tHE gIRL wITH tHE iRON fISTS

cHAPTER 16

cHAPTER 16

Ivy Tempest

"DUCK!" I yell to Mariah. She does a somersault and a wolf goes soaring above her. I'm using B's katana she stupidly forgot to stab the wolf, who disappears into dust. I see someone in the distance. "B! Hunter!" B's trying to say something, but I can't hear her. I hear snarling behind me and I spin around. The wolf is soaring over mere 10-year-old me and I hold my hand out, hoping something will happen.

And something does, all right.

A trail of vines comes shooting from the ground and encases the wolf in vines. I don't think twice before stabbing the wolf. My arms ache from holding the heavy sword. B comes up next to me. Hunter is fighting another wolf, while Damion and Mariah are holding of 3. There's another in the distance, but B pays no heed to them. She snaps her fingers, and glass jars appear, collecting a bit of monster dust in each jar. She puts everything in her bag. I'm still trying to figure out what just happened with the vines, but I figured it's better if I think later.

"Let's go." She says in our minds.

"Wait. Why did you go to that place?" Mariah asks.

"It was nothing."

"But it was." Mariah insists. "You were really intent on going there-"

"I was visiting my dad! He's in a coma!" B yells. Hunter stands next to her, holding her hand. Mariah's eyes are watery. She probably wasn't expecting B's outburst. I sure wasn't.

"I'm sorry," Mariah says. "I'll lead the group. Let's go find some shelter."

"Stop! Right! There!" I hear a voice cry out. "Don't take a step, or the old man gets it!" I turn to see an old lady with some funky hair holding a gun.

"You mean the invisible old man? Who are you anyway?" I sass her. Hey, I felt like it.

"Who am I?" The lady chuckles a bit. "WHO AM I?" She cries out. "I am Medusa, and as for the old man..." The light beside the oldie shimmers and I see a woman holding a gun to a man's head. B gasps out loud.

"Dad!"

"Yes, dearie, it is your dad. Now, I have a simple request. All I ask is that you complete my challenge and the human lives."

I look at the others. Mariah already has her game face on. B nods. "We accept." I step forward.

The goddess claps her hands. "Good! Let's go!" Mist appears out of nowhere. We must be going somewhere. The mist disappears and we're in a cave. It's lit very sparsely by torches, but there are chains all over the wall. Medusa spins around and turns to us.

"You!" The crazy lady points at me. "You will be my contestant."

"I won't be your contestant, you-"

"Language!" I hear B say in my mind. "Don't fall for her tricks!"

"What... oh." I spin around and I see Mariah and Hunter chained to the wall, bloodied and bruised. B and Damion are huddled in a corner, snakes surrounding them. B looks like she's scared out of mind, but she's trying to keep a straight face.

"Choose." Medusa whisperer to me. I'm careful not to look her in the eye. "You can use this dagger," She points at the one on the table in front of me. "To save your friends from the snakes. Or to cut the chains from your other friends. I will take whoever you leave behind." I look back and forth between my friends.

"Save them! I can use my magic to fend them off!" B pleads.

"We'll be fine, save them!" Damion says.