“There are rules and protections and the Reed daughters,” Cupid said, “one of whom can keep any god out of the town no matter what they throw at her.”
Pamela whistled.“All right.I like this town.But Oregon?I thought you two were stuck to the Route.That ends in California.It’s a long hard day’s drive from there to Oregon.”
“What happens if you drive off the road?”Cardamom asked.
“The farther we get away from it, the more it hurts,” I said.“Well, before.That was before.”
“Before?”he asked.
“When I was an earthbound spirit.Before Cupid brought me back.”
“You haven’t tested it since then?”Josie asked.
I shook my head.
“Locking you to the Route was Atë’s doing,” Cupid said.“Even killing Headwaters won’t have changed that.”
“You said we changed,” Lu noted.“Not enough to escape that curse?”
“No.”
“Let me tackle it,” Cardamom said.“I know it was made with god power, but it’s still a curse.There are so many magical ways around a curse, even if it can’t be broken.”
“You don’t need to—” I started.
“I’m going to, so let’s just get that out of the way.”Determination burned in his eyes.I didn’t have to wonder how he’d made his way up the wizard ranks.
“So, is that the plan?”Elmer asked.“You turn and run to Ordinary?Hope you can stash the book before the god catches you?”
“I’ll deal with Atë,” Cupid said.
“And Mithra,” Raven added.
“And Mithra,” Cupid agreed.
“And Apep,” Raven said.
Cupid glared at him.
“I’m just saying it’s three against one, Bo.Bad odds.”
“What about taking a stand?”Josie asked.
I shook my head.“Cupid’s right.The spells in the book are too strong.I don’t know how we’d survive using another one.”
“There are other weapons out there,” Elmer said.“I’d even wager there’s one that can kill a god.”
“Oh, there are,” Raven said.“Not easy to find, and they come with their own prices to pay, but of course there are.”
“How long would it take to find them?”Pamela asked.
“Longer than we have,” Lula said.“I say we run.”
“Ordinary?”I asked.
“Ordinary,” she said.“Bury this book where no one can find it again.”
“And Atë and all those other gods?”Elmer asked.
