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“Oh my gods,” I breathed, frozen. What just happened? How did that happen?
“You can’t,” Theron shouted, wrestling Alex back down. “She’s gone. There’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry, but... she’s gone.”
Alex doubled over, unleashing a keening wail that tore open my heart.
“What the fuck!” Nitsa shrieked. She was unraveling before my eyes. “She’s dead. Just like that, she’s dead! Is that going to happen to any of us who climbs this mountain? Is it? Is it!”
I flinched, chin trembling. I so badly wanted to say no.
“Yes,” I whispered. “This must be Zeus’s trap so... yes.”
“Then what do we do?” Ionna asked. “What now?”
“I’ll tell you what now.” My voice was empty. Dead. “I stop getting the people I care about killed, and I scale this mountain myself.” I pasted to the rock, reaching for a handhold. “I’ll get you out of here, guys. I’m sorry that I—”
Lightning struck the outcropping, charging the air with heat and fury. The rock burst apart, ripping the world out from under us.
We fell.
I SNAPPED OUT OF THEthread space, blinking sore, heavy eyes.
“—have to go up,” Alex finished. He hugged Nitsa. “In fact, I think I see something at the top.”
“There is something at the top,” I sliced in, “and anyone who goes after it is struck down by lightning and sent to a watery grave.”
Ionna went ashen. “Who?”
I didn’t need to ask what she meant. “All of us,” I replied, dropping my head. “First Sirena when she flew up there. Then, the rest of us. Lightning struck the ledge.”
They all shot back, pressing their backs to the wall. I didn’t bother saying that wouldn’t make a difference.
“Aella?” Theron peered past Nitsa. “Exactly how many times have we died in here?”
I forced the words out. “In this trap, once. In the others... Let’s just say drowning was the kindest end.”
“Why are you asking her this?” Nitsa snapped. “How does knowing these things help us?”
“It helps because this means that of all traps, this one is the most dangerous to her. Most dangerous to all of us, and not because we’re hanging off the edge of a mountain.”
Alex nodded slow, understanding dawning. “He’s right. A lightning strike kills instantly. No chance to kick off a do-over. This place is sentient. It knows we’ve gotten this far because of Aella. It’s going to do something about that.” Gazing up the sky, he moved in front of me. “Right here. Right now.”
The hairs on the back of my head stood up. Was this what it was like when the god of the sky and the king of the gods turned his vengeful eye on you? No wonder humans turned the war back on them.
Ionna took my hand. “We can’t lose anyone else, but we definitely can’t lose you. You’re the only one who can bring us back.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I cried. “I know that. I will bring you back. I’m not going to let anything h-happen to...” I faltered, trailing off. What a stupid thing to say. I already let something terrible happen. Tycho was gone.
“What we’re saying is we have to protect you above all.” Alex motioned to Sirena. “Stay with Aella. If lightning comes yourway, you’re the only one who can fly her off to safety. The rest of us will get the key.”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll go first,” Daciana agreed. Claws sprouted from her fingers. “I’m the fastest climber.”
“Wait, hold on.” I tried dodging around Alex and found myself blocked by Sirena. “Don’t I get a say in this? I’m not cowering against a rock while you all risk yourself.”
Sirena stared me down. “If you really are a child of the Fates, and I doubt that, then this is how you fight this battle. When demigods go to war, they don’t run all over the damn place, throwing around their weapons and powers, and pretending that bravery makes up for stupidity. They organize by where their power and strength are needed most.
