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I froze, my hands clenched on the edge of the seat. The voice of the guardian echoed in my head. A thick blanket of dark sand blasted the windows, obscuring the sphinx. I gasped for breath. Being enclosed... enclosed like the bodies of shapeshifters creating a fleshy hull that blocked out all light—
The car lurched as it rose into the air. Lance gagged. Lily clutched my knee and mumbled something about sentient statues. I reached for my flower charm and stared straight ahead, focusing on the pricks of the stone petals against my palm. My vines crawled across the back seat of the car, wrapping around Lance and Lily, protecting them. Lance groaned, sick to his stomach, but Lily inched closer to me.
Good. I’d rather focus on either of them than the memory attack.
The car rocketed through the waves of sand. A giant blue paw appeared through the storm, coming toward us. We went invisible and Lily screamed. I ducked. The car swerved and went under the paw. Inese cursed in a heavy English accent before shouting, “Lance, create a portal going toward the pyramids. Get us as far out as possible!”
A swirling purple portal appeared and we swooped through. Bright sunlight blinded us on the other side. Behind us, the dust storm enveloped a chunk of Cairo. “Good work,” Inese said. But the storm changed directions, again moving toward us. It obscured the edge of Cairo and fast approached the desert expanse.
“We’re not clear yet,” Dad urged. “I still sense the guardian’s spirit.”
“Where—” Inese squeaked as the sphinx appeared in front of us. The car launched into a steep climb to avoid it. “Lance—”
A brilliant flash burst through the car, heating the car’s interior. I gasped, digging my nails into the car seat. Heat... burning like being inside the Legion Spore’s upper floors... my insides on fire—
Lightning spasmed around the car. Blackness threatened my vision where the dark purple spots from the lightning didn’t already blind me. The car door appeared as the invisibility generator failed under the electrical strain. Inese cursed again, flipping switches without success. “The system’s fried—”
We plummeted.
Lance grabbed my hand. Dad stared straight ahead, taking fast, deep breaths. “Probability, Dad!” I yelped. “Jack said to use your probability—”
We rocketed toward the ground.
“Make another portal below us,” Dad snapped.
Lance swallowed hard and a portal appeared. Inese tried the key. We vanished through the portal, careening sideways through fluffy white clouds and launching up toward the sky, slowing us down at an only slightly better angle.
Lily caught my gaze, her eyes wide. She had my vines wrapped around her like a seatbelt. I really wished she weren’t in the car with us. We were all going to die— My stomach dropped as we began to drop. This was going to hurt. The ground raced toward us, strangely slow, my heart in my throat.
We weren’t going to make it. There wasn’t an escape.
Another portal appeared between us and the ground. We shot through it, back up into the sky, just enough to change our angle so we wouldn’t hit the ground dead on. My fingers tightened around my flower charm. There was nothing telepathy could do to help.
Inese reached across a panel, forced it open, and then coughed as black, acrid smoke rolled out. She snapped the panel back into place, and leaned back in her seat. She let out a weary breath.
Lance took my hand. “Sorry, Jen. I don’t think my portals are going to—”
Sand ripped against the car as we smashed into the ground. There was a loud whump, a whoosh of airbags, powdery dust, and smoke. Lily’s scream split my eardrums. We skidded. My head slammed against the back of the seat. The car rocked onto its side and I crashed into Lance’s shoulder. Another blast of light rolled from the sphinx. My skin burned. My vines wilted in the heat, turning frail and black. Lance went limp underneath me. I willed myself to breathe, gagging as dust stung my throat. The car’s interior sweltered. My seatbelt dug into my shoulder as the car leaned precariously in the sand.
A green, glowing eye peered through the window of the car. I watched, dazed, as the sphinx ripped the door from its hinge, dug Lily out, and tossed her onto the sand.
“Lily—” Sand coated my tongue. My throat hurt. I inched my turtleneck over my mouth and unfastened my seatbelt. My fingers blistered on the hot buckles.
I dragged myself from my seat and toppled into the sand, feeling like my skin was on fire. The sphinx roared. I ducked as it knocked the car onto its other side.
Everything felt silent, dull.
“Dad?” I scrambled to the other side and looked through the window. He moaned softly, but didn’t make much effort toward waking. Inese didn’t look much better, her body slumped awkwardly against the driver’s window. Lance breathed hard, sweating.
Several meters away, blood dripped from a cut on Lily’s forehead.
I fumbled for my flower charm, wincing when my sore fingers touched it, and searched through each painful emotion of the car’s inhabitants. I needed to know that they were all still thinking. I could feel them. Their pain... their pain didn’t bother me. Wounded and broken... I could feel each of them in some manner.
For the moment, they were alive.
The sphinx propped itself against the far door, next to where Inese lay unconscious.
I dragged myself against the car but yanked my hand away from the burning metal. The paint was scorched and peeling. I reached for my radio—dead.
The sphinx turned its attention to me. The spirit circled around the car, glowing brighter. I let out my breath, my fingers still clamped around the charm. What did it want? I could probably find out. I’d even fight it if I had to. I had Lady Winter’s memory seeds. Maybe I could turn them on the guardian. Use them to attack it, not just me.
Satisfaction snaked through me at the thought. Wouldn’t it be nice to survive because of something Lady Winters did? To prove that she not only didn’t break me, but that I was able to help everyone she had wanted dead?
I barked a laugh, my voice grating. I’d show the guardian. I’d show her. I’d—
Not a good idea, a male voice—more or less human—chided me.
I knew that voice.
A figure walked through the sand and dust toward us. He wore a light tan tunic and pants, with a piece of similar fabric wrapped around his head that concealed all but his bright green eyes. I scowled. Spectator had gotten me out of difficult situations before, but maybe I wanted to save myself this time around, without anyone’s help.
Sure... go ahead. The spirit shrugged. Save yourself from an ancient spirit that was developed specifically to protect against thieves, no matter their powers. I’m afraid this specimen won’t go down as quickly as the dragon you faced. Its powers include radiation and electricity.
My fingers tangled in the necklace and I closed my eyes against the baking sun. What do you want, Spectator? I asked, using the necklace. Maybe it would work. Maybe it wouldn’t. Why do you keep following me?
His chuckle echoed through my mind. Because you fascinate me, of course. I can’t intervene too often—that would break the rules of spectating, and I have a reputation to keep. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own score to settle. A little incident I want to prevent. He cocked his head, amusement shining in his eyes. An incident I believe you can help with. He turned away from me and flagged down the sphinx. “I propose a riddle! A riddle in exchange for their lives.”
I dropped the necklace down my shirt and rolled over in the sand, trying to see Spectator better. What score did he want to settle? What incident did he want to prevent? And who told riddles in exchange for lives?
I scowled, anger mounting inside me. This “spectator” enjoyed his games far too much.
The sphinx crouched, inspecting him. You play by old rules, traveler. The guardian’s voice filled the expanse of the sky, never mind that I only heard it in my head. If you should fail my riddle, then these intruders shall be consumed by light. If you should succeed, you may ask me a riddle in return.
Consumed by light—Spectator said one of the guardian’s powers was radiation. That must have been what killed my vines and caused the car’s interior to heat mercilessly.
If I should fail, the sphinx continued, I will let you take the stone which they have stolen. Should I win, you shall suffer the same fate as these thieves.
Spectator laughed. “I have a better idea. I won’t ask a riddle from you and, in return, they get to retain the stone they stole. Let her answer for herself.” He gestured to me.
He wanted me to do what?
The sphinx turned to me. This is acceptable. If both riddles are answered correctly, you and your companions shall live to keep the stolen stone. If either riddle is answered incorrectly, then you and your companions shall die and relinquish the stones back to their rightful guardians.
I swallowed hard, staring at the sphinx’s glowing form, and then at the robed spirit. “I can’t do this.” My skin stung from the heat, and my whole body ached. “What if I fail?”
Spectator shrugged. “If you don’t try, you fail anyway. Might as well play the game.”
My chest constricted. Behind me, Inese and Dad sagged in their seats and Lance’s breathing grew shallower. Lily sprawled in the sand, her skin red from sunburn.
The sphinx laid across the sand and crossed its paws.
Spectator was right. I didn’t have the kind of training I needed in order to use the telepathy charm against this creature. I wasn’t even sure telepathy would bother it.
I swallowed hard. “Fine. I accept your terms.”
Then we shall begin. The sphinx raised its human head. At dawn I crawl on four legs, at noon, on only two. At dusk I walk on three legs, at night I am dead. What am I?
I stared at him. I wasn’t good at riddles.
But it was only a stupid game. I had to at least try to win.
Dawn, noon, dusk, and night. Like the sun rising and setting, like the rising sun half-cog of the Camaraderie. The Camaraderie sent out beasts to fight for them. Beasts started out crawling from their chambers. Then, in battle, some walked on two legs. If they lost a limb during the fight they would have only three, and before the night was over, they would be dead.
“A beast?” I asked, shaking.
Spectator quirked his head. Intriguing answer, though incorrect.
The sphinx narrowed his eyes. No. The correct answer is a human or a Catonian. The guardian glowered at Spectator. Both humans and Catonians crawl as a child, walk as an adult, use a cane when they are elderly, and then finally die, because they are not immortal.
“A beast was human,” I snapped, my fists knotted at my sides. “Their transformation is exactly what I aim to stop.” I staggered to my feet. “Would you deny me? Would you try to stop me?”
The sphinx shook its glowing mane and lowered its head. Its eye was as tall as me. You think I care for your personal desires, human?
Spectator cleared his throat, retrieved a pocket watch from his robes, peered at its face, and then clapped it shut. The device had the same bronze design of the Elizabeth pendants.
“Look at her. She’s different, isn’t she?” He raised his chin. “You, a creature of time, know the answer.”
The sphinx snarled and raised its paw as if to swipe at him. You, meddler, asked her to answer my riddles. Do you deny the consequences?
Spectator twirled the pocket watch’s chain around his fingers. With his free hand he extracted a pair of dice from his pocket. “Evens or odds? Odds says... I do.”
He tossed a die into the sand and it landed.
Eighteen.
My heart sank. He lost the roll. He failed his terrible game—
He shrugged. “Per our terms, she and her companions shall die, and when they do, they will relinquish the stones to their rightful guardians.” The skin around his eyes crinkled with a smile. “I never specified when.” He shoved the watch into his pocket. The die vanished from the shifting sand, and so did he.
The sphinx roared, its telepathic rage reverberating through my mind. I gasped, huddling in the hot sand. It turned its angry jade eyes on me. Foolish human child. You will have what you desire. But know this much—that meddler has cursed you.
I scuttled backward, but the lines of the sphinx faded and vanished. The howling wind subsided. The dust drifted to the ground, leaving me limp against the hot sand that piled against the car’s front bumper. My vision faded.
Cursed? What did the sphinx mean, cursed? At this point, we were all going to die out here, no time for some kind of ridiculous curse to finish us off.
I closed my eyes, trying to breathe, trying to will myself to get up and find some way to call for help. Something tickled my arm, warm and moist. I cracked my eyes open. Of all the strange things I’d seen today... a goat was chewing on the sleeve of my turtleneck.
For the love of the Community—
Heat stroke won, and I passed out.
