Page 46 of Death God

Fuck, fuck. Among all things, I hated losing my prank magic the most.

I hadn’t even started to create chaos in War’s camp and plague him and his minions. I had a list of things to do, such as making them fall from the stairs and break their necks or tailbones, having them choke when they ate spaghetti since the other half wouldn’t go down, and having their pipes break when they pooped. I’d love more than anything to stir shit in this hell.

Don’t despair, Ophelia, said the Fae who had water power. We discovered something in this castle, a great power that you can draw from. You need to reach it. We’ve felt it for a long time, being drawn to it, but we hadn’t been able to leave the cursed garden. We were also terrified of getting lost and missing you when you returned.

What’s the great power? I asked. I’d also felt a massive power, deep within the castle, throbbing in my veins. But it blinked on and off.

Something similar to your power yet it’s different, Whitesong said. It’s like the source of death and more. But it’s bound.

Like all the spirits were bound here.

We’ll find it. Hopefully we can use it against the horseman of war, I said.

We arrived on the castle grounds, and I told the guards that my family and I would like to walk around the courtyard. Sam had told me that the Alpha King put them in guest rooms in his palace.

“It’s so nice,” Dylan’s girlfriend had chimed in. Her name was Phoebe. She had big blue eyes and auburn hair. “I’ve never stayed in any place that luxurious.”

“It’s a palace,” Dylan had said, squeezing her hand fondly. “It’s like the old White House.”

The White House had been demolished two centuries ago when War came. It had been rebuilt, but it wasn’t the same.

“None of you will return to the palace,” I’d said. “You’ll stay with me in the west wing.”

The farther they were from Spartoi, the better, even though no place was safe here.

Honey badger pulled the van into the center of the courtyard.

“Are you sure you want to roam here, Lady Pip?” Spaghetti asked.

Going-gray had somehow made him the head guard. He might be the only shifter who didn’t drink coffee but oolong tea. He said it helped increase fat oxidation and control weight. The top brand of oolong tea was Duck Shit. Well, it was time to change his name to Duck Shit.

I arched an eyebrow mockingly. “Do you have a better idea?”

“The witches and mages hate you with the heat of a thousand suns, in case you don’t know it already,” Duck Shit said. “On the castle grounds, you’re exposed to an army of them. If one of them throws a spell at you, we can’t even pinpoint who did it. It’ll be a disaster if thousands of spells come at you and your family.” He eyed me as I bit my lip, pondering. “You might be tough, I’ll give you that, but what about your sister, brother, and his honey?” He nodded at Phoebe. He liked her more than he liked me. She was agreeable. “What about your little nephew, huh? What if they target him instead? We’re no mages, so we can’t fend off nasty spells.” He spread his arms to show that he was sincere and reasonable. “There’re only six of us. When the magic users attack, we can’t promise that we’ll be able to protect the little boy!”

He wasn’t really considering me and my family’s benefits. He preferred an easy job. He wanted me to just stay in my room while he guarded outside. What a lazy douche.

Foul magic permeated the air. It didn’t matter if I locked myself in the room, since black magic lurked at every corner.

And I needed to get the layout of the castle, spy when I could, and find the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy forces. With my family being held hostage, the situation had become increasingly dire.

Could you guys shield my family if and when spells come their way? I asked the spirits. You ate the spells in my room, so you can eat more, right?

We can, but we might be exposed when a powerful mage is nearby.

That’s a risk we’ll have to take since it concerns my family’s safety, I decided.

I hopped out of the van and picked up Jacob before Sam and the rest of my family filed out. I’d learned the name of my nephew. I’d carry him at all times to prevent any spell from touching him.

“It’s so sweet of you to worry about me and my family’s safety, Duck Shit,” I said. “But we’ll stretch our legs and say hello to a few friendly folks.”

“There’re no friendly folks,” he growled. “And don’t call me that.”

The honey badger behind the wheel chuckled.

“Sorry, I’ll forget your face if I don’t call you that, Duck Shit.” I flashed a grin at him. “But if you take good care of my family, I’ll upgrade you to Oolong. How’s that?”

He shook his head in disgust.

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