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“I can’t!”
“I can.” A cow clomped past us, ramming headfirst into Talibah’s bad paw.
Her scream was terrible. Talibah’s tail flashed, swinging down on Nitsa from above.
“Look out!”
Nitsa shifted. The cow winked out of existence, and swift, nimble Nitsa took her place, diving out of the way.
She rolled, came up under her legs, and shifted into her hefty other half. The cow reared on her hind legs, throwing Talibah up—head over wings.
Talibah landed hard on her face with the full weight of her oversized body driving it into the floor.
She didn’t get up.
Cow Nitsa hurried over and stuck her head beside the wolf’s. Together, they lifted.
The wood creaked and groaned. Impossible if it was anyone else, but the strength and power of Daciana defied. The shelf lifted off the knife’s hilt.
“Argh!”
Talibah’s tail smashed the stack, dropping it viciously on their heads, and me.
Nitsa, Daciana, and Jason threw themselves back—Jason still holding on to me. I bellowed as my body stretched. A tearing sound filled my ear.
I scrabbled up, free but for half a pant leg missing above my right ankle. “Run.” I snatched up my dagger and my friends. “Run!”
A shadow fell over us.
“Tricked me. Lied to me. Talibah did not fail. Die, liar!”
We dove for the door.
“Die!”
We tumbled hand, foot, hoof, and paw through the entrance. The force of Talibah’s strike slammed the door into our backs, propelling us across the floor.
We collapsed in a groaning heap.
“Yikes, what was behind your door?” Hands reached into the pile and helped us up.
My spinning vision cleared on Ionna and Theron. We were standing in a connecting room of sorts. We stepped down into a sunken space covered with the pillows and cushions that gave us a soft landing. Surrounding us were circular walls holding seven doors. Exactly seven.
“Sphinx,” Nitsa croaked, rising shakily to her feet. She looked down and clapped her hands over her naked body, flushingdown to her toes. “When will children of Hecate figure out a way we can keep our clothes when we change?”
“Nitsa, it’s okay.” I shielded her back. “Jason can summon clothes from Elysium. Jason?”
He winked, smirking. “Oh, I wouldn’t dare have a hand in covering such a delectable body.”
Theron scowled. “What the fuck is wrong with you, man? Have some respect and get them the clothes.”
Jason threw up his hands. “Of course I will. I was just kidding. Relax, Zervas.” Jason waved his hands over Nitsa, then Daciana. Plain tunics, breeches, and boots adorned their bodies. “We should keep moving. Who has the key?”
“We don’t,” Ionna said. “We were hoping one of you did.”
“No.” A raspy croak spun our heads around. “I’ve got the key.”
Tycho stumbled out through the door, holding a key in one hand, and his bleeding stomach with the other.
