Chapter 37

Housewives Show us Their Dungeon

There're a lot of ways people can react to getting charged with a deadly weapon. Usually, they boil down to running away or fighting back. Not so common was how the women reacted.

They did nothing.

I sprinted in close and sliced above Charrer's head, just high enough not to give him a haircut. My sword whizzed through the air at the woman behind him…

I stopped at the last second. Something didn't feel right.

"Good instincts," the woman said, completely unbothered. "That would be a mistake."

I held my blade against the side of her neck. "Let our friends go. Or else."

She sighed. Instead of releasing Charrer she tried to grab my neck. I went to backhand her arm away, but my metal hand passed right through.

My eyes widened. The shock didn't last, though. I'd dealt with mortal opponents before. Without stopping to ask questions I twisted, punching her temple with my sword hand. Anthea's hilt acted like a roll of coins in my palm and a loud SMACK! filled the room.

The woman's head snapped sideways. Great job, Percy, for thinking on your feet! Except something weird happened.

She had brown eyes. Emphasis on 'had' because for a second they changed, melting into blue. Her mouth dropped open. She started hyperventilating. "Wh-Where am I? Who are you people? I was just… I was just…"

Her chin drooped like she'd fallen asleep standing. When she looked up, her eyes were back to brown. All traces of fear had disappeared.

Behind me, Emmitt gasped. "Spirits!" he said. "You're possessing mortals!"

The woman I'd hit pressed on her jaw, feeling the damage. "Well, yes, glad we've cleared that up. Hurting us will only damage the poor, guiltless mortals we've possessed. I'm sure you heroes would hate to do that. Give up now and save us the trouble, hm? I want to be checking my crab cages by dawn."

"Mmmm," one of the women moaned. "Crab sounds delicious."

Another smacked her. "Don't get your hopes up, idiot!"

The spirits had one thing wrong. I could hurt them. They might be immune to celestial bronze, but Anfisa was made from more than just that. Problem was, I would still be stabbing a bystander. How were you supposed to beat enemies you couldn't fight?

"Why are you possessing mortals?" I asked, hoping to buy time. "Aren't you embarrassed, getting them caught up in all this?"

The one I'd hit, our guide from the dock, seemed like the leader. All the others waited for her to answer.

"We were mortals once," she said, shrugging. "I'm sure they don't mind. The last ones never did."

"Been doing this for a while?"

"Oh, a thousand years or two."

"I bet you've got some great stories."

"We do have a few," she admitted. "To start, hmm… how about how nobody from your boat will be coming for you?"

I flinched, and she noticed.

"So that was your plan. Give up. We were in need of new vessels anyway. By now, your friends are being put to much better use."

The circle was closing. None of them had real weapons, but a few were wielding rolling pins that they looked like they knew how to use.

"Look," I said. "I don't know what kind of creepy stuff you do out here, but our schedule is pretty full, so we aren't really interested in being 'vessels' anytime soon."

All at once the women's faces went disgusted. One started gagging.

"You? A vessel?" The leader dug into her waterproof leggings, pulling out a ball-peen hammer before waving it menacingly. "As if an honor like that would be bestowed on such as you. You will never be a vessel."

"Well," I said, "at least we're on the same page about that."

Maybe we could get out the door if we rushed them, but we'd be abandoning the Daemons. I couldn't do that to them, or to Rose after our talk on The Nautes. Emmitt nodded. I shrunk my weapon and held up my hands. "Alright," I said. "We'll go with you. Tie us up or whatever."

The leader nodded. "Smart boy. You know, as far as boys go."

Say what you will about these sprits' morals, they could tie a mean knot. In less than a minute Emmitt and I were trussed up to match our crewmates. I guess they really didn't see my sword as a threat, because they didn't even bother taking Aelia from me. They left the mechanical pencil clutched in my hand, buried under layers of rubber cable.

The last step was bandana gags. Used, if the smell was anything to go by. A second later the taste hit and I decided, makeshift or not, they lived up to the name gag.

We were marched down the hotel steps like inmates. At the road we hung a left. It wasn't until the edge of town that they stopped us, right in front of the last house you could see from the road. The wind was just as strong as half an hour earlier on the beach, but now it made tree branches creak like sinister cackles. I suddenly had the impression Eurybia was watching, and having a blast with what she was seeing.

The woman behind me gave my back a rough shove toward the driveway. "Faster, boy. No idling."

The house was big, a white colonial with a covered porch. It was nearly the same size as Rose's, but looked like it had been constructed about three centuries earlier and promptly forgotten about.

Ivy coated the walls. The gutter was busted. Part of it hung loose, bouncing in the wind with metal shrieks. All of the windows were dark. If there were any lights on they were in some buried room, deep in the bowels.

The leader opened the door, hinges groaning with the weight.

"Welcome to our humble lair," she said. I couldn't tell if her voice was sarcastic or not.

Three drachmas say it's haunted, I thought.

Right after I wanted to bang my head on one of the pillars. Of course it was haunted. We were literally being led inside by ghosts.

The rooms were too dark to see much of. Our captors didn't flick on a single light as they led us toward the back of the house, then down a flight of creaky stairs to some sort of cellar.

The cellar, it turned out, was the only room with any light. Wax candles burned in the corners. Light flickered over stone walls. Across from us chains with manacles on the ends hung from the ceiling. There were ten sets, and four of them were filled. Shatterer, Destroyer, and Smasher grunted when they saw us. Destroyer's chains rattled, and one of the women walked over and slapped him.

"Quiet!" she snarled. "Your friends'll join you soon enough."

The last prisoner I didn't recognize. It was a little boy. He couldn't have been older than eight. In addition to a gag he had a blindfold wrapped over his eyes. His chains had been modified, the steel cuffs realigned to fit his miniature wrists, and a purple plastic stool had been shoved under his feet to keep him from hanging. I bet he was thrilled with the special treatment.

One by one they undid our ropes, snapping the much sturdier shackles onto our wrists.

Soon we were all in chains, waiting with our arms suspended above our heads. I was going to have a killer knot in my shoulder tomorrow… if I made it that long.

Chloe, the girl from the hotel, was clearly the youngest of the group. Or maybe that was just the body she was possessing. Leaning against the room's only non-chain feature, a black box tall enough to come up to her chest, she asked, "Can we start already?"

The leader shot her a reproachful look. "We will wait for our sisters. They deserve a treat for their welcoming celebration."

"Celebration?" Another of the women perked up. "Celebrations have food, right?"

"Of course," said the leader. "Lydia, fetch the saltines."

A spindly woman closest to the door groaned. "More saltines?"

"What else can we eat," said the leader, "when Basilia cannot catch a single fish?"

"I heard that!" said a voice from the stairs.

The old lady I'd seen fishing on the beach came into the room, her wrinkles extra wrinkly with anger. "I'd remind you, Despina, that you have yet to bring in a single crab!"

The leader – Despina – shrugged. "Crab is out of season. Fish is not."

"You take the rod tomorrow then!" Basilia snapped. "So many gears and levers on it, you can hardly point the thing. Modern mortals have forgotten the art of simplicity."

Chloe cleared her throat. "Basilia, I don't mean to be a nuisance–"

"You are anyway."

"–but weren't you supposed to be guiding the newcomers?"

"Hm?" said Basilia. "But they're right here. Come in, you two!"

In walked Bianca and Rose. I winced, and not because I was starting to think I'd be able to taste this rancid gag for the rest of my life. I'd still had some hope the others had gotten away. But here they were– and Rose's brown eyes had gone an unfamiliar shade of green.

"So," Despina said, "which are you two?"

Rose grinned and flexed her biceps like a bodybuilder. "Creusa lives again!"

The others all groaned. "I was hoping it would be Euphro," said one. "She was always good for catching a rabbit or a bird."

"Unless…" said another, looking at Bianca.

"Oh, uh, I'm not Euphro." Bianca glanced all over the room before her eyes landed on one of the candles. "I'm… Candellia!"

"Huh," grunted Lydia. "Did we have anyone in the village named Candellia?"

"You did," Bianca said. "Me."

Basilia glared at Lydia. "Oh come off it, fool! Do you imply she's not possessed? Those vultures would never let a host march in here without snapping them up."

"Enough," commanded Despina. "You will not refer to our less fortunate comrades as vultures. Show respect, Basilia."

"Ooh, my apologies your highness. Or, wait, does that confuse who I'm addressing?"

Basilia cackled. Despina scowled as a few glanced at my neighbor, the little boy. But there was only one place I was looking. Bianca seemed uncomfortable. She couldn't hold still. Whether that was ADHD or nerves didn't matter, because either would mean the same thing I'd been wondering since her choppy introduction.

Somehow, she wasn't possessed. We made eye contact and she mouthed, Wait for a chance. I mouthed nothing, because my tongue was trapped under slimy fabric. But that didn't mean my mood didn't do a skip.

"Soooo…" Chloe said, "the new ones are here, aren't they? Let's start!"

Before waiting for an answer she spun around and flipped open the box she'd been leaning against. The lid unlatched. A moment later the front fell down. Finally the sides swung open, like one of those cut-out paper cubes you'd glue together in math class but, coming apart instead of folding together.

Each part had objects strapped to it. As far as I could see, there was no link between any of them. You had scissors next to a teddy bear, next to a water bottle, next to one muddy boot.

"You all know what to do," Despina said. "Search them."

"For what?" Bianca asked.

"Keepsakes of course. Anything which can be sacrificed."

The women came closer. They got to Shatterer first and startled rifling through his pockets. One even took his shoes off.

"What happens once you've found one?" Bianca asked.

"We kill them. What else?"

"Oh," Bianca said. "Right. What else."

Chloe came to me first, humming a tune that would've been jaunty in any other situation.

"Hey, where's that sword of yours? I saw you shrink it. It would just be the perfect keepsake!"

I kept silent. Not that I could've told her if I wanted to.

"Oh, right. The gag. Don't worry. I'm sure I'll find it quickly enough."

It was starting to seem like, if we didn't make a move soon, we wouldn't get the chance to at all. Bianca was thinking the same thing. Her hand drifted to the knife at her side.

The celestial bronze knife that would be about as effective as a paper towel, but there was no way of telling her that.

Bianca's knife had just begun inching from its sheath when Lydia's stomach growled loudly.

"What?" she said as the others looked at her.

"You're ruining the ambiance!" accused Basilia.

"Well excuse me for being starving! You all are just as hungry."

"Exactly!" Basilia said. "Yet you don't see our stomachs rumbling like a common oxen's now do you?"

"Well if we had just eaten before we started with the keepsakes none of this would be an issue at all!"

With a deep sigh, Despina stepped away from Shatterer's inside-out pockets. "Lydia, be patient. If we quit working to eat now, I'll never set up my cages for tomorrow. The stocks of saltines are almost out. Wouldn't it be better to wait and eat meat, once I've pulled in a fresh catch?"

"Like your fresh catch yesterday?" Basilia mumbled.

"What was that?" Despina said challengingly.

Basilia yanked back the sleeve of her shirt. "If you could actually catch anything we wouldn't look like this, now would we!"

Her arm was awful. It was like the skin was squeezing the bone. There wasn't a single spot of fat or muscle. Now that I knew what to look for, the others were the same way– boney limbs and frail, gaunt figures.

Despina's eyes flared. "How dare you–"

"Oh, drop it," Lydia said. She wouldn't meet her leader's gaze, but her voice didn't wobble. "She's not wrong. If we were actual people, we'd barely be able to move anymore. I just want food. I don't care what it is."

Slowly, Despina softened. Her lips sunk and she hung her head. For the first time she looked like a leader, not just the one in charge. "I understand. But what can we do with no fisherman among us, equipped with indecipherable modern tools? We are each doing our best. If any would like to take over the crab cages, I welcome them to try."

There was a lot of shifting feet and studying the floor. Nobody came forward.

"I thought as much. Even if you're hungry we can't leave the prisoners unattended. Who knows what tricks they may still have."

Behind the rest of them, Bianca's eyes lit up. Her hand released her dagger's hilt. "I'll search them," she said. "And guard them, too. I'm not hungry anyway."

"You will be soon," Basilia mumbled.

"It is a decent idea," Despina said. She seemed to be thinking it over, stroking her chin. "That fresh body is well-fed. Not taking advantage would be dumb."

"That's enough for me!" Lydia spun and marched to the stairs. "Come on, ladies. Last one up loses their share!"

There were a couple cries of "No fair!" as the others charged after her. Despina paused, putting her hand on Bianca's shoulder. "Thank you, sister."

"Mhm," Bianca said. "No problem."

Despina walked after the others. Before she disappeared she called, "I will send Creusa down shortly. Her fresh body doesn't truly need food yet either. You won't be alone long."

As soon as she was gone Bianca sprinted over. They hadn't left the keys to our chains, but that didn't matter. A few swipes from Bianca's enchanted knife sent the rusted links scattering. I still had the manacles around my wrists like avant-garde bracelets, but I could live with that considering it let me yank my gag off.

"Blegh," I spat. "You have no idea how gross that was."

"Do you have your weapon?" Bianca asked.

With a click my sword formed in my hand.

"Good. You free the daemons. We don't have much time."

She was right. I could hear voices from the top of the stairs. They were arguing and chatting and didn't seem to be getting closer, but I didn't feel like taking chances.

"How'd you guys get caught?" Bianca asked as she cut Emmitt free.

"They grabbed the Daemons first," I said. "We couldn't run away."

"So? You should've fought back. Or don't tell me you got beat up by housewives."

With a final, harder strike I severed Shatterer's chains. As he scrabbled with his gag I turned to Bianca.

"Those housewives are mortal. They're possessed like Rose. How come you're fine?"

Something thumped upstairs and Bianca shot the door a worried look. "You all are just as fine as I am."

"Yeah," I said, "but I think they just don't like men. They won't touch our bodies."

Bianca frowned. "With me, it wasn't like they wouldn't but like they couldn't. One tried. I heard this voice whispering in my head, and then bang! My body just spat it out. The spirits were swirling around me but they couldn't come closer."

Shatterer, who'd finally got his mouth free, said, "Can you lunatics save the theorizing for when we're out of here?"

"I don't see you helping," Bianca and I snapped at him.

The Daemon blinked. "What are you two, siblings?"

Something clicked in my head. Bianca's brother, Nico, controlled shadows and talked to ghosts. She'd controlled shadows herself back in the Competition, when she turned the tables on Nera, a daughter of Melinoe. And now spirits couldn't touch her.

Not siblings, I realized. Cousins.

But this wasn't the time or place to bust out the family tree. We worked faster, and in a couple of minutes, all of us were free.

Which left only the prisoner that'd been there before us.

Looking at the little boy, Bianca said, "We should free him."

"Are you crazy?" Shatterer asked. "We don't know anything about him. What if he's a serial killer?"

"You're scared of a child?" Bianca laughed. "What, are you worried he'll stab out your kneecaps? Climb on your shoulders and put you in a chokehold?"

"You don't get it," Shatterer insisted. "Anything that looks like a kid and is trapped down here must be scary. Haven't you watched The Shining? The Exorcist? That stuff is bad news!"

I looked at the boy. His wrists had bruises that said he'd been chained up a lot longer than we had. Even with the stool he had to stand on his tippy-toes. There was no way I could leave a little kid like that.

"We'll help him," I said.

"But–"

"We don't have time to argue this." I stepped in and sliced the chains myself, ignoring Shaterrer's groan.

At first the boy didn't lower his arms. It was like he couldn't even tell he'd been freed. His ears perked up, though. He opened her mouth as if waiting for something to be placed inside.

Then I pulled off the gag and blindfold and he squeaked. He blinked a few times, adjusting to having his sight back. Finally, he smiled.

"I know not who you are," he said in an oddly feminine voice, "but you certainly have my thanks. I thought only that it was feeding time once more."

"You're not a kid, are you?" I said.

"This body is," he said. "But, no, my mind is not. Greetings. I am Hypsipyle, the exiled Queen of Lemnos."

"Queen?"

"Hm? Ah, yes. This vessel confuses things a bit, but it's quite true. In truth I would love a body closer to my original, but I fear what my subjects would do to this one were I to leave it. So long as I possess this boy he will not be killed you see. The value of holding me hostage demands it."

"Your subjects?" Shatterer said. "Hey, if you're the boss around here then call them off already!"
Emmitt shook his head. "If they were in charge do you think they would be trapped down here?"

"Great," Shatterer groaned. "What are we supposed to–"

"Quiet!" Bianca hissed, holding up her hand.

The stairs were squeaking. Somebody was putting weight on them. A woman's voice – Rose's – grumbled.

"Kicking me out already. So what if I just arrived? I still want to eat! Honestly, those stuffy, stubborn old…"

"Scatter!" I said.

Everyone split and hugged the walls. Or, everyone except Queen Hypsipyle. He – or she, I guess – stood, right in the middle of the room, smiling at the door.

When Possessed-Rose stepped inside her jaw dropped. "How—"

"Hello, Euthro." Hypsiple cocked her head. "How have you been?"

"THE PRISONERS— umph!"

Before Euthro could finish the warning the Daemons piled onto her. Shatterer forced a discarded gag in her mouth. She squealed and squirmed, but couldn't make any noise loud enough to be heard upstairs.

"What's going on down there?" Despina's voice echoed.

"Nothing!" Bianca shouted. "Euthro stubbed her toe!"

Despina must've bought it, because she didn't say anything else. I turned to Hypsipyle. "Were you trying to get caught again?"

"I would have hid," she said, "but I'm afraid I don't seem able. These legs refuse my commands."

I looked closer. Her legs beneath her shorts were trembling violently from stretching to stand when she was chained. A fresh wave of annoyance ran through me over not being able to chop the spirits up.

"Why would your subjects do this to you?" I asked.

Queen Hypsipyle smiled– all lips, no teeth, and a whole lot of sadness. "Many centuries ago our island as cursed. Aphrodite decided our offerings were lacking, and in her rage cursed our husbands against us. Over time, in anger, the women–"

"Killed their husbands." Emmitt's eyes flashed. "I remember this. They killed all of them, everyone except the king, whose daughter helped him escape."

"The king's daughter?" I blinked. "But that would be…"

"Yes," Hypsipyle said. "They did not take that well. When I was discovered, they sold me into slavery. But when they died and their spirits remained in this world continuing their awful mission, mine did as well to stop them. Although… I believe the state you've found me in says how successful I've been."

"But what's with those keepsake things?" Charrer asked.

It didn't make sense to me, either. So they wanted to kill men. Why bother taking things from them?

"Offerings," Hyspipyle said.

"For aphrodite?" Emmitt asked.

"The opposite. They turned fully against the love goddess long ago. Now they worship her rival. Everything stolen from their victims is sacrificed to Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt."

"Look," Shatterer said. "This is fascinating. It really is. But if you haven't noticed– We. Are. Still. Trapped!"

He wasn't wrong. History lessons would have to wait.

"We need to hide," I said.

"Hide?" Shatterer grabbed his head like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "We have to run! I don't want to stick around this island a second longer."

"Run how?" Emmitt said. "The spirits are all upstairs. We can't get past them."

"And where are we supposed to hide? Look around!"

The cellar didn't even have furniture to crouch behind. Unless someone felt like boxing themselves in with the keepsakes, the best you could do was press up against a corner.

"There is one place," Hypsiplye said. "But," she blushed, "I'm afraid I'll need a hand."

I gave the queen a piggyback ride to one of the room's walls. When we got there, she pushed on what looked like a regular panel. It sprang open with a creak.

Inside was something like a closet coated in cobwebs. There were some empty shelves storing only dust. I sneezed from the stuffy air.

"What is this?"

"It was wine storage once," Hypsipyle said. "Before my sisters descended on the town, it was quite full. It will hide us."

"Maybe you'll fit," Bianca said, "but there's no way all of us will."
She was right. I'd have to duck to get inside, and it wasn't much longer than it was tall. I guessed seven of us could squeeze in if we cut it close, and that was counting Hypsipyle as one. Which would leave at least two stuck outside.

To make matters worse, time was running out. The voices upstairs were starting to get louder. The women of Lemnos were coming back.

"Everyone get in," I said. "I'll distract them."

I could tell the others could hear the same thing, because nobody argued.

The Daemons went first, dragging Possessed-Rose between them. Emmitt went next. Then Hypsipyle squeezed in with some help.

When it was just Bianca and I left, she shut the panel.

"I wouldn't fit anyway," she said. "And if anyone's going to help you, might as well be the person they think is one of them."

"That's a big change from the girl who picked a bow because it would help her run away."

She faced the door. "Hey, my bow's already broken. What am I supposed to do?"

The stairs creaked. If this was a rocket launch, the beeping countdown would be hitting three.

"Act like you caught me trying to escape," I said. "When we see a chance we'll run."

I didn't have to ask twice. She whipped out her dagger and aimed it at me. I took a half step back, setting myself like I was on the defensive.

Despina was the first through the door, and she immediately froze. "What in Hades is going on?"

"Sister!" Bianca cried. "He is escaping. Help me subdue him!"

"Why did you not call for us?" Despina glanced around the room. "And where are the others?"

Bianca choked up. "He– He ate them!"

Despina took a step back. "He what!?"

"Oh it was horrible! He opened his mouth and sucked them all in like a vacuum! This is no ordinary demigod. He's a son of Kirby!"

I shot her a really? look. She just winked. Meanwhile, Despina cocked her head.

"A son of Kirby… I have not heard of this god."

All of the women had arrived. If we could just get them to move away from the door…

"You haven't heard of the god of devouring?" Her hand shaking, Bianca moaned. "Then you don't know how much danger we're in! Quickly, we have to subdue him before he consumes us like the others."

"The others…" Despina glanced around the room. "Euthro isn't here. Did he… eat her too?"

"Yes!"

"Unforgivable." The change was like a flicked switch. Same as when she captured us, Despina pulled out her trusty hammer. And now, in the other hand, she drew a Phillips-head screwdriver with a sharpened point. Lit by the scattered candlelight, her face glowed with anger. "Kill him, and take a keepsake from his cold corpse."

All ten of them surged toward me, and my only thought was 'Yes!'

"Now!" I shouted.

Bianca and I raced into the crowd. We caught them so off guard they barely reacted. Only Lydia managed to block my path, and a quick jab to the solar plexus got me around her as she keeled over.

We took the stairs two at a time.

"We have to lead them away!" I said. "Go for the door!"

In the kitchen they'd lit candles to eat by, illuminating a half-dozen open cabinets and a backdoor I'd missed in the dark. Bianca yanked the door's handle, but it wouldn't budge.

"Piece of junk!" she cursed.

"C'mon," I said, and we booked it for the front.

We only tripped twice, which I thought was pretty good in the inky rooms. In one I even flicked a light switch to make things easier, but nothing happened. The darkness wasn't an aesthetic choice– there just wasn't any electricity.

By the time we fumbled our way to the door we could hear our pursuers gaining. I guess they had practice navigating in the dark.

We reached the front door, and I pushed with all my strength. Wouldn't budge. A little balloon of hope deflated in my chest.

"What now?" Bianca asked.

"Run," I decided. "Then hide."

We went the opposite way from where the voices were coming from. Somehow we ended up on stairs, and after catching our toes a couple of times managed to scramble onto the second floor.

There were no lights on here, either, but glow from the moon was leaking in from thick-paned windows. It was enough for us to find a hallway with doors on either side and duck into one of them.

I was catching my breath, back still against the door, when Bianca said, "Percy?"

"Shhhhhh," I held a finger she probably couldn't see to my lips. Already I could hear Despina barking orders on the second floor, telling the others to fan out and search.

Instead of answering, Bianca pointed. Our hiding spot looked like it had once been a bedroom, which I could tell because a long window ran the length of one wall, letting in enough moonlight to see the rest of it. A rusty bedframe was pushed up against the sill, objects piled on top of it. They were as random as the keepsakes in the cellar, but not nearly as pretty.

There was a rocking horse with its head broken off. A table missing three of its legs. A lamp with such a deep gash in its shade, it sort of looked like Pacman. Then there was the technology. Iphones, blenders, gaming consoles, you name it. Most of them were broken nearly in two, or shattered like somebody had put their fist through them. All stuff the spirits had broken, I guess. No wonder the power was out– the out-of-time women were basically technology mass murders.

But none of that was what had Bianca's attention.

Right in the center, its upper edge peaking through the pile like toast from a toaster, was a bow. Bianca walked closer and began shifting things, excavating the weapon with an weird fervor.

Once I saw the bow, though, I kind of got it.

The wood was carved with beautiful designs of flying birds and what looked like roaring dragon heads. The handle was metal; from the color and the way it was glowing, none other than Celestial Bronze. Just from a glance, I could tell this weapon was special. I didn't know how. It wasn't like I recognized it. But there was just this aura it gave off, some kind of a vibe. This weapon had done things.

"It's beautiful," Bianca said, so caught up she forgot to keep her voice down. Almost instantly, the door flung open.

"Ah ha!" Basilia shouted. "The traitor and the runaway, trapped and caught. To me, sisters! To me!"

The others gathered behind her with candles in their hands. From the dark Lydia's voice said, "I knew we never had someone named Candelia!"

Bianca grabbed the bow. It must've been a reflex, because without arrows I didn't see how it would help us.

"You will die now," Basilia promised, aiming a kitchen knife like a knight's sword. "Your powers and friends will not save you twice, son of Kirby!"

The woman stepped forward. Without thinking, Bianca pulled the string back.

Immediately an arrow appeared from thin air, notched and ready. Bianca released, and the arrow thudded into the floor, hissing softly.

"Back," Bianca commanded. "Unless you want to lose a foot."

Basilia hissed. "Fool girl. You would harm our hosts to save yourself? What a selfish, ill-mannered–"

Someone pushed her aside. Now it was Despina standing in the door. She stomped her foot and all of our captors took up positions on either side of her. Bianca kept pivoting, struggling to aim ten directions at once.

"Enough," Despina said. "No more tricks. No more running. Absolutely no more plots. I don't know why you are unpossessed, but you will die. This is our purpose."

"But it was not always."

The voice, too high-pitched to have gone through puberty, came from the hallway. In the light of the Daemons candles Hypsipyle appeared.

Despina stiffened. "You."

Hypsipyle limped into the room, her legs still not used to walking. For some reason, the women separated like she had some deadly, contagious disease. Nobody blocked her until she was right in front of Despina.

"Why do you still act like this? Those that wronged us are long dead, all except the goddess of love. But you never acted against her, did you? Too frightened. Instead you ambush the helpless, hiding behind long-buried grievances as justification. I ask only why. Why?"

Despina stared down at the much smaller body. "I thought you were eaten, but I suppose that must have been a lie. I'm already reminded why we gagged you."

"Answer the question, Despina."

"What do you wish me to say? That we're very sorry? That we'll behave from now on? If you want someone to blame, take it up with the goddess that cursed us. Or better yet, our husbands that failed to resist. They're the ones that set us on this course."

Hypsipyle shook her head. "Grow up."

Despina choked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Grow up. Living with pain does not justify spreading it. I was cursed the same as you. And yet, never did I stoop to your level."

"Because you were weak!"

"No," Hypsipyle said. "Because I was strong."

The way I saw it, Despina was losing. Her fingers, clenched in fists around her tool-weapons, were shaking like crazy. But she tried to cover it up with a laugh. "We are not the ones that have been chained in a basement."

"And yet you are scared of me." Hypsipyle cast her eyes over the crowd. Nobody would meet them. When her gaze settled back on Despina, she nodded. "That is why you blindfolded me, is it not? You were scared to look me in the eyes."

"Shut up!"

I shouted a warning. Too late. Despina's hammer was raised, ready to crush Hypsipyle's head.

But before it could swing an arrow pinged the weapon from Despina's hand.

I blinked, glancing at Bianca. She was a decent shot, but when had she gotten this good? Even she seemed surprised.

"That worked?" she mumbled.

Meanwhile, Despina was livid. "How dare you!" she screamed.

I couldn't tell if she was talking to us, Hyspipyle, or the world itself. Then she gave the answer– none of the above.

"Do you know how much we sacrificed to you! We gave offering after offering across a thousand years, and never received your blessing in return! And now you offer it to this cretin girl? Answer me, Artemis!"

She was glaring at the roof as if trying to burn a hole straight through it to the night sky. Hypsipyle giggled.

"The Moon Goddess does not listen to your words, sister. She never has. That arrow was not her blessing. Even now, she does not know you exist."

"But we carry out her mission!" Lydia complained.

"She's totes kill all men, isn't she?" agreed Chloe.

"Misguided to the end." Hypsipyle shook her head. "How about a question, to see if you can recognize where you went wrong. When hosts resisted, what became of them?"

"Do not lecture us!" Despina pulled the screwdriver, her remaining weapon, back. Rather than rely on another miracle shot from Bianca's new toy, I was ready.

I lunged, and the sharpened Phillips-Head rebounded off the flat of Anfisa's blade. I grabbed the tool, yanking it away.

Hypsipyle was unflustered by the attempt on her life. I guess, to be fair, she was already dead. "Very well," she said, "I will say it myself. You killed them. How many maidens were among those? Artemis' chief concern is protection. Be grateful she never took notice, because if her eyes fell on you, I shutter to think of your fate."

The room was dead silent. All but one of the candles had burned down, leaving the lighting to the one in Lydia's hands. If not for that candle it would've been like standing in a void– silent, dark, and totally still.

Despina cackled.

Her cool demeanor from when we met had shattered into a billion pieces. The grating, choppy laugh made my back clench. It was like staring down a hunting hyena.

"So what?" Wide-open eyes shone with reflected light. "Our efforts were misguided. You're right, and we're wrong on every account. We're evil. So what?"

She spread her arms wide. "Beat me and break innocent bones. Cut my throat and know you're a murderer. Face it. There is nothing you can do to me. I am untouchable. I am–"

"You know," Bianca interrupted, "Something's been bothering me since earlier, and I just have to get it off my chest. Where are the rest of the people? I get it. You round up the men and kill them, and I hate that don't get me wrong, but it still doesn't add up. There's only ten of you. There had to be more than ten women in this town. So that's what I don't get. What happened to the rest?"

"We could not control them," Basilia said. "They resisted."

"And what did you do to them for it?"

After an awkward pause Chloe mumbled, "Some sacrifices have to be made, y'know?"

"No," Bianca said, "I really don't." She cocked her head. "Those women you're possessing had families. What did you do with them?"

The question was like a dynamite fuse waiting to be lit. I could sense it. One wrong answer and an explosion would go off. But apparently Despina missed the memo.

"Are you dumb?" she asked. "You just heard the answer. We killed them."

"Hm. Ah, yeah. Okay." Bianca let go of the bowstring and reached to her right, fingers clenching around darkness. "I thought you'd say that. But I had to know for sure before."

Despina chuckled. "Before what?"

"Before I lost my temper."

The last light went out, plunging the room into darkness.

I saw it happen. It wasn't natural. A shadow had reached out a formless hand and grabbed the flame.

"Do you think we're scared of the dark?" Despina asked mockingly. "Oh no, sisters. The light is out. How horrible! Whatever will we… Sisters?"

One by one, the possessed women had begun to cough. Now their leader joined them, hacking and gasping for air.

"Wh– What is this?" Despina stammered breaths. "What are you *cough* doing *cough* *cough* to us?"

"You kept calling each other sister," Bianca said, "so I thought maybe you'd just hidden them away somewhere. But now I know you aren't real sisters. Nothing with a family could force someone to kill their own."

"Can't breathe," moaned Lydia. "Can't breathe, can't breathe!"

"Stop!" shouted Despina. "You cannot harm us!"

Something in Bianca's voice changing: getting deeper and richer like it was blending with a sports commentator's. With every word, authority crept in.

"You are not fit for this world," Bianca declared. "Leave it."

The coughing got twice as strong. I was pretty convinced the hosts were about to die when something other than spit started spraying from their mouths.

Cloudy, formless vapor funneled into the room– ten sets, one for every spirit but Hypsipyle. I recognized them even before they started taking human shape. It was the same mist that Nico's friend was made from. The form of ghosts.

The spirits shone in the dark, not brightly but enough to light the room a little. They couldn't move. Each was stuck, paralyzed, unable to even talk… until Despina forced her mouth open.

"We'll… be back," she said with effort. "Can't… send us away."

"Send you away?" Bianca said. "Who said anything about sending you away?"

I didn't have the first clue what that meant, but it seemed like Despina did.

"NO!" she thrashed... Or as close to thrashing as she could come with her limbs jammed together.

"Spirits that lingered where they were not meant," Bianca said, her voice so much like the commentator's I wasn't totally sure it was even hers anymore. "Your time came to pass on, and you ignored it. So your time is now! Accept your fate. Disappear."

She clapped. I thought, okay, the spirits are going to sink down to the underworld. That would've seemed like a blessing compared to what followed.

Inch by inch, their forms condensed, folding and folding and folding. Fingers bent like paper. Their heads merged with their chests. It kept going until each was a cube no bigger than a fingernail.

Then Bianca clapped again. They folded one more time, and this time there was nothing left over.

I was considering rubbing my eyes to check whether I'd really seen any of that when Bianca swayed on her feet. I jumped in, taking her arm over my shoulder to steady her.

"How'd you do that?" I asked.

"Don't know." Her voice was tired. Drowsy. "I was just… mad. And it came to me."

I didn't press her further. It sounded like she didn't want to talk about it… or about anything at all. And I wasn't going to push her.

Because I'd seen it, just barely, in the light from the ghosts' forms.

Even if her voice hadn't wavered, even if she'd just executed ten spirits like it was as natural as Aurora taking a nap, there was no mistaking it.

From the moment the lights went out, Bianca had been crying.

(-)

Fourth longest chapter yet. Nearly broke my weekly update streak, too. But I made it, so all good. This is right around the halfway mark for this arc. Next week, we finally reach Alaska. See you then.