A chill ran through me. Asher. Asher had gold magic too, born from his mother, who was born of the fucking mother of all. Original magic.
That’s what happened to him when the gold took over and he lost control.
“I need to talk to Asher,” I said in a rush. “He has original magic. And if he doesn’t know I’m okay…” I had no idea what he would do, but I knew it wasn’t good. If this ancient powerful dragon was worried about losing control, what did that mean for Asher?
Josephina at least had the decency to look sorry. “We no longer have access to them. We have stepped into an in-between world, and now we must journey to the underworld. Through the path ofHeptashia.”
Fuck.
“Fuck,” Jessa muttered, and I wondered if she’d read my mind.
I mean, it was the logical response to this situation, so probably not.
“Best thing we can do is finish our task and get back to them,” Mischa said, sounding very levelheaded. She was clearly upset too—I could see the tension in the lines on her forehead—but she was holding it together.
“Girl gang,” Jessa said softly.
Mischa blinked at her, but I smiled. “Girl gang,” I acknowledged. “It was a premonition apparently.”
She reached out and we fist bumped, because solidarity, sister.
“Girl gang is highly appropriate,” Josephina added. “Since only those accepted will cross. And no man has ever made it through. This goddess is very particular. And men … she hates them.”
Not hugely surprising since she was no doubt super-pissed at being betrayed by Draconis. I wanted to know more of this story. There was no time right now, but hopefully there would be one day. It was kind of my family problem after all.
Dad the fucking douchebag. Shit father. Shit mate.
For a brief moment I wondered if understanding Heptashia’s story would help us make it through...
“No,” Josephina said. “Understanding will not help with this first part.”
She could still read minds apparently.
“This is a simple test of worthiness, and no one knows what’s used to weigh your worth, but everyone faces the same scale.”
“Worthiness means something different to every person,” Mischa said, solemnly. “I don’t understand how this test could be fair. I’ve certainly done some things I’m not proud of, and more than likely won’t pass.”
Jessa growled, a fierce sound. “You have to forgive yourself for what you did. Nothing was malicious. You were hurting, and if I had been in the same position as you, I would have probably done worse. You’re so much more levelheaded and kinder than me. I’m violent. Quick tempered. And very unaccepting of other people’s flaws when they irritate me. I’msofar from perfect.”
Josephina smiled at the twins, and it was clear she had a soft spot for the sister of her beloved Jessa. “You’re both perfectly flawed and that’s okay. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone ever. You’ve both saved the world more than once, and at great personal and emotional sacrifice. As I said initially, you are two of the best supes I know. You are worthy.” She turned to me. “And Maddison is worthy, for multiple reasons. I have almost no doubts that you’ll all pass, but it’s hard to know for sure when this test is designed by Heptashia. It’s what she considers worthy, and as I have not traveled this path before…”
“What about you?” Jessa asked, her concern for the dragon queen obvious. “Will you have to go through the same test?”
The golden woman nodded. “Yes. I will be at your side, as always.”
“You are more than worthy,” Jessa agreed. “You are right not to be worried.”
Josephina shook her head. “I’m not worried, but it’s not because of what you think. I’m no more worthy than you three. I don’t worry because I am with you. There’s no others I would be with, even if this is my time to end this life.”
I’d never seen anyone lose color as fast as Jessa did; there were already tears tracking down her cheeks. “I will never accept that,” she choked out. “I don’t fucking care. Let’s turn around now, because I won’t accept losing any of you. Not Josephina, or Mischa, or Maddison. No one.”
I felt the same. Fuck knows why, because these people had been in my life for all of five minutes in the grand scheme, and yet I knew I would mourn them greatly if they were not around. Sometimes it takes one second to click and know that these are your people, deserving of your love and loyalty.
The dragon queen smiled, a beautiful display of womanly strength and grace. There was no way to tell she was a dragon, outside of the ancient eyes, and powerful energy. “We will do this together. We are strong and worthy,” she murmured, and the words seemed to resonate across the rocky patch we stood upon.
In a second, the ground cracked open, like Josephine had whispered the magic password to break the rocks. As we all dropped, I heard Jessa mutter, “Fuck. Not again…”
Then darkness closed around us, and I reached for my power to slow the fall, but it was wispy, slipping through my grasp.
