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“Centaurs,” I shouted, making Nitsa jump out of her boots. “The next trap is Ares’s. We’ll be thrown into the middle of a battle—of anightmare—between centaurs and gorgons.”
They stared at me.
“Aella,” Theron drew out. “How do you know that?”
“That’s not important. What is important is that we’re about to be dropped into the middle of a war with no weapons, and...” My nails pierced my palm. My fists squeezed tighter than the band around my chest. “We all die,” I forced through dry lips. “All of us. Within minutes. First they took out Tycho and Alex before they could think to act. The rest of us fell pretty quickly after that.”
They were still staring at me.
“Aella, do... do you have visions too?” Nitsa asked.
“No, but I did lie about my power. I’m not a child of Eirene.” I slipped my hand into Alex’s, I needed to touch him—reassure myself he was all right. “I would tell you the truth of my power, truly I would, but if this place is alive, then it’s watching and listening.
“The centaurs snatched Tycho first because what do battlefields have plenty of?”
Nitsa’s eyes widened. “The dead.”
I nodded sharply. “Then Alex was next. Ionna’s right that we can make our plans, but this place is making plans too. I don’t need it knowing too much about me or my power. Although, hell, this conversation alone has likely made me public enemy number one.”
“Public enemy?” Theron repeated. “What is that? What’s that mean?”
“It means I’m done with this fucking place hurting the people I love,” I hissed. “We’re going to kick its psychotic games so far up its ass, it’s going to know true fear for the first time in three thousand years.”
“Sounds good, but we need weapons.” Nitsa looked around. “Think we can fashion some out of wood? Or maybe—” Her jaw clenched shut. Shoulders stiffening, she seized up—head jerking roughly to the right. “Oh gods, no.”
“It’s all right, Nitsa.” I hugged her to my side. “We don’t need sharpened sticks because we’ve got this.”
All eyes fell on my outstretched dagger.
“What are we going to do with that, gorgeous?” Jason asked. “All that’s good for is cutting clothes off, but I don’t think that’s helpful in this situation.” He winked. “Although we could find out.”
“Shut the fuck up and watch how you speak to her,” Alex growled. “Or I’ll break my monster-only rule today, and trust me, I won’t feel a shred of regret.”
Jason threw his hands up disarmingly, grinning that easy grin.
“As I was saying,” I continued. “I finally know why this has been passed through the generations. This dagger is special. Look.
“Sword.”
Nothing happened.
“Sword,” I said louder. “Sword now. Sword appear. Sword away!”
Their gazes fell heavy on me, heating my face.
“Sword out.” I was shouting now. “Sword go. Bippity-boppity-sword!”
“Riiighht.” Theron backed away. “Okay, you keep doing whatever it is you’re doing, and we’ll search the cave. Maybe the cyclops stashed away the weapons of his victim.”
“No, wait, I can do this.”
I glared at the dagger.Come on! What is with the performance anxiety? I know you can do this. I need you to do this.“Sword!”
The blade shot toward the sky—a smooth and deadly cutlass.
“Whoa,” Tycho blared. “How did you do that?”
“I don’t know, but it’ll be really impressive if I can do... this.
