“I know it looks bad, but if he says he just thought it was a nice picture, that’s all there is to it. He’s never been a person before, so he’s just doing his best.” I sighed. “I gave him a hard time at first, but the truth is, he’s the most innocent pers—most innocent being—I’ve ever met.”
“What, do you want to go find him or something?” Olivia asked.
I wasn’t sure. Asa had seemed so shaken, so ready to leave. But we had agreed to fix this together, however we could… hadn’t we?
“Olivia! Judith!” Zo scrambled to the door with Cassandra close behind her, draped with odd gunlike and bowlike weapons that could only be Susanah’s inventions. “Come on, we need everybody today.”
“What are you talking about, Zo?” Olivia said.
“There’s a big lode of metal out there,” said Cassandra. “Two trucks, buried almost completely. We found them this morning on the north side. There are dry goods with them, in the passenger side of each one. Dried beef and pork, and maybe venison. I think there’s even some old bottles of cider. And, better yet, the Laredo Boys haven’t found it yet. No footprints all around.”
“But what’s the hurry?” I asked. “Don’t you have all those supplies you stole from Elysium? Aren’t they fine to eat now that I broke the spell?”
“I guess they would be, but we burned what was left,” said Judith. “Someone decided we couldn’t be too careful.” (“Hey!” said Zo. “We’re still alive!”) “Besides, being low on supplies was the only reason we robbed Elysium in the first place. And we were only low because the Laredo Boys robbed us.”
“The Laredo Boys have been really aggressive lately,” Olivia said. “Running us away from every stash, robbing us of almost every kill—even grasshoppers. They’re trying to starve us out so we’ll join them. And if we know about a stash they don’t, we need to get to it before they do.”
“Well, we’re gonna need everybody to haul this,” said Zo.
“All right,” said Olivia. “Let’s go, everyone.” Then she pointed at me and said, “You too.”
“Me?” I gulped. “But I’ve never done anything like this before. I just got here!”
“Yes, and you’re another witch,” said Olivia, “with a loaded components belt. I saw a little of that duel. You’re raw, but you’ve got it. Now hurry up. Time’s ticking.”
Nervous, kind of insulted, and flattered at the same time, I followed them as they went from car to car until they reached the last one of the train. There, on the floor, an array of weapons was laid out. Olivia took what looked like a modified six-gun. Judith took an old Louisville Slugger. Susanah took a backpack loaded with tools and a long, sharpened chain.
“If the Laredo Boys get any more of the metal out here, they’ll have the advantage,” Olivia was saying. “And if they get the advantage, we can kiss what security we have goodbye, so we gotta get this while we can.” She looked at me. “But you, you’ve got all you need.” She glanced down at my components belt. “Just stay close to me, all right?”
I nodded, feeling my pulse tic in my neck, hoping I was as ready as Olivia seemed to think I was. I shoved the Booke deep into my pocket and checked my spell components pouch, and when everyone was ready, they swept me out the door and we headed into the desert.
In the cave he had slept in, Asa rolled over and yawned a too-wide, sharp-toothed yawn. His clothes were folded neatly with his hat and shoes and glasses on top of them. Taking the human part off, he expected to feel the way Atlas felt handing the sky to Hercules for a moment’s relief. He’d expected to feel sad, of course, taking off the illusion, but as he stretched his limbs in the light, he found that being just him felt strange too. Like his daemon form also wasn’t the real him.
He sighed. Though this human body wasn’t rightfully his, having it, being at home in it for so long had taken a toll on him. He had been changed, irreparably changed, and he knew it. Even if a miracle happened and he was allowed back into Her service, would he ever be the same? Would he ever be himself again? And what was he now? Daemon or human? Ugh, he wasn’t sure. But he was sure that he didn’t like the emotion that he was experiencing. It felt