Chapter Eight
We arrived back on the main lawn at the Protectorate around noon. The sun shined brightly, a beautiful late summer day.
“Thank fates for transportation charms.” I stared at the castle, grateful we hadn’t had to travel back down the world tree.
“If only we knew where we were going all the time,” Cade said.
True. We could only use them when we knew exactly where we were headed. “That’s okay. We survived, didn’t we?” Delayed excitement thrummed in my chest. “And we got to meet Níeh?ggr the serpent, Ratatoskr, the Fire Giants, and even the Valkyrie.”
“You haven’t been this excited about mythical creatures on our past adventures,” he said. “Quetzalcoatl, the giant flying snake at Texochtatlan, didn’t suit your tastes?”
“Ha. Definitely not. I suppose it’s just that this is my history. So now it means something.”
He smiled. “Makes sense. Ready to show off your new wings?”
I moved them slightly, then winced.
“Still hurt?” he asked.
“Never stopped. I need to finish the drill and earn them.” I tested folding my wings back into my body. Pain shot through them, a weird feeling since it was a body part I’d never had before.
“You aren’t going to be able to hide them that way,” Cade said.
I frowned. He was right. Hiding them was an issue. I wanted to be able to go out and about in the human realm, after all. Unless I was willing to pretend to be a movie extra at all times, this wasn’t good.
I closed my eyes and visualized my wings disappearing into my back, becoming totally invisible to the eye.
“Good job,” Cade said.
“They’re gone?”
“Aye.”
I imagined them flaring out of my back. Magic sparkled across my shoulders.
“They’re back,” Cade said.
I looked behind me, catching sight of my silver wing feathers wavering in the breeze. “Cool.”
“Let’s go alert the others.”
“Yeah, good idea. I don’t want to waste a second.” I set off across the lawn, hurrying toward the castle.
A bark sounded from high on the castle roof. I looked up. Mayhem fluttered in the air, the sun glinting on her blue form.
I waved at her. “Hey there!”
She zipped down to me, flying faster than should be possible for such a little dog. But then, who was I to say what was possible for a ghostly PugDragon?
When she arrived, Mayhem butted her head against my arm, then followed us toward the great front door. It swung open, and I stashed my wings, hiding them.
Just as we entered, Florian ran into the great hall, a large book in his hands and his wig slightly askew.
His gaze landed on me and his eyes widened. “Bree! Just the person I wanted to see.”
“Good news?” I asked.
“Yes, indeed! I’ve translated the book of the Rebel Gods.”
I grinned. “That’s great news.”
“Yes, yes. Let’s call a meeting. Jude and Hedy will want to be apprised of my progress.” He scowled. “And probably that no good Saddle-goose day librarian, Potts.”
“Fopdoodle?”
“You think he’s more of a saddle-goose?”
“Um…”
“Scobberlotcher?”
“Hmmm…”
“Lubberwort?”
Okay, now he was just naming off old-timer insults. “Definitely a saddle-goose.”
“That’s what I thought.” Florian grinned. “I’ll go gather the others. We shall meet in the round room.”
The round room again? Of course it made sense, since this was a matter of vital importance. But still, it emphasized the pressure of the situation.
Cade and I headed for the round room.
“Do you know what a Fopdoodle is?” I asked. “Or a saddle-goose?”
“Not a clue.”
“As I thought.”
We arrived at the round room just as Jude and Hedy did.
“Florian is fast,” I said.
Florian appeared in the doorway at that moment. “Of course I’m fast. Centuries as a ghost…. Do you not expect me to learn the quickest ways around this place?”
I grinned at him.
Jude met my gaze. “Did you succeed?”
“Mostly. There’s still work to be done, but I’m on the right track.”
The five of us took our seats around the circular table as Ana hurried in, followed by Caro, Ali, and Haris.
Ana ran toward me and threw her arms around me. I winced, pain streaking through my shoulders. It seemed that even though my wings were stored away, they still hurt.
She pulled away and frowned at me. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, fine.” Mostly.
“Caro, Ali, and Haris, what are you doing here?” Jude asked. “Shouldn’t you be on a case?”
“Lunch break,” Caro said.
“We want to know what’s up with Bree.” Ali nodded toward me.
“Personal interest,” Haris said.
Jude nodded. “All right. You may sit.”
They grinned at me and sat. Ana took the seat next to me.
Jude leaned forward. “What did you discover? Are your powers anchored within you? Do you have control?”
I sucked in a steady breath, realizing for the first time that the magic in my chest felt more secure. More stable. It was like something had been missing, but now it was there. I’d been so distracted by my wings—and the new ache of them—that I hadn’t felt it.
“Yes,” I said. “I do have more control. Not sure how much yet, but I’m on the path to figuring this out.”
“How?” Hedy asked. “What helped you anchor your power?”
I pushed my chair back and stood up, then commanded my wings to unfurl.
Everyone gasped, leaning back in their chairs. The awe on their faces made me grin. Okay, this was actually pretty cool.
“You have wings?” Ali demanded.
“They’re awesome.” The awe in Ana’s voice echoed in the room.
“Quite impressive.” Jude nodded.
“A gift from the Valkyrie?” Hedy asked.
“Not a gift,” Cade said. “She earned them.”
“Of course.” Hedy smiled.
“I’ve almost earned them,” I said. “I’ve completed the first task to actually get the wings. Now I have to prove that I deserve them. I have to use them in battle for the greater good, thereby becoming worthy and cementing them to me.”
“Did they have any suggestion about what this greater good might be?” Jude asked.
“Yes. I could destroy one of the Rebel Gods’ strongholds.”
Jude’s eyebrows rose. “Impressive. That would put a dent in their operations and potentially save lives if they lose a base to run their operation from. It takes an immense amount of magic to create a stronghold. They won’t recover quickly if you destroy one.”
Florian leaned forward and put the book on the table. “That’s where I come in. I’ve translated the book. It’s in Phoenician. We don’t have all of the language—not all of it survived the test of time—but I think I may be able to help you find them.”
Excitement thrummed in my chest. I absorbed my wings into my body and sat. “The Valkyrie said that the Rebel Gods likely operate out of a stronghold that is halfway between the godly realms and the early world.”
Hedy gasped. “That would take incredible magic.”
“They have it,” Florian said. “They are rising again, as we know. They’ve found great magic to jump-start the process.”
“From where?” Cade asked.