"What?" Morgan said. "We need to hurry."
"Just don't kill us before we get to the concert hall, okay?"
"Oh yeah," she snorted. "I'd hate to rob the Reapers of their chance to run us through. I hope you have some sort of plan, Gwen."
"Working on it," I muttered. "Working hard on it."
But I didn't have a plan. I had no idea what we'd find once we made it to the auditorium or what shape my friends would be in-if they were even still alive.
No, I told myself again. No. My friends were alive. They had to be. I couldn't think of them being hurt. I couldn't think of them being dead, or I would lose myself in my guilt, grief, and fear.
The Aoide Auditorium was only about five minutes away from the Crius Coliseum, but it seemed to take forever to get there. Finally, it came into sight. The auditorium reminded me of a massive circus tent-a circular building with a roof that arced up to a point. Long, swooping lines had been carved into the pale brown stone, adding to the effect.
Morgan cruised around the auditorium, and I spotted the Mythos buses in the parking lot-along with two men standing by the main entrance. They weren't wearing black robes, but I didn't recognize them as being Mythos staff members either. Morgan's car was the only one rumbling by on the street, and the men eyed the vehicle with cold, flat stares.
"Do you want me to stop?" Morgan said.
"No," I said. "Keep going and park around the corner of the block. I don't like the look of those guys."
She did as I asked, and the three of us got out of her car and stood on the sidewalk.
"Now what?" Morgan asked. "Do you have an actual plan? Or are we just going to go storm the castle and hope for the best?"
I winced. That was exactly what I had in mind. "Does anybody have a better idea?"
Alexei and Morgan looked at each other. After a few seconds, they both shook their heads.
"All right," I said. "Storming the castle it is."
"At the very least, we need more weapons," Alexei said. "Because those Reapers aren't just going to let us walk past them."
"I know, but we don't have time to go get more weapons," I said. "We'll just have to make do with what we have."
"Maybe not," Morgan said.
She went around to the back of the car and hit a button on her key, popping the trunk. Alexei raised his eyebrows at me, but I just shrugged. I had no idea what the Valkyrie was up to. Morgan opened the trunk, sighed, and moved over so Alexei, Vic, and I could see what was inside.
Weapons-dozens and dozens of weapons. Several swords, four axes, three shields, a bow and two quivers filled with arrows, a plastic box full of throwing stars, even a leather belt studded with daggers. All silver, shiny, and ready to be used. It was like looking into the trunk of a serial killer's car.
"Nice, Valkyrie," Vic said. "Very nice."
Alexei nodded in approval, but all I could do was stare at the weapons and their glittering, pointed edges.
"Why do you look so shocked? You didn't think that dagger was the only weapon I had, did you?" Morgan said. "Geez, Gwen. You really haven't learned much about Mythos kids, have you?"
"Apparently not. You actually drive around with this stuff in your trunk?" I asked. "All the time?"
A faint blush stained the Valkyrie's cheeks, and a few green sparks of magic snapped off her fingertips. Shadows darkened her hazel eyes. "Ever since Jasmine basically turned me into her zombie puppet, I've been stockpiling weapons. I have them everywhere. In my car, in my dorm room, in my purse. I even stashed a few in Metis's classroom and some of the others on campus. Having weapons around makes me . . . feel better."
I touched her arm. "I understand. About the weapons and everything else."
Morgan pulled herself together, and the three of us raided the weapons stash. Alexei took an axe and slid it through a loop on his belt. He also pulled a double scabbard out of his pack and strapped it to his back, although he carried the two swords that went in it in his hands. I wasn't sure, but the scabbard and the weapons looked like the ones I'd given him that night in the Library of Antiquities.
Morgan strapped a quiver of arrows to her back and slung the bow over her shoulder. I stuffed a couple of the daggers into my hoodie and jeans pockets, then belted Vic's scabbard around my waist since I already clutched the sword in my hand. The Valkyrie shut the trunk and locked the car. Then, we headed toward the auditorium.
A park took up most of the block across from the auditorium, and we darted from tree to tree before creeping behind some thick holly bushes. The bushes served as a sort of wall for the park, so we were able to skulk along behind them until we were directly across the street from the auditorium entrance. I peeked through a gap in the bushes. The two men I'd seen earlier were still standing guard by the doors. They both wore long black coats, although I could make out the glint of swords underneath the fabric.
"Do you know those guys?" I asked Alexei.
He shook his head. "I've never seen them before. They aren't members of the Protectorate."
"I haven't noticed them at the academy either," Morgan said.
"They're Reapers, then," I said. "Which means that they've probably taken the others hostage already. Agrona has to be inside overseeing things. Vivian might be in there by now too."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Vic demanded, his eye already glowing in anticipation of the battle to come. "Let's march over there and kill the bloody lot of them, along with any others who are foolish enough to get in our way!"
I tightened my grip on Vic, trying to muffle the sound of his voice. The sword narrowed his eye at me, but he fell silent.
We crouched behind the bushes and stared at the two men. I wondered how we could get past them without them sounding some sort of alarm and letting the other Reapers inside know that we were here. The element of surprise was the only advantage we had, and I didn't want to lose it.
Alexei opened his mouth to say something when my cell phone started buzzing. I pulled it out of my jeans pocket and answered the call.
"Pumpkin?" Grandma Frost's voice filled my ear. "I'm at the auditorium. Where are you?"
I told her that we were in the park staking out the front of the building, and a minute later, she slipped down behind the bushes with us. She wore a long coat, but I noticed that she had her sword strapped to her waist underneath the gray fabric, just like the Reapers did.
Grandma hugged me, then cupped my cheek with her hand. The warmth of her love washed over me, along with her rock-solid support, and I knew that she would do whatever she could to help save my friends and everyone else.