"Shoot him if you wish," the Mistress said with honest indifference. "We have the amulets. It won't be hard to find someone else with magic who will be more cooperative."
That wasn't entirely true. If finding someone else were as easy as she made it sound, they'd already have killed me.
The Mistress continued, "The same is true for my Praetor. Stop him tonight, and another Praetor will rise in his place, and another, and another. Diana's war will continue on."
I looked up at her. "None of this is necessary, Mistress. I've said I will bring in the storm. Let Aurelia leave with the griffin, and I'll do as you ask."
"I have a different plan," Brutus said. "Tell the griffin to leave, and I won't kill the girl."
I
turned and saw he must've snuck up behind Aurelia and had a knife at her throat. Aurelia's face was set in a tight grimace, and the knuckles of her hand holding the bow were white. She was clearly angry with herself for failing to hear his approach, and I worried that anger would overshadow her wisdom. "Drop the weapon," he said.
Aurelia shook her head, her stare fixed on me. She wanted me to use some magic to stop him, but I had nothing to offer her.
"Do as he says," I said. Unlike her gesture just now, Brutus was not playing any tricks. She closed her eyes, lowered the bow, and let it clatter to the floor.
With the knife still against Aurelia's neck, Brutus addressed me. "Order your griffin to leave."
Caela was watching me, waiting for my instructions. "Go now," I said. It was all I could do.
Caela gave a soft caw, one of sadness, I thought. But I nodded at her as well. With a long final look at me, she spread out her wings and lifted into the air on a steep climb out of the Pantheon. She kicked at the concrete with one talon before leaving the oculus, and a chunk fell down, almost hitting the Mistress, who left her perch in the dome to avoid being hit. I thought Caela would be equally upset she had missed that opportunity.
Once Caela was gone, I said, "Now let Aurelia go."
"I think not." The Mistress swooped down and grabbed Aurelia within her claw. Aurelia flailed and tried to loosen the grip, but there was nothing she could do. The Mistress carried her high into the dome.
I raised a hand. Some magic had returned from the Divine Star, but not enough to force the Mistress to release Aurelia. All I could hope for was to protect her fall, if necessary.
The vestalis had entered the room again, though this time Callistus only walked along behind her. She gave Aurelia and the Mistress little more than a passing glance before walking over to me, still on the altar.
"You know how to save her, Nicolas." The vestalis placed the amulets at my feet. "You can save everyone here."
Aurelia cried out. It looked as if the Mistress was squeezing her.
So I pulled the white rock out of my pocket and held it up. "This is what you want, Mistress." That got her attention as her black eyes focused on the rock, hungry for its powers. I took a step forward. "If you harm Aurelia in any way, I will destroy this rock. Let her go, or it will become dust in my hands."
"You've had the rock all along?" The Mistress snorted, smoke rising from both nostrils amidst her disgust and anger. "You tried to trick me?"
Technically, Aurelia tried to trick her. I had outright lied. But whatever she called it, I wasn't bluffing with my threat, and she knew it.
I picked up the bulla and put it around my neck first, then put the Malice on my wrist, loosely lacing it up, which was all I had time for. The flow of magic into me was swift and strong.
I sent a ball of magic up to the Mistress, aiming at the wing. It hit in the softer flesh between the bones and sent her sideways.
"Release her!" I shouted. "I can do worse to you, and you know it!"
"What if you could stop the Mistress, do you think it would matter?" Brutus laughed at the thought of it. "Just as I will be replaced if something happens to me, the Mistress will be replaced if something happens to her. Diana can always find someone new to curse. The only way to end this war is to allow Diana to win. Stop fighting us, Nicolas. Pledge your magic and the amulets in service of Diana. Then all our troubles will be over."
My eyes narrowed. "If I make the Jupiter Stone, will Aurelia be safe?"
Aurelia shook her head. "Don't listen to them!" She started to say something else, but the Mistress squeezed her again.
"He must listen," the Mistress said as she flew in circles overhead. "He will serve me or face the consequences!"
"If I still had my bow, I would stop you!" Aurelia cried.
The Mistress laughed. "You have the heart of a hunter, girl. You wield the bow and arrow as fiercely as a goddess. The blood of a dragon can flow through your veins as well. If you bring any harm to me, Diana knows exactly how to use this girl."