“It must be; he liked her no more than the rest of us,” Samson agreed. “And she’s been his advisor since the dawn of Aristonia, according to all records.”
“We have to free him.” Panic swelled with worry over all of the horrible things Snow could be enduring—possiblyhad beenenduring for who knew how long.
“Sounds to me that freeing him and protecting the harmony of the world both hinge on the same thing: killing Pan,” Takako pointed out.
“That’s all well and good, but how do we get rid of a demigod?” Wayne heaved a somewhat dramatic sigh. “This isn’t a point-and-shoot sort of situation.”
Takako looked at him from the corners of her eyes, clearly uncertain if she should take offense. “Let’s think through it logically. What was she afraid of?”
“Pan wasn’t afraid of anything,” Wayne said quickly. “She chewed glass, spat it at us, and then asked for thank yous.”
“Then what is a demigod afraid of in general?” Takako was undeterred, and looked to Jo.
She began to pace, mulling over every bit of information that had seemed so overwhelming even minutes ago, but now seemed like precious little to cull through. “It’s not as if I have a handbook on how to be a demigod. I mean, I told you all everything I know and—”
Jo stopped. Memories: a book detailing an ancient battle, a mention of Pan being afraid, her room at the mansion . . . all muddled into a mismatched jigsaw puzzle that felt like the start of a good idea—maybe.
“When I was in her room,” Jo started slowly, giving herself time to try to clarify the hazy vision as much as possible. “She showed me something . . .”
“What?” Wayne asked.
“I’m trying to remember.” Jo held up a hand to one eye, as if physically trying to force some part of her to see back to the memory Pan had given her while staying rooted in the present. It was the first time she was actually trying to invoke the shadows that had come to haunt her at the end of the Society. But now that she had reclaimed her full powers and actually had need of them, they no longer seemed interested in tormenting her. “We were in a forest . . . there was darkness all around us . . .”
“Forest, darkness—that really narrows it down.”
The sound of a hand striking firmly into another body.
“Quiet, Wayne,” Takako hissed as Jo kept focus.
“There was . . . a spear of darkness? Something lodged into a tree. She said I was the only one who could destroy it. To destroy it before it destroyed us—I think?” Jo shook her head. “I’m sorry, that’s all I have.”
“It’s something,” Samson said softly, encouragingly. Jo gave him a tired smile in thanks.
“Why don’t we take a break for the night?” Takako suggested, pulling out her obsidian disk and fumbling with it until numbers appeared. “It’s getting late, and we’ll all think with clearer heads after a good night’s sleep. We can start first thing in the morning.”
“Works for me.” Wayne was the first to get to his feet, eager to flee the room.Just when she thought they were getting on better footing he—
Jo’s thought was interrupted by his hand falling on her shoulder. “Thanks for trusting us with this, dollface,” Wayne said softly. “We’ll get you through this.”
Jo raised a hand, clutching his fingers tightly for a moment. “Thank you.” Her eyes shifted. “Thank you all.”
Wayne departed and Samson was the next to stand. “He’s right. We can do this.”
“I know, Sam.” They exchanged a brief hug, and then it was just her and Takako.
“It’ll look better in the morning, I’m sure.” Takako gave her a hug as well, tight and fierce. “Get some rest.”
“Yeah . . .” Even if it was a front, Jo admired her teammates’ hope. And perhaps they were right; perhaps everything would be clearer after a night of rest.
Unfortunately for Jo, she didn’t feel the least bit tired.
Chapter 5
Alley Encounter
Jo didn’t even attempt sleep this time. After the last three days spent wasting the first few hours of night tossing and turning, she figured it was about time she got a jumpstart at this new life of twenty-four-hour wakefulness.
With Takako and Samson both occupying their own guest rooms downstairs, close enough to the living room to be easily disturbed, Jo forwent her usual TV binge. Instead, she grabbed a coat at random from the hall closet and bundled up for what would probably prove a lengthy nighttime walk.
