Bree’s arms ached but the lock didn’t give way. She went to the other side to look at Aradella. “No, and if she knew I’d inherited Papá’s strength and she didn’t, she would—” She didn’t finish.
“Kill you in your sleep?”
“Youdoknow my sister!” She looked Aradella in the eyes. Behind them came the sound of an animal in pain. Had they struck the creature? She didn’t look. “There’s a spell I can do.” She took the bag off. “I’ll mix it.”
“How do you know how to—?”
“I work for Reena. In secret,” Bree snapped. Her mind was on deciding on a spell and remembering it.
Bree’s revelation so stunned Aradella that she said no more.
When Bree opened the bag and removed a bowl, there was a rumble from the crowd.
“What’s the ugly maid doing?” someone shouted.
Bree held the bowl and gave the bag to Aradella. “I need datura, valerian, penup, and aleenic.”
Aradella rummaged through the plants in the bag, took out the ones Bree needed, and threw them into the bowl.
“Karua,” Bree said. “Give me as much as you can find. I have to try to make an oil.”
Aradella pulled out a short branch of a tree.
The audience gasped that something so big could be in the bag, then they grew silent as they watched Bree break the branch into pieces. She put the pieces between her palms, then used every muscle in her body to squeeze.
Someone in the crowd yelled, “One!” People joined for, “Two! Three!” They got to five before a sunlight-bright drop of oil dripped from Bree’s hands into the bowl.
The crowd let out a deafening cheer.
“Tam has to ignite this,” Bree yelled to Aradella over the noise.
“What does it do?”
“It will paralyze the monster.”
When another roar came from the crowd, both women looked at the men and the monster, fearful of what they’d see. But the men and the monster weren’t moving. They were staring at something behind the princess on the board.
“What is it?” Aradella tried to twist about, but the heavy chain around her waist was too tight.
When Bree saw the man entering the arena, her eyes widened in shock. “It’s that man, the actor.”
Entering the arena, dressed in a shiny black outfit, with a flashy red-lined black cape, was Bart Ollen. He waited for the people to give him their full attention, then he dramatically held up his arm. With a broad gesture, he opened his hand. Dangling from his fingers was a great big key.
Playing his role of savior, he walked to the back of the steel stand and unlocked the chain around Aradella.
The roar of the crowd was deafening. They were glad that Bart was back to being their hero.
“Thank you!” Bree and Aradella said in unison.
“We need to—” Bree began, but then she saw a most welcome sight. Cappie was standing in the shade against the wall.
“Need some help?” He was so calm he sounded like he was offering her an umbrella.
Bree nearly lost it in her gratitude. “Fire it up!” She thrust the bowl at him. “It’s the 7K18 spell. Paralyze from the neck down.”
He took the bowl, then began mumbling some words. “Hecubus, momalon—”
Bree looked back at the fighters. Mekos soared behind the creature, sword drawn, but it seemed to anticipate the movement. Mekos was barely able to dodge the monster’s claws.
