Because Uncle Joe’s buggy wasn’t much different from our own, it didn’t take long to get the hang of things. Soon, we were zipping across the flat desert, leaving Death Valley Junction behind. The little wooden town disappeared into the distance as the mountains rose tall in front.

Memory was quick to return, and I spun the wheel to the right as we neared the huge mountain.

I pointed to it and shouted to Lachlan, “The real Death Valley is behind that ridge. Not the one the human tourists visit, but the one that deserves its name.”

“How big is it?” he shouted through the wind.

“It’s a few miles across and about a hundred miles long.” I directed the buggy up the side of the steep mountain, the huge tires eating up the ground and rolling right over rocks and scrub brush. “Once we drop down into it, the danger will come.”

“We just don’t know what that will be,” Bree shouted.

“My favorite part!” Rowan cackled like a loon. “It’s been years. I can’t wait to see what the valley has in store for us.”

Sadness pierced my heart. So many of the missions I’d run across the valley hadn’t involved Rowan. She’d been there in the beginning, before her abduction, but there’d been years without her.

She was here now.

I shook away the grief over the lost years and focused on what was ahead. We’d need all our wits about us. The sun blazed down as I crested the ridge.

Suddenly, the valley was spread out below us, beautiful and austere. The mountains on the other side of the long valley glowed brown and red and tan in the sun, while the valley floor was swept with all variety of color. Some magic, some natural.

All dangerous.

“Wow.” Lachlan’s low voice echoed from behind me, wonder clear in his tone.

“I know.” I pressed the gas, and the buggy climbed over the ridge, then descended.

Bree and Rowan rubbed their arms, obviously uncomfortable. Then the feeling hit me. Dark magic, prickling against my skin. The magic that cloaked the valley—protected it—was full of dark and dangerous things. I thought we’d fought almost everything there was to fight here, but I was sure I’d be proven wrong on that.

There was always something new in the valley.

I shaded my eyes and wished I’d brought sunglasses. Or my usual sand goggles. The heat and sand were always an issue here, but we’d been in a hurry.

“Bad Water up ahead!” Bree pointed.

I squinted, catching the telltale sight of the shimmering silver water.

“The Bad Water is one of the most famous challenges,” I shouted back to Lachlan, giving him a weird and deadly tour of my childhood. “All kinds of monsters come out of the old salt lake.”

“Is it deep?”

“Depends. Usually it’s only a few inches, but a giant serpent can still jump right out of it.” I pulled the wheel to the left, directing the buggy around the Bad Water.

It didn’t always work—the water could expand to follow you. But this time, we seemed to get a bit lucky. The water stayed where it was, and we skirted around the edges.

When the dark magic in the air began to prickle harder, I stiffened.

Yeah, we hadn’t gotten that lucky, after all. Something was coming.

“The air to the right is shimmering,” Lachlan shouted.

I stole a glance, catching sight of the telltale shimmer between us and the Bad Water. It was almost like a mirage. When the first tiny figure appeared out of the hazy air, I blinked.

“Is that a child?” Rowan shouted.

“Hell no!” Bree replied. “It’s a bit like a miniature zombie creature. I think they might be the Nimerigar, from Shohone legend. The name means people eaters.”

“Perfect,” I muttered, squinting toward them. But they were too far away for me to make out the details of their forms. Bree had amazing sight and hearing, a gift from the Norse god Heimdall, so I trusted her.

“Is he armed?” Lachlan asked.

“Looks like a bow and arrow. Tipped in bright green.”

“Poison,” Lachlan said.

“Probably. And the little bastard is fast.” She pointed. “There’s another! And another!”

I stole another glance, now able to make out the weird features of the Nimerigar.

I turned back to the view in front of me, not wanting to plow the buggy into a stray rock, then lay on the gas to get away from the little monsters.

“They’re gaining on us!” Bree shouted. “And there are more!”

Another stolen glance revealed that there were now about twenty. They raised their bows, evil grins stretched across their faces.

Oh, shit.

“Duck!” I shouted.

My sisters unclipped their waist harnesses and dived over the front safety bars into the driver’s area. They squeezed in next to me on the bench seat, huddling behind the side door of the buggy. Lachlan followed, jumping into the footwell of the back seat.

The Nimerigar released their bowstrings, and the arrows surged through the air. I threw out my hand, creating a shield to protect us. The magic tugged at my soul, more difficult than ever to use. It was no longer natural—not like the powers given to me by the Celtic gods.

But it still worked, thank fates. The shield burst to life, a shimmery white veil that deflected the arrows. They bounced off, each one pinging against the shield and draining a small bit of my magic. It took all that I had to hold on to the protection and keep it standing.

Finally, it faded from me, impossible to hold on to.

It was true, what they said. Dragon Gods really did lose whatever magic they had before they transitioned. But I was holding on to it somehow, if only the dregs.

I vowed to practice harder.

“They’re reloading!” Bree shouted from where she peeped over the edge of the door.

I looked right, just in time to see the monsters release their arrows.

I tried to call upon my shield magic, but it faltered, refusing to come forth. Twenty arrows were sailing through the sky, headed right toward us. They had the perfect amount of arc—just enough that they would sail over the buggy doors and rain down on our heads.

My skin chilled as I tried to divert the buggy. But it was too slow, and the arrows too perfect.

My heart thundered as my foot pressed on the gas hard enough to hurt.

Oh fates, we were screwed.

But then Lachlan’s magic swelled on the air, bringing with it the scent of leather and pine that was so unfamiliar out here in the desert.

In midair, the arrows froze.

Time froze. Everything except for us.

At the last minute, the buggy sailed away from the arrows, headed to safety. We used the few seconds of frozen time to put distance between us and our attackers.

“Fates, that was close,” Bree said.

“No kidding.” I wiped a hand over my sweating brow.

“Let’s finish it.” Rowan scrambled back onto the front fighting platform, and Bree followed.

I steered us away from the oncoming army, full speed ahead. Bree’s magic swelled on the air as lightning cracked in the sky. She sent it down toward the Nimerigar, zapping one on the spot.

Rowan drew a bow and arrow from the ether—not her preferred weapon, but she’d been training with everything—and aimed for the monsters. She fired quickly, but the arrows didn’t seem to affect them like the lightning did.

Lachlan’s hold over time ceased, and the Nimerigar roared.

Oh, crap.

There were too many, and only Bree’s lightning seemed to affect them. But it was too slow.

My heart thundered as they gained on us, so fast it was hard to believe. Each one had a poison arrow nocked in their bow.

They charged after us, a tiny army silhouetted by the silvery glow of the Bad Water behind them.

The Bad Water.

I glanced at Lachlan, who’d climbed onto the back platform. “I’ve got a plan. Can you manipulate the Bad Water from this distance?”

“Should be able to.”

I looked toward my sisters. “Rowan! Take the wheel!”

Rowan scrambled into the cockpit and took over for me. Though we hadn’t done it in years, the transition was seamless. Her foot replaced mine on the gas and her hands were quick. The buggy never even slowed as I handed over control and climbed onto the back platform with Lachlan.

“Together!” I cried. “Let’s wash them away.”

His magic surged, nearly bowling me over with the strength of it. I called on my own, this time commanding my new gift over water. It came so much more easily than my shield power.

This was natural.

It surged within me, filling my chest with strength and light. The magic flowed out from my heart and through my arms, my golden tattoos seeming to push it along.

I imagined the Bad Water rising up as a silvery wall and washing away the army of attackers. Lachlan was already making half of it rise. The rest of the water obeyed my call, rising high in the air.

The Bad Water was nearly to them when they released their arrows. Twenty of them flew through the air, bright green tips gleaming in the sun. I dived low, trying not to lose control of the water, while Lachlan threw himself in front of me.

Arrows pinged all around us on the platform. Pain flared in my calf. Through teary eyes, I saw the water crash down on the monsters and sweep them away.

It had worked!

But my leg hurt like hell.

Lachlan climbed off of me, panic in his gaze. “You’re hit!”

He’d tried to protect me, but one of my legs had been sticking out from the shield of his body. I didn’t mind. Last thing I wanted was for anyone to be hurt on my behalf. I mean, yeah, the pain and the poison sucked, but I didn’t want to live if someone died to protect me, that was for danged sure.

“You okay?” I shouted to my sisters.

“Fine!” they echoed back.

In the distance, the monsters were gone. The Bad Water had sucked them up, no doubt taking their bodies as a tribute.

Grimacing, I sat up and yanked the arrow out.

“That was hardcore,” Lachlan said. “You sure that was the smartest thing to do?”

“Hardcore and dumb, huh?” I grinned but knew it didn’t reach my eyes. My leg ached like hell.

Bree climbed over the railing to the back platform and knelt by my side. “Let me see.”

I tilted my leg toward her. “Think you can fix it? I kinda need that leg.”

“Yeah, they’re handy, legs.” She hovered her hand over the wound, her brow knitting. “I think I can help.”

“Good.” One of the first gifts she’d gotten from the Norse gods had been the power of healing. I hoped to hell it worked on this poison, because I wasn’t going to be very useful if I was dead.

My wound warmed as Bree fed her magic into it. Rowan kept us on track, diverting the buggy around pillars of salt that rose out of the earth.

“Remember that salt monster we fought?” Bree asked, no doubt trying to distract me from the pain.

“Yeah. Mean bastard. You got him good, though.” I winced as pain shot through the wound. Green poison began to seep from the cut, which then started to close up. Finally, the pain faded. I grunted. “Nice work.”

“I think you should be good.” Bree removed her hand.

“Just in time.” I stood, feeling no pain. “You’re the best, Bree.”

“I’d like that in writing.” She grinned and climbed over the seats, taking up her position in the front once more.

“Are you all right?” Lachlan’s concerned gaze met mine.

“I’m fine. Thanks for trying to protect me.” I scowled at him. “But I wouldn’t have been particularly pleased if you’d been hit in the back.”

“I wasn’t, though.”

“You could have been.”

“Still wasn’t.” His grin was cocky as he pulled me close and pressed a quick kiss to my lips.

“Get a room!” Bree shouted.

I pulled away from Lachlan and glared at her.

“There seems to be a distinct shortage of those,” Lachlan said.

“Leave it to my sister,” I muttered.

“Guys, I think there is something up ahead,” Rowan said. “Ever seen anything like that?”

About half a mile in front of the buggy, the air shimmered with brown light. It was different than what we’d seen before. Different than anything I’d seen in my life.

Quickly, it coalesced to form a thick rock wall.

“Well, hell,” Rowan said.

“We have to go through that?” Lachlan asked.

“Yep.” I frowned, inspecting it. The wall stretched infinitely in both directions, cutting across the valley and blocking our path.

“I’m going to fly up and see if I can get a better view,” Bree said.

I nodded. “Always handy to have a Valkyrie around.”

“We’re quite rare, you know.” She gave a cheeky grin, then her silver wings unfurled from her back. They glinted in the sun, nearly blinding.

She crouched low, then shot into the air, flying toward the wall and making a big circle as she inspected something on the ground.

“What do you see?” I shouted.

She was far away, but her hearing would pick up the message.

“Symbols!” Her voice was faint, shouted from far away.

I looked at Lachlan. “Symbols? Like petroglyphs?”

“Rock carvings?” He frowned, his brow creased. “Maybe.”

Bree wheeled on the air, then returned to the buggy, landing gracefully on the front platform. “There were four petroglyphs. Each different. They looked like a seed, a sapling, a tree, and a pile of wood.”

I frowned, then understanding dawned. “The phases of life.”

“Makes sense.” Rowan slowed the truck as we neared the first petroglyph.

Up close, I could see that it was carved deep into the rock of the ground. We’d arrived at the seed—the youngest one.

“Circle it.” I moved to the edge of the platform, peering out over the petroglyph.

Rowan drove the buggy in a circle around the glyph as we inspected it. The glyph was huge—at least forty feet across, and the middle of the seed looked like it contained a deeper indentation. I needed to see it closer.

“Stop, please,” I asked.

Rowan hit the brakes, and I jumped off, running quickly across the glyph, avoiding the indentions that created the shape. I’d have to move fast since the ground was so damned hot. But I didn’t want to drive the buggy over something this important.

“Hurry up!” Bree shouted.

“I know!”

“Sisters,” Rowan muttered.

In the center of the glyph, there was a basin. Dried-up round rings coated the inside. I leaned over them and squinted. Water rings. That’s what they were.

Which meant we had to put water in there.

Lachlan and I could control water, but we couldn’t create it. At least, I couldn’t yet. I hadn’t practiced enough. Fire was easier, it seemed.

I spun back to the buggy and raced for it. “Toss me a gallon of water!”

Bree ducked down into the floor well of the front seat and pulled up a plastic gallon jug. She tossed it at me, and I caught it. “Ooof. Heavy.”

Bree grinned at me. “Duh, nerd.”

I stuck my tongue out at her, then sprinted toward the basin once more, unscrewing the cap of the plastic jug. I wasn’t entirely sure of what I was doing—or if it would work—but it seemed like the most obvious thing right now.

When I reached the basin, I poured the entire gallon into it. The ground sucked it right up.

Shit.

“Did it work?” Rowan shouted.

“I don’t know!” I shouted.

“I think it did,” Lachlan said. “Look there.”

I turned to see him pointing at the tip of the leaf. The indention in the stone that formed the outline of the leaf turned green slowly.

Heck yeah. It was working.

“Hurry it up!” Rowan shouted. “Get back here.”

“See, now you’re giving her shit,” Bree said.

“You started too soon.” Rowan snickered. “Timing is everything in shit giving.”

I laughed as I sprinted to the buggy, leaping onto the edge of a tire and pulling myself up onto the back platform. By the time I turned back to the leaf, the entire thing was green.

“I think our job is done here,” I said. “Let’s move on to the sapling and do this in order.”

“Whatever this is,” Rowan said.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” I squinted toward the wall that was now only a couple hundred yards away. “But I think we’re completing a task or answering some kind of riddle that will open a passage through that wall.”

“Makes sense,” Bree said. “That’s how this stuff normally works, anyway.” She pointed to the right. “Go that way. The sapling is over there.”

Bree directed the buggy toward the sapling, and I squinted toward it, trying to make out the shape. The glyphs were so large that they were better when seen from the air, that was for damned sure. If Bree hadn’t been up there to figure this out, the task would have taken a lot longer. It was still nearly impossible to make out the shape from this angle, especially since the sapling was a lot bigger and more complicated than the seed.

“Quick thinking,” Lachlan said. “With the water.”

“Thanks. Hopefully they don’t all want water, though. We need it for ourselves.” I was already feeling parched from the heat.

We neared the sapling, and Bree jumped off before the buggy came to a complete stop. “I’ve got this one!”

I watched her sprint to the middle of the sapling. She could have flown, but sometimes it was smart to do things in the normal way. Sacrifices had to be made, after all, and walking across the scorching ground qualified as far as I was concerned.

Bree inspected the center of the sapling for only a few moments before returning, her face red from the heat. “Dirt, I think. It wants dark, rich dirt.”

“Where the hell will we get that?” Rowan asked.

Something tugged in my chest. My druid sense, maybe. Or the new connection I was feeling with the earth. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew.

“I have an idea,” I said. “Drive us about a quarter mile away, that way.” I pointed.

Bree jumped onto the front platform, and Rowan lay on the gas, directing the buggy.

“What are you going to do?” Lachlan asked.

“There’s good dirt under us. I can feel it.” I called on my power over the earth, opening a small crack in the ground. It reached deep, going dozens of meters down.

“Normally, dirt doesn’t form so far down, under rocks, does it?” Rowan asked.

“Beats me,” I said. “But I think you’re right. This is weird. It’s still there, though. I can feel it.”

“New power?” Bree asked.

“I think so. A connection with the earth. Knowing and understanding what’s around me, that kind of thing.” I felt the cold dark earth as soon as my magically created crevice reached it. “Bingo.”

“It’s here because the challenge wouldn’t be possible without it,” Lachlan said.

“Thank fates that Ana can do the heavy lifting, then.” Bree grinned.

I leaned over the edge of the platform, commanding the dirt to rise, a small clod of it drifting out of the earth and up toward my hand. It was even easier than the water. Practice made perfect, after all.

When the dirt hovered right in front of me, I grabbed the cool dark lump.

“Nice,” Rowan said.

I grinned and handed it to Bree. “You should do the honors.”

She took it. “Delighted.”

Rowan drove us back to the huge carving of the sapling and dropped Bree off. My sister sprinted toward the center and bent to lay the clod of dirt into an indentation.

Immediately, the inscribed lines in the ground began to turn green. Bree sprinted back toward us, climbing onto the front platform to watch the show. It was even easier to see the shape of the sapling like this. Within a minute, the sapling was completely green.

“I like this,” Bree said. “Like we’re bringing life back to the valley.”

“There’s more life here than there appears to be,” I said. Even though the land was parched and the only water was riddled with salt, Death Valley was full of life. “Different than what we’re used to, but full of it nonetheless.”

In the middle of the day, most of it wasn’t out and about. It was too hot and full of monsters. But at night, this place came alive.

“You’re right,” Bree said, a thoughtful tone to her voice. “This place is full of hidden secrets.”

“Enough of your philosophizing.” Rowan pressed on the gas. “We’ve got two more glyphs to light up.”

“Head to the left,” Bree said. “The tree is that way.”

Rowan directed us toward the tree and stopped at the edge. She turned the buggy off and climbed out. “This one is mine.”

She sprinted toward the middle. It took her only a second to interpret what the offering at the middle should be before she ran back.

“Fire!” she said.

“I’ve got this.” I climbed out of the buggy and ran toward the offering place. By now, it was clear that each of these offerings was meant to be one of the elements. Water, earth, fire. I’d bet that the next was wind.

As I neared, I called upon the flame that now resided inside me. The ball of fire burst to life in my hand, and I knelt by the burned-out indention in the stone, laying the fireball within. Immediately, magic sparked on the air.

By the time I reached the buggy, the tree was fully green.

After Bree drove us toward the pile of wood—the final glyph, the last stage of a tree’s life—Lachlan ran to the glyph to check it out.

As expected, he returned with one statement. “Wind, I think.”

“I figured.” I hopped out of the buggy and ran to the offering place. The indention in the middle of the stone looked like it’d been blasted out by a gust of wind.

So I repeated it, using my power over the elements to blast the center of the offering place with a fierce breeze.

When the magic sparked on the air, I cut off my own power and returned to the buggy.

“Nice work,” Lachlan said.

“Thanks. I think I’m really starting to master my magic.” A grin spread over my face, impossible to stop.

“Hey, check it out!” Rowan pointed.

The wall that blocked us from our goal began to shimmer again. A hole formed, an archway that was wide enough for the buggy to pass through.

“Heck yeah.” Bree grinned. “Let’s go.”

Rowan stepped on the gas and drove us toward the wall. As we neared, a chill ran over my spine. “There’s something different about this.”

I climbed over the back platform railing and crossed the two bench seats in the cockpit, then joined Bree on the front platform. Lines creased her forehead as she inspected the stone archway. It was rough-hewn and natural looking, a break in a wall that led to a totally new place.

“Uncle Joe never talked about anything like this,” Bree said. “And we sure as heck have never seen it.”

I shivered. “No kidding.”

Rowan slowed the buggy. “Should I go through?”

I looked at Bree. Her face was paler than normal, but she nodded. “We don’t have much choice.”

She was right, but I didn’t like it. There was something weird about this new challenge, and I had a feeling that there was something seriously wrong with it.