Titans of Chaos

He spent a moment straightening his broken bones, popping an eye back into place, and wipingaway what turned out to be red ink. Okay, so maybe he thought he deserved to cop a feel from asoldier-girl who had mauled him pretty heavily. That still made him a jerk.

Colin folded back his wings, and they turned into a wide-shouldered black garment, shimmeringwith feathers, a knee-length tuniclike affair that left his arms and legs free. Neat trick when oneneeds to change clothes.

The guitar was strapped over his back. He took it by the neck and held it out. "Is this really forme?"

I will never understand myself. Instead of flinging myself into Victor's arms, and kissing andhugging him with sighs and sobs of glad relief, I flung myself at a very surprised Colin, pushingaside the stupid guitar and eagerly seeking out his lips.

Don't ask me to explain it. I can't explain it.

But I could see (since I could look every direction at once, even with my eyes closed) the puzzledfrown beginning to form on the face of Victor, the sternly repressed gleam of pain in his eyes.

Doors and Corridors Unseen

Quentin, hovering, still within the swirled darkness of shadow and power, said quietly but sternlyto the nymphs, "Surrender, and swear not to attack any of the five of us again, in person or byproxy, in word or deed."

One of the nymphs, Lara, said quietly, "Do you threaten us, Lord of Chaos? We helpless women?

Cruel Olympians impressed us to these evil deeds; we are enspelled by Trismegistus, the God ofMagic, Father of Lies."

Quentin raised his shadowy hand, and dark flame seemed to cling to his fingers. He spoke a Wordof Power, and the stones rang underfoot as if a gong had rung, moaning, echoing, and vibrating.

"Swear!" he said in a soft voice, deadly with menace, "Swear, or I, Eidotheia, put upon you acurse as swift and bloody as that which you conspired to put on us!"

Lara held up her hands. "Our hands are clean of blood!"

He said, "As are mine, if the Amazon shoots you through the brainpan. Amelia... ? If you will dothe honors... ?"

Hey. Wasn't I supposed to be in charge? On the other hand, all I was doing right now was pressingmy shaking body up to Colin's, so I guess a little insubordination among the ranks was to beexpected.

I manipulated the atoms in the Amazon's brain. She chambered an anti-psychic round and raisedthe weapon to her shoulder, aiming at Lara.

Lara said softly, "Shoot. I do not know fear."