Sweet Shadows

“That is because the time draws near,” Pegasus says. “The Key Generation is reunited, which means the original ritual is weakening. The magic is falling off in preparation for the new era.”

“In preparation for you,” the golden maiden says.

“Soon,” Sillus says, “monster after monster get out. Too many for huntress to fight alone.”

“He’s right,” the golden maiden says. “Unless you and your sisters break the seal and initiate the next stage of the prophecy soon, the veil between our worlds will continue to dissolve away.”

“Until the day the door is sealed forever,” the pegasus says. “And any creature trapped within will die.”

“Great,” I mutter. “No pressure.”

I stare out over the endless line of monsters, just waiting their turn to go cause mayhem in my world. They want to build up the greatest army possible, so that once my sisters and I break the seal they can kill us, leaving the door open and unguarded. When we do that, when we open the door, we’ll be attacked from both sides. Overwhelmed by monsters streaming out of the abyss and those already positioned in the human realm, with their hypnotized human army at their side.

At the moment, I can’t imagine how we might win. Even with help from the good monsters and the Gorgons, gods, and minor deities who want us to succeed, it seems impossible.

I wish my sisters were here with me. Or Ursula. Or even Nick. Someone, anyone who knows what’s going on and who can guide me through this stuff I have to do.

I feel a cold palm on my shoulder. I twist my head and find the golden maiden looking down on me with wise, encouraging eyes. “We believe in you, Gretchen Sharpe,” she says. “We have been awaiting your arrival for a long, long time. Whatever we must do to help you succeed we shall do.”

I feel instantly better. She’s right. I have to get out of my own head about this, I have to keep perspective on the situation. There are a lot of creatures—some good, some bad, some caught in the crossfire—relying on me and my sisters to get our acts together and figure things out. No point in standing around worrying about how I’m going to make that happen. First I have to get home.

“Right,” I say. “Let’s get moving.”

“This is as far as we dare go,” the golden maiden says. “To venture farther at your side will only increase the danger. Our numbers make you too conspicuous. And you may need to move faster and with more agility than we are capable of.”

I glance around at the group, at the maiden’s gleaming golden body, the giant feathered wings of the pegasus, and the massive bodies of the obsidian guards. They are kind of a presence. They don’t look like they could move too quickly, or nimbly either.

“I go with,” Sillus offers. “I blend.”

I almost laugh. What is a little monkey monster going to do to help me? But when I see the proud, determined look on his furry face—and the way his arms are shaking at his sides—I can tell how seriously he takes this.

“Thank you, Sillus,” I say. “I appreciate the help.”

“The Den is beyond the line.” The golden maiden points to a place where the rocky wall juts out into the cavern. “On the other side of that formation you will find a door. There is usually a single guard, a cacus.”

A fire-breathing giant. I’ve taken down at least five in my hunting history. One more shouldn’t be much trouble.

“Thank you.” I offer my hand and am surprised when she pulls me into a hug.

“No,” she says, squeezing me. “Thank you.”

As I turn to walk away, she stops me.

“You will not fight alone,” she says. “When the day of prophecy comes, you will have help. In this realm and in yours.”

I nod, surprised by how relieved that makes me feel. My sisters and I won’t be on our own. The knowledge gives me hope.

Sillus and I turn and head down the hill while the others stand on the crest and watch from above. We keep to the boulders and outcroppings as much as possible, but when we get to the bottom, there is nowhere left to hide.

I crouch down, hoping my dark clothes blend into the rock around me. The line extends in both directions: to the left for as far as I can see; to the right, it winds around to a small cave opening. That must be the door.

I can hear the roar of falling water, at the cliff where the river spills off into nothing.

“How am I going to get through that line?” I wonder out loud.

Who knows how long it could take to go around? The line could go on to infinity. Time is of the essence.

“No worry,” Sillus says. “Sillus distract.”

I look at the monkey skeptically. He is one tiny cercopes, and they’re a whole bunch of big and nasty.

Before I can voice my concern, he’s taking off toward the line. He whisper-shouts back over his shoulder, “You watch! Take opening!”

I growl to myself and get into a ready position. I have no idea what the little nut has planned, but if he succeeds, I need to be able to act fast.

He approaches the line, scrambling up to the biggest, nastiest thing there. A Hesperian dragon. The one time I had to take on one of those, it nearly beat me. They’re crazy strong and just pure crazy, with a hundred heads. They fight like beasts with nothing to lose.

Sillus sneaks up behind it—drawing the attention of several other monsters that point and laugh—and then jumps on its back. He climbs up the big, nasty body, wraps his monkey legs around one of the necks, and covers the beast’s eyes with his little hands.