I stared at myself in the mirror again. She was right. I did look like a Spartan princess, a fierce warrior straight from the pages of some old myth-history book. More than that, I felt strong, like an ordinary person turned into someone extraordinary.
“I agree,” Babs called out from her perch in a nearby chair. “You look fantastic, Rory. Absolutely fantastic. You too, Zoe.”
I smiled at the sword and stared at myself in the mirror again. So many emotions welled up in my chest. Surprise, pleasure, pride, gratitude. But the strongest one was happiness—pure, genuine happiness that Zoe was my friend and that she’d taken the time to make me such an amazing costume.
“I don’t know how or when, but one day, I will find a way to pay you back for this,” I said. “Thank you. Thank you so much!”
I turned around and hugged her tight. Zoe seemed startled by my show of affection, but her arms crept up, and she hugged me back just as tightly, making blue sparks of magic crackle in the air all around us.
“You’re welcome,” she said, drawing back. “Now, what do you say we go meet up with the others and catch some Reapers?”
I grinned back at her. “I’d say that sounds like the perfect night.”
Zoe left my bedroom to text Takeda and tell him we were heading to the gym parking lot. I looked at myself in the mirror again, still amazed by the terrific costume, then went over to grab Babs from her chair. To my surprise, a tear welled up in the sword’s green eye before slowly streaking down her metal cheek.
“Babs? What’s wrong?”
I grabbed a tissue from a box on the vanity table and dabbed the tear off her blade, but the sword sniffled, and another tear streaked down her half of a face.
“You look so wonderful, Rory. I can’t stand it! I just can’t stand it!” She let out a loud wail.
“Shh, shh. There’s no reason to cry.”
“There is every reason to cry.” Babs’s voice trembled with grief. “You’re such a brave, strong, lovely girl. You’re the best warrior I’ve ever had. And I’m going to ruin everything, just like I always do.”
“What do you mean?”
She stared at me, her face completely serious. “Tonight will be the third and final battle you carry me into.”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
With every day that passed, I had become a little more worried and a whole lot more desperate, especially since I hadn’t been able to find a single book or artifact in the library to help me break the curse. Now it was the night of the ball, and the battle with the Reapers was looming, which meant that I was out of time.
And that I was most likely going to die tonight.
Babs must have seen the dread on my face, because she sniffled again. “I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve such a gruesome fate. You didn’t ask to be saddled with my curse, but it’s going to kill you anyway. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
She gave me a hopeful look. “Unless you forget about the costume ball and stay here tonight. The Reapers won’t be content with just stealing artifacts. They’ll attack sooner or later. You know they will. Your only chance to survive is to stay here, Rory. Stay here where it’s safe. Please. Please do that for yourself. And for me too. I couldn’t stand it if you died the way all my other warriors have.”
I wiped the second tear off her blade, giving myself time to think. I didn’t want to die, and fear, worry, and dread filled my heart at the thought that Babs was right. That her curse would get me killed tonight, no matter what I did or how well I fought against the Reapers. I’d trained for years to become a warrior, and it wasn’t fair that all my hard work had been for nothing. It just wasn’t fair that the battle was rigged and that the outcome—my death—had already been predetermined.
Did I really want to go through with this? Did I really want to die trying to stop Reapers from stealing artifacts and hurting a bunch of kids who all hated me? The other Mythos students wouldn’t care about any sacrifice I might make for them, and they certainly wouldn’t miss me if I was killed tonight. No doubt the other kids would think that justice had finally been served and that I was finally paying for all the terrible things my parents had done.
Maybe they were right about that.
I thought about staying here, safe and sound in my bedroom, like Babs wanted. It would be so easy to do that. I hadn’t wanted the others to worry, so I hadn’t told anyone else about Babs’s curse, but no one would blame me for not going on the mission if I told them about the danger. Aunt Rachel would demand that I stay here and would probably lock me in my room to make sure that happened. Yes, it would be so simple, easy, and safe to stay home and pretend nothing was going on.
I had opened my mouth to tell Babs that I would do as she asked, that I would stay here, when my gaze fell to the charm bracelet on my wrist. The silver heart locket brushed against my skin, and I thought of my parents.
Ever since I’d learned the truth about them, I had been searching for a way to make up for their past mistakes, to right some of the wrongs they’d committed as Reapers, to make things better for everyone. And I had made a difference. I’d helped Gwen find the Chloris ambrosia flowers that had saved Nickamedes, and I’d fought alongside her and her friends during the Battle of Mythos Academy. I hadn’t been the ultimate hero like Gwen that day, but I’d fought and raged and bled right alongside everyone else.
Those things had given me a sense of purpose that I’d been lacking ever since I learned about my parents. More than that, they had made me happy—happy that I was finally using my Spartan fighting skills to help and protect people the way I’d always dreamed of doing.
In that moment, I realized that if I gave in to Babs’s wishes, if I stayed here where it was safe, I would regret it. I would regret not fighting against the Reapers. But even more than that, I didn’t want to be the girl who stayed safe at home while other people risked their lives. Especially not when those people were my friends.
My parents had made their choice, and now I was making mine—even if it might result in my death.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Babs. But curse or not, this is something I have to do. I want justice for Amanda. She would still be alive if Lance hadn’t sicced that chimera on her in the library. Plus, I want to know why Lance tried to recruit me to become a Reaper and especially why Sisyphus is so interested in me. I have to go to the ball tonight, no matter what might happen to me. I hope you understand.”
She stared at me, misery filling her eye, and a third and final tear slowly streaked down her face. I gently wiped it away like I had the others.
“Besides,” I said, trying to make my voice strong and confident. “I’m not just any old warrior. I’m a Spartan, remember? We’re the best warriors around. I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
“I hope you’re right, Rory,” Babs whispered. “I really hope you’re right.”