Odin's eye widened in horror as he turned to look at me.
“Odin!” I shouted and reached for him.
He shook his head and stumbled back. As he did, his eye turned from brown to yellow and his face broadened. With a moan, Odin dropped to all fours and started to tremble. Amid tearing fabric, fur sprouted, muscles stretched, and a tail lashed out. Odin's moan turned into a snarling roar as he lifted his large head. A long, feline body took shape and shook the remnants of clothes away. Black stripes lashed over an orange hide, accented by splashes of white.
The tiger turned toward us, muscles bunching beneath that striking hide, and prowled forward confidently. His large paws strode upon the earth as if he owned it and his bright stare flicked over our group, accessing the threat. Rounded ears twitched and the beast stretched its jaws, baring long teeth.
“Oh, wow,” I whispered. “You're really pretty, Odin.”
“He stepped on a tiger lily,” Vivian murmured, her gaze glancing off a crushed, orange flower nearby.
Odin the Tiger snarled and crouched, preparing to leap.
Gage stepped in front of me, hunched into a fighting stance, and snarled back at Odin.
The tiger cocked his head.
“Gage, that's Odin, don't you dare hurt him,” I hissed.
“I won't,” Gage said without looking back at me. “I'm just buying Glinda some time.”
I glanced at Glinda and watched her stretch out a hand that glowed buttercup yellow. The glow leapt from Glinda's hand to the tiger and encased his massive head. The tiger gasped, jaws jerking open, and fell to the ground. His body shook and his claws dug at the earth as Glinda stole his breath. As soon as he passed out, she lowered her hand.
“My apologies, Odin,” Glinda said softly.
“Sweet dreams.” I stroked his wide head; I couldn't resist. “When you wake up, I'm going to tease you mercilessly.”
“At least you're not a pig,” Cerberus said to the sleeping tiger. “Now that would have beenreallyembarrassing.”
“Is it just me or is Eleanor going easy on us?” I whispered to Vivian.
Vivian grimaced and glanced around. “I think she's going easy on Slate.”
“Oh. Right.” I glanced at my fiancé. “She didn't want to put anything too deadly out here because it might hurt him.”
“I believe so.”
A thought occurred to me and I headed toward Slate. “Slate, I think you should—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Eleanor appeared in a swirl of water, just behind Slate. The water rose, she wrapped her arms around Slate's thick waist, and the water descended. As it fell, the liquid vanished and it took them with it.
“Slate!” I shouted as I leapt for him, but they were already gone.
“Where is she, Vivian?!” I demanded as I swung back around to face her. I knew she was the one with the tracker. “Just give me a direction.”
Vivian held up her hand. A silver band encircled her wrist, radiating a soft white light. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and pointed. “I sense her roughly fifty feet ahead.” She looked at me to add, “Underground.”
Before we took a single step forward, the earth began to shake. Everyone sank into a sailor stance—arms out and legs spread for balance. Leaves rustled wildly and entire trees crashed to the ground.
“Who's doing that?” Osamu demanded of the witches.
“None of us, Sir,” one of the witches answered.
“It's Slate.” I started to grin. “She just took a Gargoyleunderground.”
“That was foolish of her,” Gage snickered.
“Aren't we going to help him?” another witch asked.
