“You’re wrong,” I say. “He did something very important.” I point at Star again. “He knew your song. He said the words. And that’s all you needed to hear to come into your true power.”
Quaid almost snorts. “So what? You’re missing the point, Declan. Who cares about the song?” He looks at Aric. “You wanna know why I’m here?” He pans his arms wide, motioning to Star. “There is it. She’s a power source and Apollo wants to add her to his collection.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“How do you think he got so powerful, Declan? Come on, use those two brain cells inside your head. He steals it. Star is just one of many astral maidens who can control the movement ofthe constellations.” He reluctantly looks at Star and shrugs. “It’s kind of a big deal. That’s why it brought my glasses back online.”
“I don’t understand,” Star says. “How did I do that?”
“Emotions,” Quaid says. “You got emotional and it affected the tech inside the glasses. That’s not the only way to manifest your power, but exciting you is the easiest way.” Now he looks at me and Aric. “If we can work her up a little, maybe I can get enough time to run a diagnostic and fix them. And if I can fix them,” he locks eyes with me. “I can travel and take everyone with me.”
I shrug. “So. I can do that too.”
“So do it,” Aric says. “Get us the fuck out of here.”
Star rushes up to me, grabbing my arm, like I might leave her behind and she’s gonna make sure that doesn’t happen. And I notice, out of the corner of my eye, that this makes Quaid’s glasses flash again. It doesn’t come with darkness, but I see it. Her fear of being left behind sparked up his glasses.
“All right,” I say, blowing out a breath. “Everyone skootch in.”
Aric and Quaid come closer until we’re all pressed together, and I close my eyes and manifest a park I saw in the mortal realm.
Nothing happens.
I try again, this time manifesting my home in Olympus.
Nothing happens.
“As I was saying,” Quaid sneers. “We’ve all lost our powers.” He looks at Aric. “Well, I don’t know what your power is, so maybe you still have it. But something tells me this place is your weakness.”
Aric doesn’t admit it, but we all know Quaid is right.
He’s right about all of it.
Star is the power he needs to get his glasses working again.
Star is the power I need to be able to travel again.
And if the maze is Aric’s weakness, then Star must be his strength.
And getting her excited about things is how we get our powers back.
