![]() ![]() Lion…sorry, but I always like to know who’s killing me. Maybe one of the packs in the cabinet contained a few hand grenades or possibly a bazooka. “Wait.” I was hoping if I bought us a little time, Sam could get us out of this somehow. Normally, the female has the honor of the kill, but since you sent her back to Tartarus-” “The children of Atalanta! We always hunt in pairs. My lungs deflated like old helium balloons. He rose on his haunches, which only made him look scarier. His snarling face was wreathed in a shaggy golden mane. “There you are.” The lion’s voice was definitely male. Roche crashed through and landed only ten feet away. And hanging on the back wall of the cabinet was a sheathed sword with a blue gem glowing faintly on the pommel.īefore I could say anything, a glass window shattered behind me. I spotted two hiking packs with bedrolls and water bottles. Inside was a locker almost as tall as I was. The pedestal hissed, and the front part swung open like a refrigerator door. He pushed the bronze plaque inscribed with the goddess’s name. I would never be able to go back to anything resembling normal. I appreciated Sam saying that, but I was starting to process the fact that I couldn’t go home. Your life…well, from here on out, it’ll be hard. “Now that they’ve located you, they’ll never stop trying to kill you. “There will always be more monsters,” Sam said grimly. “So even if we defeat this other lion that’s following us-” ![]() We’ll get our supplies together, rest here for the night, and figure out our next move.” “Her presence will keep the monsters at bay. “Seriously, be more respectful.” Sam glanced at the goddess’s face. I looked around at the ruined furniture and piles of trash. Anyway, libraries are Mnemosyne’s sacred place. She’s the mother of the Nine Muses who oversee all the arts: music, poetry, dancing, and whatnot. She’s one of the early Titan deities, one of the good Titans. “It’s a statue of a goddess, and the gods are real. “She’s not one of the big gods, I guess.” He pronounced it like Nemo Sign, though as far as I could tell, the goddess had nothing to do with cartoon fish. “The goddess of memory and language: Mnemosyne.” I’m sure I’d seen the statue before, but I’d never paid it much attention. Her dark hair fell in ringlets around her face. She held an open book in one hand like she was about to recite a poem. In the center of the room, under the ornate domed ceiling, a ten-foot-tall statue stood on a high pedestal. Even the transients or local teenagers who’d broken in over the years didn’t care enough to bother with the books-except to use them as tinder for fires. Nobody had even bothered to sell or give away the books. I had mixed feelings about this place, but whatever you thought of libraries, there was no denying that this one was sad. On the marble floor near the exit were the remnants of an old campfire. Judging from the piles of wrappers and cans, and the articles of old clothing strewn across the furniture, we weren’t the only ones who had discovered a way in. Others were torn and strewn around, smashed by muddy footprints. Some books formed piles in the corners like snowdrifts. Stacks of books marched off in all directions. I hadn’t been there since I was a little kid. My knees were weak as I climbed into the library’s main reading room. Sam pointed the light up at a door, then bowed and extended his arm. I cleared my throat, hoping my voice would come out strong. Maybe there was something heroic inside of me after all. ![]() As he hugged me, the flashlight cast weird shadows across the walls.īlood pumped in my ears and I could barely hear the squeaking anymore. Then…before I knew it, Sam’s backpack lifted as we stepped onto the opposite staircase. As my second foot reached the floor, I squeezed my eyes even tighter and focused on matching my breath to the shuffling of our feet. I followed, struggling to hold onto his bag, nearly tripping down the stairs. We both exhaled as Sam slowly stepped forward, sliding his feet along the floor underneath the squirming masses. “One…” said Sam, and I closed my eyes, sucking in a deep breath. “On three, okay?” said Sam, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude that I had a friend like him, someone who could literally get me to overcome my worst fears. I bit my lip and grabbed his bag, trying not to think about all those sharp little claws and weird naked tails and beady eyes. Hold onto my backpack,” he said, pulling it tight over both shoulders. “I’m right here if anything happens,” said Sam. ![]()
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