Fire & Flood (Mythverse #1)

Book 2 Chapter 12

12

“What?”

Fern and I are both on his bed in an instant, and there’s a small smile on Nico’s face that tells me he doesn’t mind the attention. But that’s not my focus right now.

“A witch named Cassie?” I ask.

“I guess she’s technically a seer.”

Oh gods, it is Cassie. “Where?” I ask, impatiently.

“Where I was held,” Nico says. “Out in that gods-forsaken desert. They brought her in a few weeks ago—”

“Did they hurt her?” My wings break out at the thought, blood red, and angry.

“Whoa.” Nico’s one good eyebrow flies up, and I have to turn my head to keep from frying him with a blast of fire from deep in my lungs that I can’t control. If they did one-tenth of the things to Cassie that they did to Nico—

“No, no,” he says, truly alarmed. “She’s fine. They had big plans for her. Not a hair hurt.”

“Edie,” Fern says, eyeing Nico. “I think it might be best to have this conversation later. Nico’s recovering and he’s my patient—”

“No!” A last, bright burst of fire comes out with the word. “I want to know everything about Cassie, and I want to know it now.”

Apparently being able to breathe fire isn’t only for the circus; it’s also totally useful for making your point. Despite Fern’s frown, Nico tells me about waking up to find that the cell next to his was now occupied. Cassie had been scared and crying, but also worried about Nico and his wounds.

“She wanted to help me,” Nico said. “Even though she was also locked up.” Nico frowns. “She also kept calling the jail the Ritz Carlton and saying she thought it would be nicer. I guess one of the monsters made a joke and it went over her head.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely our Cassie,” I say. “Then what happened?”

He quickly explains how he and Cassie hatched a plan to spring him loose. He wanted her to go, as well, but Cassie told him her best friend was coming to get her. She’d seen it in a vision. Also, she was pretty certain the monsters wouldn’t hurt her.

“Because she’s Merilee Madges’ daughter,” Nico adds. “She said her mother had created a spell that passes all of her knowledge of Mount Olympus Academy—the history, the secrets, everything—to her daughter upon her death. And the monsters wanted that.”

“So, they’d never hurt Cassie,” Fern reiterates, highlighting the positive. “They’d want her cooperative.”

“No, but she’s useless to them as long as Merilee is alive,” I say, thinking. “She may be in danger. We don’t know who sabotaged my mission but there’s clearly a traitor on campus. Their next mission might be to kill Merilee.”

“I…” Fern bites her lip, looking doubtful. But I don’t need to convince her; as long as Themis believes me, Merilee will be safe and sound.

“Cassie helped you escape? How?” I ask Nico.

“She foresaw that one of the guards would…” Nico grimaces, disgust clear on his face. “Go into labor.”

“Childbirth is a beautiful and natural thing,” Fern says, her tone gently reprimanding.

“Not when it’s a manticore,” Nico snipes back. “Anyway, Cassie knew this manticore was gonna go into labor, and apparently she had some healing courses?”

He looks at us, a question on his face.

Fern nods. “A few. Cassie kind of…well, we never really knew where she would fit. I mean, she tried to be a healer but she accidentally stitched someone’s hand to their leg and that was a whole thing—”

“Right, fine.” Nico holds up his hand, like he’s in charge of who talks when. And clearly right now—it’s his turn. “Anyway, the other guard was trying to help the manticore and things were…” He grimaces again, then sees Fern’s stern look. “Well, things were happening fast. Cassie offered up her healing skills, and they let her out. She lifted the keys from the guard and slipped them through my bars. I unlocked my cell, passed them back out, and she replaced them on the guard’s belt. You know, I would see her around the Academy sometimes. I never paid much attention to her but…she saved my a*s. She’s a good friend to have.”

“She really is,” I agree, a knot in my throat.

“Then it was just a waiting game,” he continues. “As soon as their backs were turned—it didn’t take long, since a newborn manticore wail is very distracting—I slipped out.”

“Into a sandstorm,” I add. “Not exactly great timing.”

“But I found you,” Nico says, his fingers brushing mine. “I would argue it was perfect timing.”

“Actually, Edie found you,” Fern corrects, but neither one of us pay her much attention. My wings have slid into a deep purple, shimmering with my pulse.

“Could you locate the place where you were imprisoned again?” I pull my hand back, determined to focus.

“Absolutely,” Nico nods. “The foul smell is unmistakable. It carries for miles.”

I nod. “Then we’re going. You and me, right now.”

But Fern is shaking her head. “No way. First of all, Nico is in no way ready to leave campus again. Secondly, Themis will never approve another mission so soon after what happened last time.”

“What happened last time is that I killed a giant scorpion,” I say. “The mix-up with the portal wasn’t my fault.”

“Regardless, you both need to recover…”

“Don’t you want Cassie back?” I interrupt, giving her a hard look.

“Of course,” Fern says, tears in her eyes. “But am I supposed to just watch you go back into certain danger?”

“The other option is leaving Cassie in danger,” I tell her. “And I’m not okay with it. Cassie was the first person I met here, the first friend I had. I’m not leaving her with monsters. I don’t care if they aren’t physically hurting her. This is her home; she’s never even left the Academy before. She’s probably terrified.”

My voice breaks on the last word, as I realize how true it is.

“I’m going after her, and I’m going as soon as this werewolf can walk.”

“I can walk,” Nico says, and then adds with a dangerous smile, “And fight too.”

“Oh my gods.” Fern stands up. “Is there any way I can talk you out of this?”

At Fern’s repeated protestations, a flicker of unease ripples my thoughts. Yeah, we’re her patients and she’s worried about our health, but maybe it’s more than that.

Ocypete identified Fern as one of the traitors, and if it’s true, then maybe she’d rather not have us foiling the monster’s plans for Cassie.

After the battle at the Spring Fling dance, Mr. Zee told me that when Ocypete killed the students she’d recruited, her goal was to make it look like I—the only fire breather on campus—was the culprit. Her goal was to further alienate me from the student body, thus making me more susceptible to her offer to join the monsters.

I want to pull Fern aside and demand answers right now, but if I start to question Fern now, that means I’m gonna have to really figure out who was lying to me—Ocypete or Mr. Zee. But now is not the time.

Cassie needs me, and I’m going to her.

With a one-eyed werewolf in tow.

Fern throws her hands up. “Fine. If I can’t talk you out of it, the least I can do is make sure you don’t get killed.”

She rummages in a cabinet, producing a vial.

“Drink this,” she says to Nico. “It’s a short-term energy burst. Maybe eight hours. It will mask your pain, but your adrenaline levels will be through the roof. You’ll feel invincible but—please try and remember—you are not. Do you understand?”

Fern’s voice is firm now, a nurse in charge. Nico nods, taking the vial. “You really aren’t half bad, you know.”

“Enough with the back-handed compliments,” she tells him. “It’s not as charming as you think.”

She turns to me. “You’ll want to put a fresh uniform on so you can spell it. The hospital gown won’t shift with you.”

Fern points to the cotton gown with little ties barely holding it together. I was so focused on Cassie, I totally forgot I was walking around in this thing. I don’t even have underwear on!

Clutching the gown close, I grab the pile of clothes Fern offers and take them behind a curtained area to change.

“Nico, here’s some clothes for you,” I hear Fern say.

“Naw, I’m good,” he answers. “I don’t wear the uniform on missions. My mom taught me those types of things make us too reliant on spells and magic. Weakens our natural animal instincts.”

“Uh-huh,” Fern answers, clearly skeptical. “So, you’re going to wear the pajama bottoms and a T-shirt you just pulled out of the lost and found bin?”

I come back out in time to see Nico shrug. He’s wearing a Henley that’s too tight…but definitely not in a bad way.

Fern shakes her head but doesn’t argue any further. “I can get you the portal key you need. Hermes has a few of the witches he trusts doing the reclassification. It’s a huge mess, and he’s in a lot of trouble with Mr. Zee for letting this happen in the first place. If I tell him I can put in some overtime, I’ll be able to slip in and get the key.”

“Great,” I say. “How about right now?”

Nico checks a pretend watch on his wrist. “Yeah, right now works for me.”

Fern closes her eyes and sighs. “All right. No time like the present, I guess. Let’s get Cassie back.”