marcus¡¯s soul. Somehow, it knew her.


    ¡°Hold very still,¡± Gretta said as she brought the searing hot tip closer to the ropes on Sofia¡¯s legs.


    Sofia was perfectly still.


    The spear began to jerk and buck in her hand¡ªas if rebelling against her control¡ªnicking the rope until, with a pop, Sofia¡¯s legs were free. Gretta spun and jammed the spear into the boulder pile as deep as she could, hoping to keep the weapon anchored there but imagining it flying after them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get your hands later. We have to run now,¡± Gretta said.


    Sofia awkwardly climbed to her feet, and they both ran for the only entrance to the room. Gretta imagined the hordes of demons waiting for them as they stepped through, but she feared them less than she feared Marcus.


    The air pulled inward, twisting around them as they stepped through the light. Gretta¡¯s stomach lurched. The cavern vanished, replaced by thick, humid, cloying air. Whispers slithered through the dark, and the uneven ground felt wrong beneath her feet, shifting as if alive. They were in a narrow corridor¡ªnothing like the vast cavern they had passed through to the realm of magic. The rough walls and uneven floor were unsuitable for running or even walking fast.


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    Sofia tugged to free her wrists. ¡°Can you get these off me?¡± She nodded at the ropes.


    ¡°Marcus will probably follow us soon, and the demons will sense us and come. They aren¡¯t fast, but if we stay long enough to undo those ropes, they will catch us.¡± Gretta considered the jagged, rocky terrain. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you on my back.¡±


    Gretta knelt as Sofia rested her bound hands atop her head. Once in position, Gretta raised one hand and murmured, ¡°Ilthar,¡± conjuring a small globe of light. Then, clumsily at first, she set off down the corridor¡ªthe only way out.


    Whispers in an unknown language echoed through the corridor.


    ¡°Do you know where we are going?¡± Sofia whispered.


    ¡°I think this place is some sort of bridge,¡± Gretta whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it, but I think we¡¯ll find the way out as long as we move away from where we came from.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like this when they brought me,¡± Sofia said. ¡°It was a straight, gray hallway. It wasn¡¯t very long.¡±


    Gretta missed a step and caught herself against the wall, scraping her hand. ¡°That¡¯s not how it looked either time I¡¯ve been through. Maybe Gabriela knew a shortcut.¡±


    ¡°When we came through, she was talking to herself out loud. She said something about a deal,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°If we run into any demons¡ªRowan warned that seeing their faces can drive you crazy¡ªkeep your eyes shut, and I¡¯ll get us through,¡± Gretta said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a light ahead,¡± Sofia said.


    Gretta slowed long enough to look further down the tunnel without tripping. A faint glow of white light was coming from down on the left. They were getting close. They might make it through without having to deal with the demons.


    She picked up the pace, hope rising with every step. The ground was becoming less treacherous, and while not even, it was not as jagged.


    From the shadows ahead, a tall, muscular figure stepped into the middle of the tunnel.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡± Thadius asked, a smile playing on his lips as he bared his pronounced fangs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be along soon enough,¡± Gretta said.


    A drumbeat started, and Gretta¡¯s heart stumbled into its rhythm. Thump-ba-da-thump. Thump-ba-da-thump.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Thadius stilled, head tilting, nostrils flaring. ¡°He¡¯s not¡­¡± His fangs bared slightly. His eyes narrowed, as if listening for something beyond mortal senses. A long pause.


    Then his expression faltered. ¡°I don¡¯t feel his soul anymore.¡± His voice dropped, suddenly uncertain. ¡°Is he¡­ destroyed?¡±


    ¡°When I set you down, get through the light,¡± Gretta whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    Thadius¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I was promised his soul.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t feel¡­ right,¡± Sofia whispered. ¡°Are you going to turn back into a tiger?¡±


    Gretta inched forward as the sound of drums closed in. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m cut off from my other shapes here.¡± She didn¡¯t add that her tiger form was badly wounded¡ªit needed time to heal.


    Sofia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can¡¯t shapeshift?¡±


    Thadius crouched down, preparing to pounce.


    ¡°The shadows,¡± Sofia whispered, her head tilting slightly. ¡°They¡¯re connected.¡± She sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°If you drop your light, the one to your left will lead straight to the portal.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gretta asked.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I can feel it when shadows are connected.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go through a shadow,¡± Gretta said.


    Thadius launched himself forward.


    ¡°Trust me!¡± Sofia shouted.


    Gretta let her light spell wink out and leaped toward the solid rock wall to her left. Thadius¡¯s clawed hand lashed out. The world tilted. Gretta fell forward¡ªstumbled¡ªthen suddenly, she was in front of the portal.


    She looked back and saw Thadius collide with the stone wall where she had been moments before, his nails making sparks along the surface.


    The drums hesitated as the tunnel shook¡ªas if a nuke''s impact was shaking the Earth''s foundations. A wave of magic washed over them, a presence that was unmistakable.


    ¡°Marcus is here,¡± Sofia whispered.


    Gretta stepped into the light just as Thadius whirled. She caught one last glimpse of his furious snarl¡ªthen the light devoured her.


    The air shifted. Cool, dry, thick with dust and gasoline. The sun burned her eyes.


    Four AR-15s snapped toward her. A metallic click shattered the silence.

 Chapter 48. Cake

    Rowan slouched against the crystalline bars, the picture of lazy defiance. The moment Ellie left, he did the obvious¡ªtested the bars. No luck. They didn¡¯t budge, didn¡¯t crack, didn¡¯t even smudge. Whatever they were made of, it was stronger than diamond and, more insultingly, fingerprint-proof.


    He tried every spell he knew, poking at reality¡¯s edges for a weak spot. Nothing. His other forms hovered just beyond reach in the astral, taunting him. No matter how hard he pushed, the barrier held. The astral was still his best bet. That¡¯s why he lounged against the bars, running through the puzzle in his head¡ªhow does one take a body to the astral?


    The door blasted open, rattling the walls. Ellie stormed in, her eyes blazing with white-hot fury. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Judging by your face, I should be expecting cake.¡±


    Ellie¡¯s fingers curled like she could rip the air itself apart. ¡°I would burn you to ash¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yada, yada,¡± Rowan muttered.


    ¡°¡ªbut the very fabric of magic seems to be coming undone!¡± She raised a palm. ¡°Ilthar.¡± A faint glow flickered¡ªthen guttered out like a dying star.


    The entire realm buckled, groaning like the hull of a sinking ship. Rowan gripped the bars, watching the cracks in reality widen.


    ¡°Well. That¡¯s not great,¡± he said.


    ¡°Not great?!¡± She stomped forward and kicked between the bars.


    Rowan moved the necessary few inches for her to miss. ¡°That¡¯s not nice. What about that cake now?¡±


    She put her hands on her hips. ¡°Do you know what it means if there is no order in the universe?¡±


    Rowan gave a half-shrug. ¡°I win?¡±


    ¡°The fabric of reality will unwind!¡± Spit was flying from her mouth.


    ¡°Wow. And your plan was to come and ask the god of chaos to fix it?¡± Rowan smirked. ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m powerless in here. You are the goddess of order¡ªsounds like you better get to making order in the universe.¡±


    She grabbed the bars. ¡°I can¡¯t! Something you did while at the heart of magic has damaged the fabric. I need to undo it before there¡¯s nothing left. Tell me what you did!¡±


    ¡°When would you say you started noticing symptoms?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°Maybe it was something you ate.¡±


    She knelt next to the cage. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Rowan shrugged. ¡°Do you think it was my wit and charm that broke reality? Because I was pretty witty.¡±


    Ellie¡¯s realm shuttered again, and she slipped and fell to the floor. It took a moment for her to regain her feet. She held her head as if in pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s tearing me apart.¡± Her voice cracked. ¡°Rowan, we¡¯ve had our battles, but I never wanted you dead. You just¡­ you don¡¯t see the damage you cause. The world needs to be protected from you.¡±


    Rowan sighed. ¡°Ellie, the only person who has ever believed your lies is you.¡±


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    ¡°Then why did you become the trickster god?¡± she asked. ¡°I convinced you to become that¡ªthat was never something you wanted. That was something that I needed.¡±


    Rowan nodded. ¡°That was less you and more me lying to myself. And you¡¯re right, I never wanted this, but it¡¯s on me that I didn¡¯t open my own eyes and see you and Marcus for what you are.¡±


    ¡°I felt your brother escape purgatory,¡± Ellie said. ¡°You know what harm he¡¯ll do now that he¡¯s free.¡±


    Rowan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°My brother is on Earth?¡±


    Ellie shook her head. ¡°Purgatory touches all realities through the void. Something you did unleashed the demons into the void. All of the gods are now under assault.¡±


    Rowan thought of Abby and Nadia, each weakened by their creation of an artifact and having to fend off the demons¡ªwho were more than a physical threat but capable of driving even a god to madness.


    ¡°Wait. Are the gods in a group chat, and I¡¯m not invited?¡±


    ¡°One of my disciples prayed to each of the gods when I asked her to,¡± she said.


    Rowan blinked. ¡°Her? You have another disciple other than Victor?¡±


    ¡°All of us have multiple disciples, dolt,¡± she said. ¡°Without a mortal, we¡¯d have no tether to reality¡ªno source of strength.¡±


    ¡°You need them?¡±


    She ignored his question. ¡°What do you think will happen once all of the gods are dead?¡±


    ¡°Nadia and Abby are strong. They¡¯ll be fine,¡± he lied. Demons were not gods but still god-adjacent. If a hoard of them had been released, they¡¯d likely overrun the gods.


    ¡°Last chance,¡± she said. ¡°Tell me what you did.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should ask what your boyfriend did,¡± Rowan said. ¡°The only thing I did was look out for a child.¡±


    A woman made entirely from white light stumbled into the room¡ªone of the automatons Ellie used for guards, except this one had wings. Rowan speculated that the wings were a new addition since his last escape using his raven form. The guard was flickering in and out of existence. ¡°Intruders,¡± she said in a musical voice that went out of key as she winked out of existence.


    Ellie held out her hand, and a rod of pure light appeared. She glanced at Rowan with a glare. ¡°When I come back, I¡¯m beating the answer out of you.¡±


    As she stormed out of the room, Rowan sat up straighter. He had no idea what had unleashed the demons. He had unleashed chaos in the heart of the realm of magic to disrupt the ritual, but was that enough to free the demons in purgatory and release them into the void? Maybe the backlash did something? He had tried to destroy Marcus¡¯s avatar in the backlash, but what if Marcus lived? He wondered if Sofia and Gretta escaped. He had left them both lying helplessly on the ground.


    The entirety of the disaster felt like too much. He couldn¡¯t be in all places at once¡ªbut Abby, Nadia, Gretta, and Sofia all needed him. Or, they at least needed the strength to help each other. That meant helping Abby first. She could help Nadia and Gretta, who could all help Sofia.


    Rowan wasn¡¯t a planner. He was a professional at winging it. But for once, he had a clear goal. Time to let loose.


    He thought about the astral problem. When he shifted, he swapped one shape for another. He had done it so much that it came easily. He simply willed that form to come forward, but his consciousness remained in the same reality. Maybe this wasn¡¯t a matter of moving his form, but moving his consciousness.


    He locked onto his raven form¡ªnot here, but waiting just beyond the veil. He hurled his mind forward. His muscles seized, his breath hitched. For a split second, he felt it¡ªthe weightless silence of the astral.


    Footsteps were echoing down the hall, coming closer.


    He tried again. His fists balled, and he willed his consciousness into the raven. A trickle of blood ran down his nose. The footsteps were near. He pushed harder.


    With a popping sensation, his consciousness and body were no longer in Ellie¡¯s reality. Rowan grinned. He had finally managed to reach the astral.


    A massive figure stepped into the room¡ªtaloned fingers, sharp fangs, and eyes like burning coals. Thadius. Rowan¡¯s brother. Burns and cuts littered his skin, but he moved like he felt none of it. His gaze passed straight through Rowan¡¯s ethereal form.


    Then he howled, a raw, feral sound, and launched himself upward¡ªshattering the ceiling, ripping a gaping hole in reality itself as he vanished into the void.


    Rowan tried to follow his brother, willing himself to float up¡ªbut smashed his face into the bars of Ellie¡¯s cage. The pain was unreal. Apparently, Ellie had even imprisoned him in the astral.

 Chapter 49. The Mad God

    The four men pointing AR-15s at Gretta and Sofia weren¡¯t low-level gangsters. Their grips were steady, their stance balanced¡ªtrained, disciplined. Not military, but close. Dangerous.


    But they didn¡¯t move. Their weight shifted, grips tightening.


    Sofia clung to Gretta¡¯s back, bound hands draped over her shoulders. Gretta¡¯s grip tightened around the girl¡¯s legs, securing her. The men knew Gretta opposed Marcus¡ªyet she was the one carrying the girl. That didn¡¯t add up.


    She caught the instant they realized¡ªeyes flicking to each other, searching for an answer that wasn¡¯t there.


    A scar-faced man, broader than the others, squared his shoulders and scanned his team, searching for certainty where there was none.


    "Orders?" one of them asked, voice tight.


    Scar-face hesitated. "We hold position."


    "Until when?" the younger one pressed. "Gabriela¡¯s in the heart of magic. She¡¯s not coming back out to tell us what to do."


    A beat of silence. No one argued.


    Cigarette Man exhaled slowly. "Then we follow the last orders we got. Keep the kid contained."


    One of the younger ones, no older than twenty, exhaled sharply. His stance was too rigid, his fingers twitching toward his rifle¡ªfighting the instinct to act before thinking. He looked at Sofia, then at Gretta. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡±


    Gretta didn¡¯t move. Not yet.


    Cigarette Man finally exhaled a slow plume of smoke, shifting slightly in front of the younger one, blocking his line of sight. ¡°Put the kid down and hands where we can see ¡®em.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s muscles screamed in protest. She¡¯d shifted twice, been to the astral three times, cast multiple spells, and pushed past every limit she had. She had one last desperate hope¡ªone more shift to the astral to get them clear.


    Wild Mother, please¡ªlend me your strength.


    The response came, distant and pained. I cannot.


    A chill ran through Gretta¡¯s spine. Not won¡¯t. Cannot.


    The Wild Mother was hurt¡ªwounded in a way that made her divine presence feel thin, almost threadbare.


    Cigarette Man took a step forward. ¡°Last chance. Kid down. Hands on your head.¡±


    Gretta gently set Sofia down and stepped back, her hands raised. ¡°They aren¡¯t going to hurt you,¡± she murmured¡ªnot just for Sofia¡¯s sake, but as a subtle reminder to the men in front of her. She wasn¡¯t a threat. Yet.


    The men didn¡¯t lower their weapons. The one on the right, a younger recruit, hesitated. ¡°Lord? Are you in there?¡± he asked, his eyes flicking toward Sofia.


    Sofia flinched, her wide eyes darting to Gretta, seeking confirmation. That was enough.


    ¡°Shit,¡± muttered another guard. ¡°The ritual¡ª¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t work,¡± Cigarette Man finished, realization dawning. ¡°She should be a god by now.¡± He squared his shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hold the kid and wait for orders.¡±


    The air behind them stirred.


    A slow footstep echoed across the mountaintop. Dust swirled at the edge of the purgatory gateway, the shimmering veil of unreality parting as Gabriela stepped through.


    No¡ªnot Gabriela.


    Gretta¡¯s breath caught. Red-rimmed, unfocused eyes. A sluggish tilt of the head. Arms twitching as if resisting invisible strings.


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    One of the guards took a step forward, lowering his rifle. ¡°Boss?¡±


    Marcus¡ªpossessing Gabriela¡¯s body¡ªstaggered forward, his limbs jerking in stiff, unnatural motions, like a marionette with tangled strings. His head snapped sideways, too fast, as if his body was still learning how to move.


    ¡°Gone are the tulips flying,¡± he murmured, breathy, delighted¡ªquoting something only he understood. Then he laughed, sharp and shrill, cocking his head at an unnatural angle, as if the bones inside had rearranged themselves.


    ¡°Plucked from the sky, no wings, no light, just falling, falling, falling.¡± His grin widened, stretching too far, Gabriela¡¯s teeth bared in something not meant to smile.


    The youngest guard swallowed hard. ¡°Uh¡­ what?¡±


    Marcus¡¯s eyes flickered. Not the normal kind of blink¡ªthey switched colors. For the briefest second, Gabriela¡¯s deep brown was gone, replaced with a glowing red, then nothing at all.


    He dragged a hand over his face. His shoulders shook with laughter¡ªthen stopped, like something inside had snapped. A breath hitched in his throat. His fingers dug into his scalp.


    ¡°No,¡± he whispered. ¡°No, no, no¡ª¡±


    The word echoed strangely, warping in the air. The ground cracked beneath him, dust spiraling upward as if drawn by invisible strings.


    Then, all at once, his face twisted in rage. ¡°You will not tell me what I am!¡±


    His voice boomed in three tones at once¡ªa shriek, a growl, and something lower, something wrong. The air collapsed inward.


    The guards took an uneasy step back. Cigarette Man gestured sharply. ¡°Mrs. Ramirez, please¡ª¡±


    Marcus snarled. His borrowed hands flexed, and red energy crackled across his fingers. ¡°You will NOT tell me what I am.¡±


    A concussive blast erupted from Marcus, a ripple of raw power so fierce that the nearest guard was vaporized where he stood. Another tumbled off the cliffside, his scream cutting short.


    The youngest¡ªthe twitchy one, the one who had hesitated¡ªwas thrown back like a rag doll, slamming into the rocky ground. His rifle skidded away.


    He didn¡¯t get up. But Gretta could hear him¡ªa ragged, choking breath in the dust. The scrape of fabric against stone¡ªsomeone dragging themselves away in a blind panic. She didn¡¯t look back. She couldn¡¯t.


    Gretta barely had time to react before Marcus¡¯s bloodshot gaze locked onto her. His fists began to glow.


    Sofia sucked in a breath, her whole body locking up. Gretta saw her fingers twitch, like she wanted to pull them back but couldn¡¯t.


    The air thinned around them.


    ¡°No,¡± Sofia whispered.


    Darkness curled from her fingertips, unfurling like ink in water¡ªnot spreading, devouring. The air didn¡¯t tremble. It ceased. The ground beneath darkness burned away, not with fire, but with absence.


    It wasn¡¯t just blackness. It was the unraveling of existence itself. Stone vanished soundlessly. Dust ceased to exist. The wind died mid-breath.


    Gretta felt it¡ªa pressure, a hunger.


    Within the void, three distant stars flickered¡ªgreen, purple, and white¡ªthe trapped gods, their light distant but unwavering. Tiny pink lights swarmed around them, writhing and shrieking¡ªnot insects but demons. The gods were under siege.


    Sofia¡¯s breath hitched. She didn¡¯t move.


    Marcus¡ªtrapped within Gabriela¡¯s stolen body¡ªdidn¡¯t fall. The void claimed him. Shadows coiled around his limbs, yanking him downward. His mouth opened¡ªmaybe to scream, maybe to curse¡ªbut no sound came.


    Then, with a final, violent pull, he was gone.


    The void pulsed¡ªonce, hungrily¡ªthen collapsed inward.


    Silence.


    The world returned, but it felt thinner. Less real.


    Gretta¡¯s legs buckled, knees slamming into the dirt. Pain flared through her ribs, every muscle trembling from too much shifting, too much magic.


    She forced a breath¡ªjagged, burning. Her vision blurred. The weight of everything pressed down. She slumped against the rock, breath slowing. Not giving up. Just done.


    Sofia stood frozen, arms wrapped tightly around herself.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Her voice cracked. Her fingers flexed uselessly, as if trying to undo what had just happened. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±


    Gretta forced herself to sit up straighter, biting back a groan. ¡°You saved us.¡±


    Sofia sniffled, squeezing her eyes shut. ¡°My dad said not to do it again,¡± she whispered. ¡°He said¡ª¡± Her voice faltered. Hands clenched into fists, shoulders trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anybody.¡±


    Sofia sniffled, eyes squeezed shut. ¡°My dad said not to do it again. He said¡ª¡± She bit her lip. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anybody.¡±


    Gretta touched her shoulder. ¡°You didn¡¯t. That was a god. You can¡¯t hurt a god.¡±


    Sofia wavered, caught between the instinct to cry and the realization that no tears would come.


    ¡°Rowan was a god,¡± she whispered. ¡°And now he¡¯s gone.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s breath caught. Instinct kicked in¡ªshe reached, not physically, but through that thread of chaos magic she¡¯d always felt. There was nothing.


    She inhaled sharply, fingers clenching into the dirt.


    Sofia wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°Before¡­ I could feel him.¡± A whisper. ¡°Like a promise.¡±


    Her gaze lifted, weary but steady. ¡°And it¡¯s never coming back.¡±


    Gretta swallowed, staring up at the too-bright sky.


    The sun shone bright. A breeze stirred the dust. Birds called from somewhere in the distance. The world looked unchanged. But something was missing, and no matter how normal the morning seemed, the absence remained.

 Chapter 50. Trash Day

    The astral wasn¡¯t tiring¡ªshifting was. The one perk? It made for a decent nap¡ªif he ignored the part where he kept drifting into the cage bars and smacking his head. Whatever magic Ellie had used to craft his prison, the fact that it spanned into the astral was astonishing to Rowan. He didn¡¯t think any physical object existed in the astral and that magic alone helped with the senses of sight and hearing. Only a god or mighty magic user could even enter the astral.


    Only a god. Had Ellie crafted this prison from her soul? Was this cage an artifact?


    For reasons Rowan didn¡¯t fully understand, the manifestation of gods existed simultaneously in the astral and reality. Ellie was clever¡ªannoyingly so. Had she planned for him to enter the astral, designing the prison to hold him here? Or had she just blundered into an inescapable trap by accident, sealing every exit with her own soul? Marcus had not followed Rowan into the astral, likely because he was too arrogant to care or consider an intangible space. He wasn¡¯t a shapeshifter either¡ªand shapeshifters had to pay special attention to the astral, as that was where they swapped their forms. Ellie seemed much more like Marcus because she cared about the space she could manipulate and control. The astral was a place to watch and move.


    A spear of molten fire tore through the ceiling, splitting the crystal prison with a thunderous crack. Shards exploded outward, ricocheting off the walls. A few clipped Rowan¡¯s astral form and bounced off¡ªpainful, but not fatal. If he¡¯d been physical, he¡¯d be dead.


    Rowan knew that spear¡ªit was the artifact that Marcus had crafted and represented part of his power. Now, it lay shattered around the room¡ªa red mist drifting off it.


    Tentatively, he pushed against the remains of the crystal cage, and the structure crumbled to dust. A faint white mist drifted off it¡ªconfirming it¡¯s construction of Ellie¡¯s soul.


    Rowan watched the opening above him, expecting to see Marcus following behind, but was startled to see the door to the room open and Ellie hobble in. She was bloody and bruised but still whole.


    ¡°Rowan!¡± she screamed, spittle trickling from her mouth. ¡°I feel your presence! Come out!¡±


    She held out her rod of light, and it flickered¡ªbut the light grew stronger. Ellie blinked. ¡°My power¡­ it¡¯s returning.¡±


    Rowan did not want to wait for her to regain her strength and started drifting toward the hole Thadius had left, but he kept his eyes on Ellie.


    ¡°Something¡¯s changed,¡± she whispered. ¡°There¡¯s still an imbalance.¡±


    Because Rowan was looking down, he didn¡¯t notice Gabriela''s plummeting form until she plowed past him and smashed into the ground. Gabriela¡¯s broken body lay unmoving, and after Rowan stopped spinning, he paused to watch.


    Ellie knelt down. ¡°Marcus? I feel you. Are you alright?¡±


    When she touched Gabriela¡¯s forehead, her eyes shot open, and they were pure black. ¡°There¡¯s no time! Around we go!¡± She cackled. ¡°The tulips are here!¡±


    Rowan could feel Marcus¡¯s soul in Gabriela¡¯s body, but there was another feeling¡ªa taint. Something that he felt around the demons. Thadius was free, and Marcus was here with Ellie, who was still in Gabriela¡¯s body. Maybe this was Gretta¡¯s doing, or maybe Thadius had done this to Marcus? Rowan had too many questions and suspected Marcus was not in his right mind.


    Rowan rose up, and as he reached the void, Gabriela screeched, ¡°The Trickster flees!¡±


    That was all the motivation Rowan needed. He shifted into a raven as he left the astral and glided out into the void. Maybe on a good day, Ellie might have drawn enough magic to create a tide to bring him back, but she was all but tapped out.


    Rowan noticed that he wasn¡¯t alone in the void. Dozens of small pink shapes, winged demons, flew around the green and purple stars that were Abby and Nadia. The largest form was that of Thadius, flying low over Abby¡¯s green star, taking clawed strikes as if he could tear open reality with his hands¡ªand Rowan suspected he could.


    The last time he had visited Abby, he had simply flown in, but she had let him in. Her defenses were up, and from the erratic flicker and dimming light, he worried that her strength was nearly spent.


    Rowan hovered in the void, staring down at Abby¡¯s faltering green star. The demons swarmed around her light, clawing at the surface as if trying to peel it open. Nadia¡¯s purple glow flickered, dimming under the relentless assault. The largest shadow¡ªThadius¡ªraked his claws along the green light, and for a terrifying moment, Rowan swore he saw cracks spidering along Abby¡¯s star.


    He wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight Thadius. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight even a single demon.


    But maybe he didn¡¯t have to fight at all.


    Rowan¡¯s mind raced, searching for an answer. He had always been different from the other gods. They were their own realms¡ªvast, powerful, unmovable. He was the trickster, slipping between them, bending the rules, never bound to a single place. But what if, just this once¡­ he became one?


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    What if he became one now?


    The thought was mad. The kind of mad that came with potential.


    Chaos surged around him, a current that he had always manipulated in small, subtle ways. A shift of luck. A trick of probability. But what if, instead of nudging it, he opened himself to it? What if he let it take him?


    No hesitation. Hesitation got people killed.


    Rowan pulled. He reached into the flow of chaos, deeper than he ever had before, deeper than he should, deeper than any reality had ever allowed him to.


    And then he became reality.


    The void warped. A distortion rippled outward, bending the space around him like a stone dropped into a reflection. The stars¡ªAbby¡¯s green, Nadia¡¯s purple¡ªflickered, caught in the wave. The demons reeled, their pink light stretching and twisting as the very fabric of non-reality convulsed.


    Chaos erupted¡ªwild, raw, unchecked. A tide that had never belonged here. The void had always been nothing¡ªno reality, no order, no rules. But this was different. Gods pulled from the Heart of Magic all the time, drawing its power through their domains. They had even used it against him, warping its tides to drag him through the void.


    But never like this. Never this much. This wasn¡¯t a current¡ªit was a flood. A riptide strong enough to reshape the nothingness. It was the same force that had once pulled him to Abby¡¯s domain, to Ellie¡¯s, to Nadia¡¯s. But this time, he was the destination.


    The demons shrieked.


    Pink lights flickered wildly as they flapped their monstrous wings, caught in the tide. The void was still unfamiliar to them; they had never learned how to resist its currents, had never needed to. Now, as chaos rushed into Rowan and into chaos made reality, they were caught in the pull, tumbling toward him like leaves in a whirlwind.


    Most of them.


    As the chaos swallowed the demons whole, Rowan caught a glimpse of a single shadow tearing free¡ªThadius, fighting against the tide, claws digging into nothing, resisting. He snarled, his red eyes locking onto Rowan¡¯s for a fleeting moment before the darkness obscured him.


    Then he was gone. Not captured. Just... gone.


    Abby¡¯s green glow steadied. Nadia¡¯s light flared bright enough to send shadows recoiling. The demons tried to scramble, tried to latch onto something, anything, but there was nothing solid to grasp. They screamed as they were swallowed into Rowan¡¯s forming reality.


    Rowan felt them inside him.


    It was an alien sensation, one he didn¡¯t have time to process. He had never done this before¡ªnever been a place instead of a person. He wasn¡¯t creating a world¡ªno land, no sky, no form. Normally, shaping a reality might be safe enough, just a part of being a god. But not with these creatures.


    If he gave them something, they could twist it, infect it¡ªinfect him. So he gave them nothing. Just endless emptiness, a prison without walls, without ground, without escape. A space where there was only absence.


    And then he moved.


    Rowan didn¡¯t have a body anymore, didn¡¯t have wings to beat or feet to push off from, but he could drift. The same way he had slipped between realities before, he instinctively found the edge. He only tried to go to purgatory from Earth, not the void. Now, with so much chaos surging through him, with the force of the demons being dragged along, it was inevitable.


    He drifted into a ragged tear¡ªunlike the bright lights that typically guided him, this was a sickly pink that pulsed.


    For a moment, he felt stretched, unmade, scattered into a million pieces. And then¡ª


    He was somewhere else. He was not a being with a body¡ªbut a consciousness holding a reality and to any observer, a burning blue energy.


    A vast, cavernous expanse stretched endlessly before him, its high stone ceiling lost in the dim light. The air was thick with the weight of old sorrow, pressing down like the walls of a tomb. This was purgatory¡ªthe space between realities, where broken gods faded and lost souls wandered.


    Rowan let go, and as he did, the raw chaos he had drawn into himself erupted outward. The surge of energy, uncontrolled and wild, crashed against the fragile edges of purgatory, seeking equilibrium. The tear Marcus had made shuddered and warped, the fabric of reality pulling itself back together¡ªbut imperfectly. The damage was mended, but fractures remained, thin cracks in the veil where magic still leaked through. A problem for another day, another fight.


    The demons spilled out of him, shrieking in confusion as they tumbled into the endless cavern. Shadows stretched along the stone walls, twisting with their flickering pink light. They scattered, their cries echoing in the oppressive gloom, disoriented, lost.


    Rowan didn¡¯t wait to see what happened next. He had one last moment before the strain of it all collapsed in on him.


    He wrenched himself back into the void.


    Reality snapped¡ªbut something had changed. The void tear to purgatory shimmered unnaturally, as if it had been stretched too far and barely stitched back together. A lingering instability, subtle but present, coiled through the emptiness, like a fracture beneath the surface of a frozen lake, waiting for pressure to split it open.


    Rowan gasped as he felt his body again¡ªsmall, fragile, human-shaped. But the void was unstable. The moment he tried to steady himself, reality lurched beneath him.


    He barely had time to shift¡ªfeathers, wings, a desperate beat of his wings¡ªbefore gravity claimed him. His vision blurred in streaks of green, the scent of damp earth rising around him as he plunged into Abby¡¯s world.


    He hit the ground hard. Moss cushioned his fall, but the impact still knocked the air from his lungs. The sky above was a canopy of massive trees, their emerald leaves glowing with inner light. Distant calls of unseen creatures echoed in the thick air. He knew this place.


    Abby¡¯s world.


    A warm voice rumbled through the space around him. "Rowan?"


    He turned his head weakly, just in time to see a massive stag stepping between the trees, golden antlers catching the dim light. Abby¡¯s voice came again, softer this time. ¡°What did you just do?¡±


    Rowan smirked. ¡°Trash day.¡±


    There was a blur between the astral and reality for a moment that he couldn¡¯t control. He fought for solidity. The world tilted, and his vision swam. He tried to push himself up, but something felt wrong.


    His arms weren¡¯t arms. His legs weren¡¯t legs. He lifted one of them. It flopped. Tentacles?


    Ah, hell.


    Then¡ªnothing.

 Chapter 51. Making Rent

    The mountain already felt like a half-remembered dream.


    Gravel crunched underfoot. The desert air was sharp and dry in her lungs. A car hummed along the highway¡ªtoo distant to matter.


    Too normal. Too fragile. Like waking up and realizing the nightmare hadn''t ended.


    Gretta rolled her shoulders, muscles aching from shifting, from magic, from survival.


    She glanced at Sofia, who was quiet for the first time in hours. There was no questioning, no clever remarks, just a small girl walking beside her, carrying the weight of too much.


    Then Gretta saw her car¡ªand the black Mercedes. Her body tensed before she could think, instincts screaming. Not done yet.


    Gretta stopped short, but Sofia started running toward the car.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Gretta said, moving to intercept Sofia.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Sofia called out as the Mercedes¡¯s driver door opened.


    ¡°Dulce!¡± The woman ripped off her sunglasses as she stepped out, scanning the road behind them before bending slightly to meet Sofia¡¯s height. ¡°Where is Rowan?¡±


    Sofia¡¯s hug became fiercer, but Lucia¡¯s eyes lifted toward Gretta, searching. Her grip on Sofia¡¯s back tightened ever so slightly.


    Gretta hesitated, then shook her head.


    Lucia exhaled, slow and measured. Then nodded, as if she¡¯d already known. ¡°I see.¡±  There was something in her expression¡ªacceptance, but not surprise.


    ¡°Are you Ms. Lucia Vega-Martinez?¡± Gretta asked.


    The woman stood, but kept an arm around Sofia. ¡°I am, and you are Gretta Sullivan.¡± She smiled, but her eyes held something sharper than gratitude. ¡°I owe you for keeping her safe. For listening when I called.¡±


    Gretta blinked. Called? She thought back to the voice Rowan had mentioned¡ªprayers in the dark, pleading for him to help. She glanced at Lucia. Was it her?


    Lucia handed her a check without another word.


    Gretta hesitated. Her first instinct was to refuse¡ªbut then she thought about her office. The past-due notices. The cold, empty apartment waiting for her.


    She took the check.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Gretta said. ¡°Are you aware of the¡­ incident at the mine?¡±


    Lucia nodded and hugged her daughter closer. ¡°Miguel was always brave.¡±


    Gretta nodded. ¡°There might be a situation with the FBI that you should be aware of.¡±


    Lucia let out a short laugh. ¡°Situation.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m aware they are short-handed right now, and that is, in part, due to your efforts. But also¡­¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Let¡¯s just say not all prayers go unheard. I have some assurances that, for now, things are handled.¡±


    Gretta frowned. Prayers again? She glanced at Sofia, who was too busy clinging to her mother to notice the exchange. Lucia wasn¡¯t just another scared parent caught in the crossfire¡ªshe had strings she could pull, ones that Gretta hadn¡¯t seen.


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    Gretta nodded. ¡°I suspect they¡¯ll arrest me the first chance they get.¡±


    The crunch of gravel made her turn. A white sedan pulled up, and she recognized the driver¡ªAgent Mackinaw.


    Gretta scrambled toward her car.


    Mackinaw pulled up behind her and rolled down the window. ¡°Settle down. You¡¯re fine.¡± His voice was slow and sonorous and he seemed a little amused.


    Lucia chuckled again. ¡°Come on, dulce. Let¡¯s get some ice cream.¡± She ushered Sofia into the car.


    Sofia hesitated, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a single black feather. ¡°For luck,¡± she said, offering it to Gretta.


    Gretta frowned. It was glossy, dark, and slightly bent at the tip¡ªjust like the ones Rowan always seemed to leave behind.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± she asked.


    Sofia just smiled¡ªsoft, knowing¡ªand got into the car.


    As Lucia pulled away, Gretta lingered by her car, turning the check over in her fingers. Three months¡¯ rent. It felt too easy.


    A flicker of movement. Across the road, near a rusted-out signpost, a man leaned against a motorcycle. Watching.


    His helmet dangled from the handlebars. Dark sunglasses mirrored the empty road.


    He took a slow drag from a cigarette, exhaling a lazy plume of smoke. Still watching.


    Gretta tensed. FBI? No¡ªwrong posture, too loose, like he wasn¡¯t afraid of being seen. One of Lucia¡¯s people? Or someone worse? She debated approaching but stopped as the man exhaled a plume of smoke. He tapped something into his phone, mounted his bike, and then he rode away.


    Gretta exhaled sharply. The gods weren¡¯t the only ones watching.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only keep you a moment,¡± Mackinaw said. ¡°I had a message from my Lady, the Veil.¡±


    Gretta gaped. ¡°You spoke to the goddess?¡±


    ¡°Some immortals prefer the shadows.¡± Mackinaw winked. ¡°She wanted to warn you¡ªdon¡¯t go looking for your mother. She was worried Rowan didn¡¯t get the message across.¡±


    Gretta¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Rowan warned me.¡±


    Mackinaw smirked. ¡°And that¡¯s not going to stop you?¡±


    Gretta exhaled. ¡°Sometimes, knowledge is worth the risk. You¡¯d think the goddess of knowledge would understand.¡±


    ¡°I expect so.¡± He looked out over the desert, watching the eddies of dust swirling in the low spots. ¡°My lady only catches glimpses of possible futures, and they don¡¯t always come true¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°She sees your destruction coming and she fears what it might do to your aunt.¡±


    Gretta nodded. ¡°Even telling me the possible future could change it.¡±


    ¡°I reckon so,¡± he said. ¡°But you had already heard from Rowan, and if you didn¡¯t believe him, you might not believe me.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure a little chaos from Rowan might go a long way to keeping the future at bay.¡±


    Mackinaw shook his head. ¡°You ever notice? Tricksters walk away. Everyone else pays the price.¡±


    ¡°Did Nadia tell you to say that?¡± she asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°Look at the gods. The people. Anyone caught in his wake. They don¡¯t fare well.¡± He smirked. ¡°And magic? Reality? What he broke might never heal.¡±


    Gretta smiled. ¡°I saw a little girl reunite with her mother because of Rowan.¡±


    ¡°Despite Rowan,¡± he said. ¡°You saved her.¡± He shrugged. ¡°My lady asked me to try to talk sense to you. You¡¯ve heard it. I better get going before I¡¯m seen with you. I don¡¯t want to clean up your mess again.¡±


    ¡°Mackinaw, if you work for the lady of secrets, why didn¡¯t you save the other disciples who Victor caught?¡±


    Mackinaw looked sad. ¡°You can¡¯t save everybody.¡±


    He reached into his passenger seat, grabbed a crumpled paper bag, and held it out. ¡°Figured you¡¯d want these back.¡±


    Gretta took it, feeling the familiar weight of her phone and wallet inside.


    Mackinaw rolled up his window and put his car into reverse.


    Gretta watched him drive off. When he was out of sight, she looked down at the check in her hand. Lucia had given her three months¡¯ rent.


    Gretta turned the check over in her hands. Three months¡¯ rent. Enough to keep her afloat. Not enough to stop the questions.


    She climbed into her car and tossed the check onto the passenger seat. The engine rumbled to life¡ªsolid, familiar. Real.


    She should go home. Sleep. Pretend none of this had ever happened.


    Instead, she reached for her phone. Paused. Her thumb hovered over a name. Dad.


    She hadn¡¯t called him since this mess started. He had always told her not to look for her mother. Always said it would bring nothing but pain.


    She exhaled sharply and hit dial.


    The line rang once. Twice. Then: ¡°Gretta?¡±


    A sharp inhale. A slow exhale. ¡°Hey, Dad. We need to talk.¡±