It turned out the dungeon came with a side entrance to the castle. Guess royalty didn’t want to watch prisoners being dragged through the rest.
We ran into about thirty Trolls only a few feet outside the door. I shielded my eyes while they adjusted to full light again. The Dragon chains felt heavy on me, but I made myself move away from the entrance as far as I could. Running any distance proved to be a challenge, but no way would I let them put me back in that dark cell.
Cale, who’d gone commando today, shed his pants and yanked off his shirt. I had two seconds to appreciate the nice view of his naked backside before he morphed into a giant Dragon with shiny, blue-black scales. His beast’s tail barely missed me as it extended, and I had to run to avoid being whacked.
My weird sense of humor struck as I ran to avoid Cale’s Dragon tail. I laughed even harder at how much noise the chains made as I was dodging left and right. I liked body jewelry to jingle as much as the next woman, but this was ridiculous.
As Cale in Dragon form stomped toward the Trolls, I found an open spot and started spinning the chains so no one could sneak up and grab me. Cale’s angry roar shook the courtyard making the thirty Troll guards stop advancing and stare at him in shock. I couldn’t have been prouder.
Another black Dragon, one who seemed quite experienced in fighting, plummeted from the sky unseen by the Trolls staring at Cale. The Dragon landed on some of them, which made an unholy mess as the Trolls got squished beneath his claws. That Dragon roared as well, and I felt Indar’s energy in it. He then roared out a targeted flame that roasted several Troll guards who hadn’t run as fast as their comrades in trying to avoid him.
When Indar stopped, only a few Trolls remained for Cale and me to fight.
Of course, two of those remaining headed straight for me, as if facing a Dragon was less scary than letting me get away. I didn’t know what their plans for taking me were, but I knew what I didn’t want to happen. I spun the chains dangling from my wrists like they were two swords. Troll skin was too tough to get cut by chains, but the sheer weight of the metal links sent them flying away from me.
Cale in Dragon form turned my way. He roared again and snatched one of my attackers from the air after I sent him flying. I feared Cale intended to eat him and was relieved when he spit the Troll at the castle wall. The Troll hit the stone surface and slid to the ground.
Cale lumbered after another one that came up behind him and repeated the process. I saw flames again from the corner of my eye and knew Indar was still in roasting mode. All in all, the fight for my freedom was progressing quite well.
I unwrapped even more chain from one arm and swung it around the body of my remaining attacker. It wrapped around the Troll and let me yank him off his feet. Once he was on the ground, I ran and hooked the other wrist chain around his throat, a move I’d made many times in battle with horse reins and chariot straps. I pulled the chain tight using all my strength. I intended to choke the Troll guard to death, but I tired too quickly to finish the job.
Anger flooded me with adrenaline, but even that wasn’t enough to overcome my newly weakened—and yes, mortal—condition. Mortals without sophisticated weapons were no match for the sheer brawn of Trolls.
The Troll guard eventually freed himself from me and the chain. He, unfortunately, decided to use the chain to drag me along with him. Seemingly unaffected by whatever magic the chains possessed, the Troll guard gripped a handful in one of his enormous fists and set off at a slow jog.
Sliding across the ground, I became grateful most of my body was covered by the Dragon chains I’d wrapped myself up in. I’d only worn a t-shirt and jeans to Otherworld. All exposed skin, especially the one arm I’d unwrapped, was now being scraped by all the rocks and twigs the Troll dragged me over.
If I didn’t get out of these chains soon, my wounds would leave scars that might never heal completely. Goddess power spared me from them in the past, but now I faced the possibility of being disfigured.
I kept my face raised off the ground as best as I could as we neared the entrance to the stairs back down to the dungeon.
I felt a giant Dragon mouth full of sharp teeth clamp around my middle and tug. The motion jerked the Troll to a stop, and I fell to the ground on my back moments later. The hard ground knocked the breath from me as Cale’s human form returned in a rush.
Cale climbed to his feet and started toward me. “No! Don’t touch the chains,” I yelled.
A naked Cale grabbed my foot instead but couldn’t get a good grip because of my ankle manacle. The Troll jerked me away from Cale with almost no effort at all.
“Tell Indar to roast this guy,” I ordered.
Cale looked up instead of doing as I asked. A loud noise overhead drew my attention up as well. A strange, black-winged creature flew over all of our heads.
I rolled in the dirt until I was on my stomach and staring up at the creature landing in front of the dungeon door entrance. The Troll shook his fist in the air at it. His other meaty hand still clenched my chain.
The creature was as blue-black as Cale’s Dragon. Its head was that of a Pegasus, and its body was mostly horse. The difference was that its front flanks extended down into two massive bird claws instead of legs and hooves. Its eyes startled me into staring. They were blood red and looked like two burning coals.
I watched a Sprite-sized Petal vault off the creature’s back to land on the ground and grow into her full-size self. She marched toward the Troll and muttered something in a guttural language to him. He swung the arm not holding my chain, trying to hit her, but Petal dodged his blow. Behind her, the hybrid Pegasus screeched like an angry eagle. Its front talons clawed the dirt.
Petal looked at the creature and shook her head. “No, thank you. I will take care of him.”
She held out her hands and then clapped them loudly together. A small ball of green sparkles formed in the space between her palms. As she chanted, it grew larger and larger.
Then stating a single command in a language I’d never heard, Petal pushed her creation toward the Troll, who screamed in protest as it engulfed him. He dropped the chain in his fist so he could use both hands to push against the walls of his prison.
The ball shrank and shrank. The Troll inside shrank with it. When it stopped shrinking, Petal picked it up from the ground and prepared to toss it away.
“No, don’t,” I said roughly, spitting dirt as I climbed to my feet. “You can give it to your parents as proof of your awesomeness.”
Petal froze and inspected the Troll ornament she’d created. I limped to her side, gathering up the chain and rewrapping my arm as I moved closer. Petal held it out and dropped it into my hand when I offered my palm.
The Troll ornament was still vibrating. Inside the glittering ball, the Troll appeared suspended with his hands pressed against the sides of the glass.
A now mostly dressed Cale came to look at it as well. “Is he dead?”
“No. Only restrained,” Petal said. “Sprites do not kill except for the most dire of reasons.”
“Nice,” Cale said before looking at me. “Are you okay? Atlanta, you’re bleeding onto the ground.”
Maybe it was Cale’s observation that inspired me. I was in too much pain to be sure, but suddenly I had a great idea about getting Sprite Petal the creds with her people that she deserved.
“I’ll survive. Got your phone on you?” I asked Cale.
Cale gave me a look. “Only if you want to call a doctor.”
I laughed. “No. I want you to take a picture if your camera works.”
Cale put his hands on his hips and stared at me.
“Please. Just a couple pictures of me, Petal, and the Troll ornament she made.
His hands dropped from his hips. “Troll ornament…” Cale said with a snort and a head shake. “Okay. I’ll take a picture.”
As Cale sighed and pulled the phone out of his pants, I handed Petal back the Troll ball. I knelt in the dirt and tried not to groan on the way down to my knees.
My body hurt in ways I’d never experienced before. When you had to fight for your life, being mortal truly, truly sucked. Cale agreeing to be my champion before he knew he was a Dragon seemed as incredibly stupid now as it had been brave.
“Petal, hold out the Troll ball like you’re showing it to me.” When she stared at me blankly, I grinned. “Trust me. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s how to stage a photo that will make you look like the Rock Star Sprite you are.”
While her expression wrinkled over my request, I spat into my hand, rubbed the spit on my cheek, then added some dirt for good measure.
Petal made a face at what I did, but finally, she held out the Troll ball she’d created—just like I asked.
Cale soon caught up with my thinking without me explaining. He snapped several pictures from different angles, showed me the results, and then tucked his phone safely away.
Indar walked up and glared at us. “We need to leave this place before Prince Hamlin hears of your escape.”
“Sorry for the delay,” I said with a smile as I struggled to my feet again. “We stopped to record a legend in progress. It’s part of the third task of the prophecy.”
“Goddess…” Indar said, rolling his eyes. He looked like the old arrogant Greek he first showed himself to me as. “If you are dead, there is no hope for any of your pantheon.”
I lifted my chains and rattled them a little. “It’s okay, Indar. I’m getting a good feel of what being completely mortal will be like. Trust me. I’m going to finish every single task.”
“Cale and I can’t touch you to help,” Indar said. “Can you walk to the portal?”
“I don’t know how far I can walk in my current condition. I may have to hide until I recover a bit more.”
Indar shook his head. “The Leprechauns guard Otherworld with their magic. The one sitting on the throne will know you did not leave his land. He will use his elite guards to find you.”
I pointed to the dead Trolls. “Not if they’re mostly dead. Hamlin lost a whole bunch of them today.”
Indar grunted. “Trolls would never be part of the elite force. The Otherworld uses Dark Elves and Dwarves. Both have magic enough to find you easily.”
Petal cleared her throat and made us look at her. “I have found a way for Atlanta to escape. Alastor says he will carry her.”
“Alastor?” I asked.
Could the Pegasus be the same Alastor that once belonged to my Uncle Hades? If Hamlin stole him from the Underworld, why hadn’t Uncle Hades stolen him back?
And why hadn’t Alastor run away?
As if he’d heard my questions, the creature screeched in my direction.
Petal frowned. “Many years ago, Prince Hamlin caught him when he came to Otherworld to visit a friend. Alastor refused to serve the Otherworld royals, so they commissioned a Dark Elf sorcerer to punish him. The Dark Elf meant to turn Alastor into an eagle and use him for hunting. The dark magic did not work as planned. What you see before you is the result. He’s been too embarrassed to escape. He’s also made friends here.”
I dragged my tired body and chains over to face the Pegasus and bowed my head.
I sent a picture of Hades to him. The Pegasus bobbed his head up and down.
I imagined myself touching his talons and turning them back into proper horse legs. He bobbed his head up and down again.
In his worldview, I’d just made a pact with him. In my worldview, Alastor was one more reason Hamlin could not remain on the Otherworld throne.
For the sake of those watching, I spoke the rest aloud. “I would greatly appreciate your help, Alastor. My best friend is the rightful heir to the Otherworld throne. When she one day reigns here as queen, she will make many things right. I don’t know if she can get someone to fix you, but I know Princess Duffinnia will try.”
Instead of dwelling on my promise, the Pegasus hybrid eagle-screeched again and sent me a picture of how I would have to travel. Only one part of him could touch the chains.
“I understand,” I said aloud, turning away to sigh before looking at the others. “Guess I’m ready to go. Do you Dragons want me to carry your clothes?”
“No need. I use magic to keep mine when I shift,” Indar said with a smirk.
“Cale?” I asked, turning to him.
“How do I know you won’t get mad and drop them somewhere along the way?” he asked with a grin.
I chuckled as I looked at him. “Given our circumstances, I’d probably give you a pass. Were you planning on making me mad?”
Petal made a disgusted sound as she rolled her eyes. “Now I’m glad I stayed with you, Atlanta. You and your people need me.”
Since Petal helped release me from my cell, I was glad too. Having nothing to say about her pronouncement, I watched as she walked to Cale.
“Bend down so I can reach you, very tall champion,” Petal commanded.
“You can call me Cale, Petal. We don’t have to be so formal,” Cale said as he obeyed the royal Sprite.
Petal bowed her head to acknowledge his offer. “Thank you, Champion Cale. You deserve a boon for risking your life to save your goddess.”
“I didn’t do it for any boon,” Cale said.
Petal smiled. “I know. Close your eyes, Cale.” She put her small hands over Cale’s eyes. “The gift of sight shines bright like the sun. You will see in your mind what must be done.”
After a few moments, she spoke a strong word of Sprite magic and pulled her hands away.
Cale straightened with surprise in his gaze and a strange look on his face.
“Cale? You okay?” I asked.
“Better than okay,” he said. He bowed low to the Sprite. “Thank you for the gift.”
Petal waved his thanks away with one hand. “You’re welcome, Cale. It will make you a better champion for Goddess Atlanta.”
Cale walked away from us. With every step, his clothed human form melted into an enormous, blue-black scaled beast. He spread his massive wings when he became fully Dragon and launched himself into the sky.
See you at the portal, I heard in my head as I searched the sky for him. How had he disappeared so entirely?
Indar snorted as he walked to my side. “The young Dragon will be more impatient than ever now.”
Petal walked back to the hybrid Pegasus, shrunk herself, then vaulted back up onto his back.
Indar walked off and repeated the same transpecies shift Cale had before taking to the sky himself.
I unwrapped the chains from each arm, turned my back to Alastor, and held them out the ends of my wrist chains. Uttering one large screech of warning, each of his eagle talons clasped a piece of chain and pulled me upwards into the sky.
Far above the land where the Otherworld castle sat, I dangled with my wrists outstretched, grateful to be leaving. Instinct warned that I would have to return to finish what I’d started, but I’d deal with that another day. Of course, if the damaged, slightly psychotic hybrid Pegasus dropped me, I would die and be relieved of all life’s burdens.
No more prophecy to fight.
No more poetic stanzas to decipher and solve.
No more dealing with Cale and my growing attraction to someone so much younger than me.
No more wondering about whether the two of us were meant to be together regardless of our massive differences.
Feeling weaker and more vulnerable than I’d ever felt in the Mortal Realm, I closed my eyes and prayed to Gaia to help me survive my escape.