Meg felt the fire singe her forearms and she cried out in surprise.

This was no woman. Its gown had fallen away to reveal one bronze leg and one hoofed donkey’s leg. Its black hair was engulfed in flames, burning bright red and orange as it moved toward Meg, mouth dripping with blood. It had scaly bat-like wings so large they couldn’t even fully open in the cave. It was an Empusa. The vampiric beast was known to seduce men and feast on their flesh and blood, but when men were lacking, an Empusa was not going to let any other potential prey go unscathed. And Meg had walked right into its lair.

Meg stumbled, trying to get out of its path, but her arms were burning. She tried to move faster and heard a crunch beneath her feet. She inhaled sharply. What covered the cavern floor was not the train of a beautiful gown. It was a mountain of bones!

The Empusa sniffed the air. “Young blood. Blood so pure.” It moved toward Meg, its arm outstretched. Meg watched as it tucked the double flute into a leather strap slung over its shoulder. “I haven’t had young blood in a long time. What I wouldn’t give for just a taste.”

“Sorry,” Meg said, climbing over the bones to escape. “I’m pretty fond of keeping my blood in my body.” Meg picked up a rather large rock and threw it at the monster.

The Empusa kept coming. “Few come to this island,” it said, gliding toward her. “Most realize what’s here and leave before they even get near me. But you, child, came willingly, sent here to take something that is not yours.”

“It’s not yours, either.” She pulled a rock from her saddle-bag, placed it in the slingshot, and threw it in the Empusa’s path. “That flute is Athena’s, and she wants it back.”

The Empusa’s eyes flashed. “If she wants it, she will have to pry it from my dead hands, mortal.” The Empusa lunged forward, its long clawlike nails catching on Meg’s gown.

Meg felt the nails sink into her thigh and she cried out, falling onto her knees. The slingshot went flying, skidding out of reach. She lunged for it, trying in vain to find it again, but stopped when she saw the Empusa about to hook a claw into her shoulder. Meg tried to crawl backward on her burned hands and feet as she frantically searched the floor for a weapon. Her nails dug into the dirt as she tried to grab hold of anything that would aid her. Finally, her fingers closed around something large—a human skull—and she lobbed it at the creature’s head.

The Empusa screamed and fell backward, one of its wings wrapping around to cover it. Meg grabbed two more large bones and threw them as well, hoping to keep the creature down.

Get up! she heard a voice in her head command, and Meg winced as she stood up and hurried out of the cavern. She tried to get her bearings. Where was she? Was this the main cave? Another path? Where was the waterfall? What about the flute? she thought. It’s the flute or your life! Go! She staggered into the darkness, dragging her badly wounded leg behind her. Her only hope was to reach that waterfall and feel her way out before the Empusa caught up to her. She could hear it hissing. Meg whirled around and saw it rounding the corner, the flames of its hair whipping at the walls and setting the moss that grew in the cave ablaze. The cave quickly filled with smoke.

“I smell you!” the Empusa called. “You can’t hide from me, mortal!”

Meg started to cough, her eyes welling from the smoke. She leaned on the rock wall to keep herself upright. Her leg was dripping blood, sending her scent and exact location to the Empusa, no doubt, and the skin on her arms was so badly singed it felt like it was still on fire. The cave was filling with so much smoke, she could no longer see.

I failed, she thought. No flute. No way out. I’m going to die in this cave. Meg’s eyes started to flutter closed.

Be alert, Megara! Meg heard a voice say, and she opened her eyes and looked around. Still, all she saw was smoke. Keep going! Hurry! You’re almost there! Meg took a step forward, covering her mouth with her arm and coughing wildly. She squinted through the darkness and saw a new shape in the distance moving toward her. It stopped right in front of her.

“Peg!” Meg cried as she clambered onto his back, fighting through the pain. “Am I glad you don’t listen! We’ve got to get out of here.”

Pegasus started galloping back the way he came.

Then she heard the scream. The Empusa was gaining on them, attempting to fly through the cave with its folded wings. It emerged out of the hazy darkness, its fangs dripping with blood.

Pegasus rounded a corner, and Meg saw light up ahead and heard the waterfall. “Move, Peg! We’re almost there!” she cried. Then she felt the horse’s whole body lurch backward.

The Empusa had grasped Pegasus’s tail.

Meg fumbled for her satchel, reaching inside to grab another rock, which she lobbed at the creature’s face. The Empusa cried out and let go.

“Faster!” Meg screamed. The horse flapped his wings harder, jerking from left to right to get away, but the Empusa came roaring back, catching the bottom of Meg’s gown. Meg shook it off, wincing with pain at the sudden movement. “Peg!” she cried as the Empusa came back yet again.

With a final burst, Pegasus raced toward the waterfall, jumping straight through it and emerging on the other side.

The stream washing over her was just what Meg needed for a momentary revival, the water hitting her wounds and giving her a second’s relief. She felt the clean air fill her lungs and blinked hard, trying to get the sensation of smoke out of her eyes. Then she heard the Empusa shriek.

It burst out of the waterfall seconds after them, taking flight on its massive wings and keeping pace with Pegasus. The horse neighed.

“I know! Get us out of here!” Meg cried, wishing more than anything Peg could whisk her away from this island and take her…where? If she left Koufonisia without that flute, her quest was over. She glanced back at the Empusa and saw the double flute still hanging from the strap on the creature’s chest. Was there any chance she could still grab it? Think, Meg! She looked around wildly for inspiration and spotted another cave on the edge of one of the mountain’s cliffs. Above it were several boulders. That gave her an idea.

“Wait! Peg, new plan! Make a hard left to that cave!” Meg cried, and Pegasus started to snort and neigh angrily. “Yeah, I know we almost died, but I need that flute. I have to try!”

Peg continued heading toward the horizon, and for a moment, Meg thought he was going to ignore her. Then the horse dove straight down, Meg clinging to him before he veered left. The Empusa screamed and followed.

“Yes, it’s following us! Keep that creature on its hooves!” Meg shouted.

Peg darted up and down, through clouds and around them. The cave was fast approaching. Meg held tight to Peg’s neck as he flew toward the cave. She was just formulating her next move when she felt the jolt. Peg was bumped so hard he went sideways and almost pitched Meg off. She heard the horse scream and saw a gash in his side.

“Peg!” Meg cried as Pegasus started to spiral, falling fast.

Meg was sure they would hit the rock wall straight on, but the horse managed to pull up at the last second and glided unsteadily into the cave. Meg looked around. The cave had a wide enough opening. If the Empusa flew in, they could hopefully fly out at the exact same moment and—BOOM!

The Empusa barreled into Pegasus, knocking Meg clear off him and sending itself flying. Meg hit the ground hard and heard screams and Peg’s nervous neighs. There was a ringing in her ears. The cave came in and out of focus. The Empusa, it appeared, had hit the cave wall and was knocked out cold. She forced herself to get up and was thankful to see Pegasus stumbling toward her. Meg knew what his neighs meant. Let’s get out of here. We won’t survive a second attack. He was right, but she couldn’t leave without that flute. She lunged for the instrument still hanging from the creature’s waist and her fingers closed around the reeds. Then she gave the strap a hard yank, and the flute came free. The Empusa immediately stirred, and the two locked eyes—violet meeting blazing red. Meg jumped up and started running.

“Peg! Go!” Meg screamed, running after the horse, who clearly wasn’t sure if he should grab her or take off first.

Meg reached desperately for the horse’s mane and felt the Empusa grab her gown. Meg screamed and Peg started to run with Meg clinging to his tail. Finally, Pegasus leaped out of the cave and took flight. He was slower with his injuries, but he still managed to pull Meg up out of the cave and then above it. But they weren’t in the clear. Meg knew if she didn’t get rid of that Empusa once and for all, it would keep coming back till it killed them both. She looked down and saw boulders. Meg didn’t think. She just let go, knowing Peg would follow. The horse did, neighing frantically as he came down for a landing, but Meg was already dropping the flute into her satchel and pushing a large rock toward the edge.

“Quick! Help me!”

Peg used his snout, pushing on the boulder until it started to roll. Meg heard the Empusa’s scream and knew it was coming.

“Keep going!” Meg shouted.

Her arms were burning, her leg was still bleeding, and Peg was losing blood, but together they rolled the largest of the boulders to the cliff. Then Meg stood at the edge, making herself a target. Come and get me, she thought.

Peering over, she saw the Empusa flying upward, its claws outstretched to grab her. The boulder had to roll off the ledge at just the right moment or it would miss. Wait, Meg thought as it drew closer. Wait, she continued to tell herself as Peg looked to her for guidance. The Empusa was just a few feet away now and reaching out to grab her. “Now!” Meg screamed as she and Pegasus pushed the boulder off the cliff together.

The Empusa only realized what was happening when it was too late. Its red eyes widened as the rock hit the target, slamming the creature to the ground below.

Meg fell to her knees as she watched the Empusa’s flaming hair burn out. Then she looked over at Peg in surprise and relief, her eyes welling with tears. With trembling hands, she pulled the double flute of Athena out of her satchel and held it up to the heavens, half expecting Hera to appear and commend her work.

Nothing happened.

Peg slowly walked over, looking the worse for wear. Meg slumped onto his back, her chest rising and falling fast. She was in so much pain, she could barely breathe. Now what? she thought. The hourglass! she suddenly remembered and pulled it out of her satchel. There was a layer of pink sand along the bottom that couldn’t be ignored.

As much as it killed her to admit it, Hercules was right—she needed some guidance. She’d never survive another attack like this one on her own. Meg looked up at the clear blue sky and sighed loudly.

Peg looked at her.

She knew what she had to do, but she didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“Pegasus? Take me to that cranky satyr before I change my mind.”