A huge monster crashed into the square, breaking down a wooden building to the right. The creature was shaped like a boar but covered in yellow scales. Serrated back tusks extended out from its face, ready to slice.

Next to me, Cade’s magic surged. “I’ll distract him. You kill.”

He shifted into his wolf form, and charged. On my other side, magic swirled around Cass. She, too, turned into a giant wolf, and I recalled that she was a Mirror Mage, someone who was able to mimic another person’s magic.

She joined Cade, charging across the courtyard and leaping for the monster’s neck. Cade got a bite into the belly of the beast, but it wasn’t enough. The creature thrashed, shaking Cass off its neck. Beady black eyes landed on us.

I shot into the sky, drawing my dagger from the ether. I’d have to throw hard and be sure to hit an eye. I flew overtop of the creature and aimed.

Before I could throw, Del ran out into the middle of the courtyard, her Phantom form glowing blue. Her magic surged, and she hurled a massive icicle at the monster.

It plunged through the beast’s neck like a harpoon, increasing the damage that Cass had already done. Cade’s wolf leapt onto the beast, throwing it to its side. One of Nix’s arrows flew through the air, piercing the monster through the eye. She stood on the other side of the courtyard, brown hair blowing in the wind.

I stashed my dagger back in the ether. With friends like these, who needed to fight?

I rejoined my companions on the ground as Cade and Cass shifted back into their human forms.

“Let’s get a move on. Reinforcements will probably be coming.” In fact, it felt like the magic here had increased, as if maybe more Rebel Gods were showing up already.

That would be bad.

I hurried from the square, heading for an alley. We crossed several streets before coming to an amphitheater on our right. We stood at the top, and the seats stretched down to a stage that butted up to the waveless sea. An eerie silence filled the emptiness.

We were halfway past the amphitheater when Del stopped, shushing us.

We halted dead in our tracks.

“Someone is coming,” Del said.

I perked my ears, but heard nothing.

“Super hearing,” Cass said.

I nodded. “I’ll scout it out. Stay here.”

Everyone stood silently as I shot into the air, calling upon my illusion to conceal myself. I stopped about two hundred feet up, surveying the terrain. The city was built on a grid, and at first, I couldn’t see the attackers.

Then something moved in the shadows.

A contingent of about thirty demon soldiers was coming our way.

Crap.

Too many.

I searched the city, hoping a solution would hit me. A large fountain spewed water in the center of town, directly in line with the amphitheater and the sea. If the demons kept going the way they were, and turned onto that street….

I flew low and whispered to my friends, “Clear out! Away from this street!”

They hurried out of the way, pressing their backs against the buildings. I shot into the air, spotting the demons as the last one turned onto the desired street.

Jackpot.

I called on my gift over water, reaching for the liquid in the fountain. My power surged immediately, my wings making my gift so much more reliable.

I envisioned hundreds of gallons of water shooting up from the ground below, and it did as I commanded. I directed the huge wash of water down the street. It roared and crashed against the building walls, catching up with the soldiers and bowling them over. They shouted and flailed, but the water was too deep and too fast.

More. More!

The water surged, washing them down the street toward the amphitheater. I sent them crashing down the steps, where I commanded a massive wave from the ocean to pick them up off the stage and suck them into the sea.

Power rushed through me, making me feel invincible. I loved having my magic anchored inside me. The control was amazing.

I grinned as the last of the water drained away, and flew back to my friends. I landed quietly.

“Wow, you’ve really come into your own,” Nix said.

“Thanks.” It meant a lot, coming from her. The things I’d seen Nix do would blow any supernatural’s mind. “Let’s go.”

“The eternal flame is close,” Cade said.

“Good, because I hear more company,” Del said.

We spilled out into a courtyard a moment later, right in front of a massive temple that looked just like the one back in Kart-hadasht.

“The eternal flame is in there.” I pointed.

A dozen demons ran out of the temple, weapons raised. Guards.

The ones on the edges threw fireballs. I dived left, narrowly avoiding one. My leg was still burning from where I’d gotten hit earlier, and I was clumsy.

Cade hurled his shield at one of the fire demons, taking its head. Next to me, Nix drew her bow, beginning to fire. Ana threw one of her daggers, and Del raced toward the demons fearlessly, confident in her Phantom form’s ability to protect her. Cass shot a lightning bolt and hit a demon square in the chest.

I drew my sword and shield and ran for the nearest demon, stowing my wings away.

The demon was at least eight feet tall, his sword a huge sweep of iron. He swung it as I neared, and I slid low, under the slice of the blade.

I swiped out with my sword, taking out one of his legs with a deep gash.

He roared as I hopped to my feet on the other side of him and thrust my blade into his back. He yanked away, spinning and bringing his blade toward me.

I jumped back, unable to avoid him entirely. His blade sliced against my stomach, sending a shot of pain through me. I gasped, but it wasn’t deep.

I ducked low, narrowly avoiding his second stroke, and plunged my blade into his heart.

His eyes widened with shock.

I kicked him in the stomach, dislodging him from my blade.

Pain twisted his features. As he fell, he hissed, “They’re coming.”

Damn. He had to mean the Rebel Gods.

He crashed to the ground.

I turned, searching the courtyard. The demons were all felled, quickly disappearing back to their underworlds. My friends raced for the temple. I followed, sprinting up the steps.

“The Rebel Gods are coming,” I shouted as we entered. “As quick as you can, Nix.”

“On it!” She ran for the eternal flame, which burned brightly in the middle of the empty, austere temple.

It emitted a magic that hit me straight in the gut. Memories flitted in my mind, but they were so shadowy that I couldn’t place them.

But it was familiar somehow. Definitely familiar.

I shook my head and turned from the flame.

“Everyone take your places!” I said.

We split up, each taking a spot in the temple, ready to defend Nix as she worked. I was positioned about ten feet in front of her, next to Ana, who would use her shield to protect her. The others scattered around the temple.

I raised my sword and shield. My wings were unfurled. I could take flight at any moment. Tension sang across my skin as I waited for the Rebel Gods. The guards had called them. They were coming.

But could we fight them?

When a voice crackled out of my comms charm, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“We’ve got the documents,” Caro said. “We’re getting out.”

“Hurry,” I said, my gaze glued to the door.

Come on. Come on.

I glanced back at Nix. She knelt next to the flame, her hand stretched out and glowing blue. At her side sat an ugly black rock. It was probably the vessel into which she was transferring the magic.

Nix had to hurry, or we’d be in for a real fight. Tension felt like spiders crawling over my skin as I waited, readiness pulling my muscles tight.

“Halfway there!” Nix said. “There’s a lot of power here.”

I bounced on my feet.

Come on.

Then she stepped through the door. The woman. Again, she was slicked with shiny black oil, her eyes burning bright from within her face. Her magic rolled over me like a wave, sucking the breath from my lungs.

Three Rebel Gods surged into the room behind her. Their magic exploded into the temple, signatures so strong that they made my eyes water. The scent of sulfur, the sounds of screams, the taste of blood.

A huge man who was surrounded by flurries of snow charged Del, who powered up her icicle gift and hurled a huge one at him. He smacked it aside with his hand. It shattered against the wall.

Cade charged a huge god with horns bedecked in gold, while Cass leapt for a goddess who wore a Greek style dress. She dripped blood from her skin, as if she were sweating it.

I took flight, hovering over the woman.

“Hey, you!”

She looked up, green eyes glinting. The black oil that slicked her skin glowed in the light of the eternal flame. Her magic rushed over me like ice. I raised my shield, my heart pounding

She hurled a lightning bolt at me. Thunder cracked in the temple, deafening. My eardrums ached as I dodged, narrowly avoiding the blast. It plowed into the ceiling above, smashing apart the marble, which plummeted.

“Look alive, Ana!” Terrified, I glanced toward Nix and Ana.

The rocks bounced off Ana’s shield, and Nix was hard at work, her brow creased.

I turned back to the woman. Mayhem darted around the air, trying to get close enough to blow fire at the woman. But her flame was coming in tiny puffs—she’d used most of it up already.

I threw my dagger. She darted left. I called my other dagger from the ether, throwing it as she heaved another bolt of lightning at me.

I dodged as the lightning cracked toward me.

My dagger’s blade sliced through her arm as the lightning bolt hit me in the foot. Pain surged and I tumbled through the air, briefly losing control.

I slammed to the ground, right next to Cass, who wrestling with the blood-covered god. Mayhem flew circles around me, guarding.

Aching, I scrambled to my feet and took to the air again, hurling another dagger at the woman.

She shrieked and threw another lightning bolt. I dived away, but the ceiling shattered, half of it raining down. I barely managed to avoid being crushed.

The horned Rebel God howled as one of the giant stones landed on his shoulder. It gave Cade the advantage, and he leapt on the god.

“Almost there!” Nix yelled.

“Get her!” shrieked the blood-covered Rebel God.

Below, the woman hurled another bolt of lightning at me. I dodged, easily avoiding it. Had it been weaker?

Was she flagging?

Her shoulders were slightly slumped.

“Closer!” Nix yelled.

We were so close. Where was Jude, though? Had she succeeded? We couldn’t finish this before she and the guys were out of here.

My comms charm crackled, and Jude’s voice came through, as if she’d heard my thoughts.

“We’re done,” she said. “You need backup?”

I glanced around quickly. It was a mess, but we seemed to be holding our own. And they needed to get the hell out of here if Nix was almost done. If they didn’t make it out before the magic was gone, they could get caught here as the stronghold collapsed in on itself. And the Protectorate needed those records to help the people being tortured by the Rebel Gods.

“No, go!” I shouted. “Get out of here!”

“Roger.”

The woman raised her arms, and my stomach dropped. She’d pulled this trick with the rocks last time.

As if on cue, the broken marble from the ceiling rose off the ground. Her green eyes burned as she waved her hands in my direction. The rocks shot toward me, thousands of pounds of stone about to pulverize my bones.

My heart leapt into my chest.

I didn’t know if the rocks could hurt Mayhem, but I shouted, “Run, Mayhem!”

The little PugDragon yipped, but stayed flying at my side.

“Finished!” Nix shouted.

The woman sagged. Her rocks dropped to the ground right before they would have hit me.

Fear thundered in my ears.

Was her magic somehow tied to the eternal flame?

I called my dagger from the ether, ready to hurl it while she was down. If she wasn’t on her guard, I could hit her.

This was my chance.

I raised my arm, about to throw.

Kill shot.

Time slowed. My friends were still wrestling with the Rebel Gods as thunder began to shake the air. The stronghold was starting to collapse in on itself.

I focused my aim on the woman.

Her shoulders were slumped as she kneeled on the ground.

Something stilled my arm.

Wait.

I hesitated.

This was insane. Why would I wait?

Wait.

Look before you leap.

I lowered the dagger, staring at the woman.

The enormous roar shook the stronghold as Nix ran out of the temple, the rock clutched in her arm. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the black oil slicked away from the woman’s face, disappearing down her body.

Confusion fuzzed my mind.

Near her, the horned god seemed to notice that she had changed. He roared, then ran from his fight with Cade and grabbed the woman around the waist, lifting her up.

As he lifted her, I caught sight of her face.

Green eyes turned to blue.

Confusion.

Fear.

Rowan.