“Stay solid and protect the Spellsinger!” Saif shouted to his men.

  Stay solid. He had instructed them to remain in physical forms instead of saving themselves by shifting into spirits. Well, we couldn't have that. I could save them with a song; I just had to find the right one. I would have gone with fire except for our surroundings. The jinn blasts were already melting patches of snow and threatening the precarious balance of the caps above us. Then Slate had shaken things up by saving me. If I added fire to the mix, we'd have an avalanche for sure; one that would bury us in the bowl-like crevice we'd crawled into. No; I needed something that didn't melt or jostle.

  As you wish, Kyanite said with a teasing tone.

  Save the genie jokes for when we're not fighting, moron, the RS snapped.

  This moron is about to help our lady save the day, Kyanite huffed.

  I ignored them both as the tinkling, pulsing intro of “Blindfold” by Sleeping Wolf started softly playing around me. The song held everything I needed, and my magic rose to fill the lyrics with powerful purpose. I felt it shimmer in my throat; a gentle call emerging first. I settled the snow around us with gravity itself; pushing it down to flatten firmly in place instead of shearing off into deadly chunks. Done in seconds, I quickly moved on to uncover the truth around us and revealed the yeti who lurked beneath the snow to launch a second attack. My music blasted them out of their cocoons and laid them bare.

  An electronic scrape built up into a sudden shock wave of sound that rippled out from me and speared straight into our enemies eyes. The Yeti howled as they went blind, but I was far from done. As the Jinn settled into shocked stances and my men gathered closer around me, the Yeti trembled into paralysis as if someone had wound them tightly with ropes. They thrashed their heads and bared their teeth, but they couldn't move.

  The Jinn lurched into action, my men hanging back to protect me now that they weren't needed so badly. Curved steel blades whispered through the air toward yeti throats. Soon, the howling stopped and the world went red. The pristine white of snow and yeti fur bore terrible stains that gleamed garishly beneath the sunlight. Yeti heads spotted the cardinal-colored landscape; mouths and eyes wide open in shock. I let the song seep away as I stared at the carnage.

  All for the promise of power.

  “I guess even Yeti aren't immune to it,” I whispered.

  “What was that, love?” Slate asked me, his silver eyes darting around us to be certain no other dangers waited to pounce.

  “The Yeti are supposed to be nearly as peaceful as the Sasq'et,” I explained. “But it seems as if T got to them.”

  “Power calls to all of us,” Prince Saif said sadly as he stepped around bloody puddles and jagged stones. “Especially those with little of their own.”

  “Let's silence that call,” I said grimly.

  All eyes turned toward the gaping maw of the cave above us.

  Chapter Eighteen

  We lost six jinn and one witch in the Yeti attack. We'd take them home for burial but, for the moment, their bodies had to wait in the stained snow. Our cold weather gear hadn't fared so well either. Red splatters covered us like Rorschach tests, serving only to call forth memories of death instead of giving a glimpse into our psyches. Although, I'm certain any psychologist would be able to give a diagnosis based on them. Hell, any nine-year-old child could. We stepped into the cave looking like a bunch of psychopaths.

  I suppose we matched the ambiance. A chill breath soughed out of the cave depths as if the Goddess herself lamented the loss of her furry army. Icicles hung menacingly above us, threatening to fall at any second, and barbed rocks crunched beneath our boots. The only scent in the air was snow; even the blood bowed to its dominion. The stone shivered around us; a constant hum singing at the edges of my hearing. I laid my palm against the wall and felt it tremble.

  Bloody snow melted from our boots, leaving pink puddles on the frozen floor. They instantly started to crystallize. I shook off the remnants of ice and death and moved resolutely into the cave. Prince Saif and a few jinn slipped in front of me with a respectful nod. I may be powerful, but I was also their only shot at putting their goddess back to sleep, and they didn't want to risk me. My men seemed to agree with them and surrounded me in a circle of looming, white and red heaps. Their eyes peered through the glass shields of their goggles warily and their hands twitched at their sides. Slate still had his claws out. After the Yeti attack, we were all on edge.

  The tunnel wove back, deep into the mountain, and the Jinn hovered balls of fire over our heads to light the way. The flames cast wavering specters on the walls, and I flinched more than a few times at their flickering taunts. At last, we came to a convex dead end. Ice formed a solid wall across from us, bulging out as if someone had been overzealous in filling the space. Saif urged me forward to stand before it.

  “The Goddess lies within.” Saif motioned toward the delicate cracks on the surface of the ice and gave me a heavy look.

  The Prince didn't have to say it; we all echoed his thoughts. If T could crack the barrier, could it truly hold her forever? I glanced over at Darc, and he scowled at me. He had remained awake in his prison, possibly because he was tied to me, and I had been reborn. But he'd never been able to damage his bonds. When I freed him with the orb of my imprisoned magic, the dark barrier that held him had been completely unblemished.

  “Our children were stronger than the other races,” Darc murmured grimly. “I hadn't considered that.”

  “The Jinn are no weaklings when it comes to magic,” Prince Saif protested.

  “No,” I said diplomatically, “but they aren't Shining Ones. Because Darcraxis' bonds never failed, we assumed the prisons would hold the Gods indefinitely, despite their awakening.”

  “But they won't,” Odin concluded. “The magic isn't strong enough.”

  “Well, the good news is; the Gods don't need your blood, Ellie.” Cerberus smirked at me.

  “And the bad news is; they may be able to bleed her themselves,” Slate growled.

  “Enough blathering,” Gage said, suddenly all warrior. He set his hand on my shoulder and said, “Sing, Elaria.”

  I nodded, and the other men laid their hands on me too.

  I have you, my love, Kyanite said. The song is perfect; it will work.

  The Griffin said stop blathering, RS muttered. That means you too, Blockhead.

  Will you fucktards stop fighting inside my head?!

  Yeah. Sure; whatever, RS muttered.

  Of course, my love, Kyanite said sweetly.

  I sighed and closed my eyes. I couldn't see T so I had to feel for her. Kyanite brought the music to life around me. A couple of soft taps of piano keys led straight into the lyrics of Sarah McLachlan's “I Will Remember You.” The magic rose as gently as my voice; circling the space and the wide-eyed Jinn before seeping into the ice. My voice tread tenderly after it, seeking the raging goddess inside her frozen prison.

  I saw T there suddenly, or rather, the item that contained her; an iron bottle suspended in a gleaming glacier, the metal blackened with age. The metal quivered under my attention and then shook violently when my magic hit. More cracks appeared in the web that already surrounded the vessel, but the worrisome thrashing swiftly ceased, and the bottle went still. The Goddess listened. She heard. She felt the truth in my words. That she would be remembered; she would have the glory that had been denied her.

  I wove the dream around T with my alluring lyrics; beckoning her down into sleep as a gentle percussion twined the piano to the strums of a guitar. My voice ascended with my promise and the dream unfolded. A city spread out before T; Jinn crying out her true name in worship, arms lifted lovingly. Heartache lanced through the ice and into me. Her pain. Her loneliness. Tears spilled from my tightly closed eyes. I wanted to free her, but an entire world depended on her imprisonment. I promised T glory, but the lie stung my lips. The only glory she would know would be that which I gave her now. So, I made her chains as beautiful as possible and sang T into a sweet illusion.

  The Goddess of the Jinn settled and succumbed to sleep.

  As I pulled my attention back from her iron bottle, I turned the song into a healing melody and sealed the cracks in the ice. I healed them as I couldn't heal her and, perhaps, I healed myself too. I wouldn't let myself wallow in the heartache of a goddess who I knew must remain trapped. I had cut away pieces of myself to earn my freedom. If I could trap my own magic, I could surely get over the guilt of trapping others. Besides, remorse over a necessary action that I wouldn't change, even if I could, was useless and, frankly, insincere. I let it go.

  The music softened into silence, and I opened my eyes. The ice gleamed like glass before me; a solid prison guarding a sleeping goddess. I laid my hand against the frozen wall and bid T farewell. I may not know her true name, but I would honor my promise and remember her.

  Chapter Nineteen

  We gathered our dead and left the mountain; the Jinn to their palace, and the rest of us to Coven Cay. The Prince told us to keep the cold weather gear. As if he'd want our slaughterhouse couture back. But then again, the Jinn probably had magical ways of removing stains.

  We popped up in the Coven's courtyard; Odin cradling Evan's body in his arms. Evan had been a smoke witch, and he was our only casualty in the Yeti attack. Smoke is a subclass of Fire so it was Osamu Hinote, the Witch Leader of Fire, who first came rushing out of the Coven's manor to claim the body. Other witches streamed out behind him, all of them somber under the sight of a fallen friend. Osamu gently took the body from Odin, nodding to him absently before he carried Evan inside, surrounded by his immediate family.

  The rest of us trudged in after them, the Witches drawing back respectfully to let us pass. But respect wasn't alone in their eyes; horror filled the stares that darted over us. The Witches have seen their fair share of blood and gore—most of it in that very courtyard—but we made a particularly gruesome sight. I don't think any of us had been prepared for how badly things could go.

  I pulled my goggles off wearily and started the process of shedding the thick layers of my clothing as I followed Odin automatically. If I'd been at home, I probably would have left piles of bloody clothes in my wake. I was that drained; both emotionally and physically. In fact, I hovered near the edge of passing out. My men and I had powered through two songs and even with the RS magnifying our magic, the drain went deep. Ironically, I needed exactly what I'd forced on the Jinn Goddess; sleep.

  “Why is no one helping us with this gear?” Odin's angry voice rang out, startling the Witches into action.

  It sounded harsh, but it was exactly what they needed; someone to rouse them from their debilitating dread and sorrow. Purpose helps pain.

  People ran forward to grab the bloody garments, and I gratefully handed my pack over as well. I even shrugged out of the coat I had worn beneath the one given to me by the Jinn. The warmth of the manor had become stifling under all those layers. I stumbled after Odin, barely registering the faces of those who came to assist me. I did notice Darc refuse to give up his pack with a quick shake of his head; too tired to speak. As soon as we were in Odin's private chambers, I set a straight course for a couch and plummeted upon it.

  I would have gone for the bed, just a few feet beyond, but even that minor distance seemed too far. The ambiance of Odin's apartments comforted me; the feel of lingering magic, the familiarity of the worn furniture, and the scent of incense that had permeated the very walls. That was all I needed. I was safe, in a place where people I loved would watch over me, and I could finally rest. Bodies jostled me as they settled beside me but my eyes were already shut and it would take a lot for me to open them.

  “The Kitsune Goddess has escaped.”

  My eyes shot open to stare at Glinda the Witch Leader of Air as she strode in.

  “What did you say?” I whispered wearily.

  “Aza escaped,” Vivian said as she joined us. “So far, she hasn't attacked any Kitsune or damaged their home planet Oren. But the entire Zurui Realm is on high alert. They're searching for her. Their greatest sorcerers believe they can recapture her. They've unearthed the spells used in the original incarceration.”

  “They won't find her,” Darcraxis said. “Not unless she wants to be found.”

  I wobbled my head toward Darc, and we shared a weary look. Sometimes being right sucked.

  “Nonetheless, they are looking,” Glinda said. “How did this happen? I thought the Gods were secure; that only Darcraxis or Elaria's blood could release them.”

  “We didn't take into account the fact that Shining Ones have stronger magic than most races,” I explained. “It only occurred to us on this last mission, when we saw the cracks in the ice that imprisoned T.”

  “Just brilliant,” Glinda snarled. “We could have Gods popping up all over the place like one of those inane arcade games where people beat the heads of forest creatures.”

  “Excuse me?” Darc gaped at Glinda.

  “You mean Whack-a-Mole?” I asked.

  “Are moles considered to be forest creatures?” Slate asked musingly.

  “I think they're more grassland animals,” I mumbled.

  “If there is soil to burrow into, they can live there,” Glinda huffed. “Forests have soil.”

  “Humans find it entertaining to hit burrowing animals on their heads?” Darcraxis asked in disgust.

  “Not real ones,” I reassured him. “They're fake; furry robots.”

  “Forget the damn moles!” Glinda shouted. “You need to get back out there and put the rest of the gods to sleep before they break out too.”

  “We need some sleep first ourselves, Glinda,” Odin said drowsily. “Look at Elaria; she's practically paralyzed, she's so damn tired. In case you didn't notice the blood and the body we brought back, we had to fight a bunch of yetis today. We're fucking exhausted.”

  A tick formed in Glinda's cheek as she stared down at Odin.

  Vivian stepped over to Glinda and laid her hand on the other woman's shoulder. “What good would it do to send Elaria out when she can't work her magic? Even ex-goddesses need to sleep.”

  Glinda let out an angry huff, turned on her heels, and stormed from the room. Fucking air witches. She could go bluster somewhere else.

  “She's scared,” Vivian said softly. “We all are. If the Gods free themselves, all of existence could be altered.”

  “No pressure then,” I whispered as my eyes fluttered shut, and I fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Say that again.” I stared at Odin.

  “I analyzed the cracks in the ice as you sang to T,” Odin repeated. “They originated from outside. I've conferred with the other leaders, and we agree that when you freed Darcraxis, the magical shock wave didn't just awaken the Gods, it also weakened their prisons; at least, some of them.”

  “So, this is even more my fault,” I murmured.

  “Stop that,” Slate said sternly. “There's no point in guilt over something you wouldn't change, even if you could.”

  I blinked and made a huffing laugh. Slate's words mimicked my earlier thoughts about T to a... well, to a T. Had he been influencing me or were we more alike than I'd originally thought? I shifted my stare to Darc. Whether it was an echo of my own thoughts or not, Slate's comment reminded me that I'd still free Darc if I had to do it all over again. I smiled softly at my first love—the God who had found me in the frigid torment of endless space—and he nodded back at me; he'd do the same for me. Love shifts priorities.

  “Fair enough.” I transferred my grin to Slate. “What I did fucked things up. My actions could possibly have horrible consequences. But I'll gladly pay the price if it means having both of you beside me. If I hadn't freed Darc, I'd never have been brought to your zone.”

  “Exactly why you don't hear me bitching about battling Yeti.” Slate smirked at me. “Bring on the Gods; I'd fight them all for you.”

  My throat clenched around the breath that lodged there with shocked pleasure. Slate could be annoyingly arrogant but then he'd go and say something like that, and I'd remember why I'd fallen in love with him. I gave him a sappy smile that he mirrored.

  “Yes; very romantic,” Declan said sharply. “But be careful what you ask for; it may just come to that.”

  “The point wasn't to make you feel guilty, Elaria,” Odin said. “I was leading into a solution.”

  I looked back at Odin in surprise.

  “The research that was previously scoffed at is now coming in handy,” Odin went on. “If the damage came from outside the prisons, the original process of sealing them should heal the breaks.”

  “I saw cracks around T's bottle as well,” I told him. “It wasn't all from me.”

  “The Gods may be able to damage their bonds because they've been weakened,” Odin said. “Either way, repairing the damage can only help. We've sent messages to the planets with god-sign and urged them to send teams out to refresh the bonds. We've also warned the other realms to conduct their own research and send people to check on their gods if possible. Hopefully, we can strengthen the prisons enough to keep the Gods from escaping before you reach them.”