Titans of Chaos

Part of the strand began to uncurl. I shouted in triumph and alarm, calling out to Colin, begginghim to wake up.

Colin stirred and blinked. A tone of confusion and anger rang in his voice: "Amelia! What ishappening to me-? Can you-?"

The nymph said softly, "Arms of Phaethusa, you have slain our lord's wild lady, grimChalcomede-why should your bloodstained hands undo our work, when hers are nerveless andforever still? Hands and arms! An equal balance must require that you do our lord's and not yourlady's will."

My arms tingled and fell numb, not merely my human arms in this dimension, but theenergy-tendrils I was using in the other world to try to unwind the spell snaring us.

My legs went numb as well. I collapsed heavily into Colin's arms. He turned and caught me.

Colin's eyes were now bright and awake.

My voice was working. "Drop me. Stop her!"

The idiot dropped me. When I said "drop," of course, I had meant for him to lower me quickly butgently to the ground, not just to let my head bounce off the pavement. What a jerk.

And he ran at her, his arms already beginning to turn into flame.

She said, "Phobetor-I call you by your true name. Resume that shape you knew on Earth, mortalboy."

His true shape snapped back into place, fires extinguished. He stumbled and slowed.

The nymph smiled, and cooed in a voice like a dove: "Your magics desert you, mortal boy. Nopowers remain you to employ."

He said, "Ah... but I still have the memory of my mother to inspire me. Funny things, memories.

Here. Look."

From somewhere, or perhaps from nowhere, Colin drew out his card. The little black playing cardon which was sketched his father, Morpheus, and his unknown mother.

Colin held the little card up before him, at arm's length, and advanced toward the nymph. Hereyes focused on the card. Then, either sensing magic, or fearing some trap, she held up her handto shield her eyes and turned her head away.

It was at that moment her eyes went blank. When she looked away from the card, not when shelooked at it, her memory was interrupted.

To her it must have seemed as if Colin had teleported. One moment he was in the middle of theglade; now he was next to her.

She raised her wand and began to chant another curse. He put the card away, or made itdisappear, and once again, her eyes went blank a moment.

That moment was enough. Colin closed the distance and now had his hands around her throat.

With brutal force, Colin struck her head against the bole of the tree. There was a sickening sound.