JIMENA WAS BREATHLESS when she finally reached Maggie’s apartment and pressed the security button.
“It’s about time,” Serena’s voice came impatiently over the speaker. “Where have you been?”
Jimena tried to speak, but her throat was too dry to utter a sound.
“Jimena?” Serena sounded worried now. She must have sensed trouble, because the magnetic lock buzzed. Jimena opened the door and hurried inside.
Serena was waiting for her on the fourthfloor landing when the elevator doors slid open. “What happened?” Serena asked.
“Cassandra and Karyl . . .” Her words fell away when she saw the way Serena was looking at her. What did Serena see in her eyes? Could she tell just by looking at her that she no longer had her power of premonition? Or was it something else?
Serena put her arm around Jimena. “What did they do to you?”
Jimena couldn’t find her voice.
“Come on,” Serena helped her along the balcony. They entered the apartment as Maggie came back from the kitchen, carrying a tray with a tall glass of water. “Drink this, Jimena, and don’t say a word until it is finished.”
Maggie sat down and Jimena drank. She knew immediately it wasn’t water, but a cold herbal mixture that tasted of sweetened barley. The liquid soothed her throat.
“Now, dear,” Maggie began. “I assume from the way you look that your last premonition has come true.”
Jimena nodded. “How can I go down to Tartarus and rescue Veto?”
Maggie studied her for a long time. “The way down to Tartarus is easy, but to retrace your steps back to the world above is impossible.”
“I’m willing to try,” Jimena pleaded.
“It’s too dangerous.” Maggie shook her head. “I cannot let you do it.”
“I have to do something!” Jimena felt confused. She had thought Maggie would have a plan.
“I know you’re concerned for Veto,” Maggie spoke sternly, “but perhaps you should be more concerned with what has happened to you. I have warned you time and time again to be careful. If the Followers can stop one Daughter . . . eliminate her, then the power of all the Daughters is greatly weakened. Perhaps you should tell your friends what has happened.”
Vanessa leaned forward with a nervous expression. Catty twisted a strand of hair between her fingers, her eyes expectant. Only Serena seemed to know already. She looked crushed.
“Cassandra stole my power,” Jimena confessed. “I was careless.”
“Tell them the full truth,” Maggie coaxed.
“I took off my moon amulet and let Veto wear it.” She hated the look of shock and sorrow on the faces of her friends. “But I know Veto is innocent. He was deceived, just as I was.”
“Yes,” Maggie agreed. “And now all your powers are weakened.”
“Why don’t we act now?” Serena suggested. “If we know where the Atrox is, then we should go now and strike first.”
“Yes.” Vanessa seemed suddenly animated. “Why do we always need to wait for the Followers to do something? Let’s attack and get it over with. I hate all this waiting and anticipation.”
Maggie shook her head slowly.
“Vanessa’s right,” Catty put in.
“We should be like a gang,” Jimena added. “If you hear your enemy is gunning for you, then you strike first and hard.”
Maggie sighed sadly. “I’ve told you. Daughters can never use the tools of evil to fight the Atrox.”
Jimena finally voiced something that had worried her since Cassandra had taken her power. She spoke hesitantly, the other Daughters staring at her. “Without my power of premonition, am I still a Daughter of the Moon?”
Maggie hesitated too long. That was more answer than if she had voiced the words.
“Then I know what I have to do.” Jimena stood and pushed back her chair.
“No!” Maggie cried sharply, as if she had read her mind and knew what Jimena was going to do. “Evil only feeds evil.”
“You keep our hands tied,” Jimena accused. The other Daughters watched her, amazed at her anger. “We should have done something before now. If you had let us act on our own a long time back, then maybe Cassandra wouldn’t have been able to trick me and steal my power. Because we would have already destroyed her. Why do we have to act like monks?”
“You need a cup of tea,” Maggie offered. “Something to settle your nerves. You’re not the first Daughter that this has happened to, and you need to have a clear mind.”
“I’ve had enough,” Jimena said in a low voice. She could feel her body automatically assuming a threatening pose. She held her head back and looked at the others. “Are all of you going to sit around waiting for Cassandra’s next move?” When they didn’t answer, she continued. “Maggie knows nothing about fighting evil.”
Serena looked away from her. Catty frowned and Vanessa seemed frightened.
“Leave it to a homegirl.” Jimena stepped back. “I’ll fight Cassandra and win.”
She turned abruptly and started to leave.
“Jimena,” Maggie called after her. “You mustn’t do this!”
“But I’m not a Daughter anymore, am I?” Jimena asked. “Now that Cassandra has stolen my power. So it doesn’t matter what I do, does it?” Her heart was racing. More than anything, she wanted Maggie to tell her what she had said wasn’t true.
But Maggie only looked at her sadly.