CHAPTER 179

Eulalie looked around the room, expecting to see someone moving among the shadows. The room was quiet, save for the frantic rattling of the chained up mace.

"Tell me again about this tower." She walked over toward the display case with the mace. "It was that shadow guy who owned it, right?"

"That's the theory. This tower was part of his property, the rest of it is trapped in the Underworld. We think this was his private stash of weapons."

"He was a magic user, right?" When she placed her hand against the glass, the mace went still once more, as if watching her. An evil wizard with a stash of magical weapons. This room had a secret, she just knew it.

"On top of being a manipulative bastard, yes." Sofia moved to the center of the room and crossed her arms. "Without knowing his name, we couldn't do any research into him. Why do you ask?"

"It just strikes me as odd. On the one hand, you have this powerful sorcerer who is hoarding magical weapons, right? But I don't think he ever planned to use them. Take Varunastra over there. Supremely powerful, so why not use it? Paranoia. Can't risk destroying yourself for a fancy poking stick. Now the sword, it's nice and all, but useless in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use it."

"I guess. Where are you going with this?"

Eulalie held up a hand for silence as the web spread out in her mind. The shadow had collected all these magical weapons, but had no intention of using them. Why? Because he couldn't. No, this wasn't a collection of weapons to be loaned out to his lackeys, or even used by him. Maybe these items held value, but what was money to a powerful sorcerer? Perhaps he meant to study them, to unlock their secrets? Or maybe...

"I think these weapons weren't for him to use," she said. "I think he kept them because he was afraid they would be used against him. Master manipulator, right? The shapeshifter is powerful, but it would kill him. The sword was just a sword, but sharp enough for a god is sharp enough for a wizard."

"Good points, but I'm not sure where you're going with this."

Eulalie pressed her hand against the glass and stared at the mace. The head had a looping design that was weathered with age, and the patina had been worn off in spots that could reach the glass. The links of the chain were thicker than her fingers and looked to be made of a black metal that she didn't recognize.

"Are you alive?" she asked while tapping on the glass. "Tap twice if you understand me."

The mace hovered in place for a moment, then tilted toward her hand and tapped twice.

Eulalie grinned, then whispered, "Secret's out, you shadowy fuck."

"I have serious doubts about the wisdom of--" Sofia gasped mid-sentence as Eulalie swung the Harpe of Perseus into the case, slicing cleanly through the wood and glass. The chain links parted easily, and the mace lifted into the air, toppling the display as it hovered in the middle of the room, bogged down by the remaining chains.

The mace spun about, causing the chains to rattle, then flew through the skylight, causing the glass to explode outward.

"Oh." Eulalie grimaced. "Well...shit."

"Shit? That's all you have to say is shit?" Sofia was yelling now as she pointed at the skylight. "You just released a potentially bloodthirsty magical weapon on an unsuspecting populace, and that's all you have to say for yourself?"

"Look, I thought maybe it would be grateful. Why lock up a sentient weapon unless it disagreed with the shit you were doing?" In hindsight, her enthusiasm had gotten the best of her.

"Because maybe it's chaotic and just wants to smash everything!" Sofia stormed off toward the door. "We need to fix this, and quickly!"

Eulalie followed behind the cyclops, careful to hold the sword up. She didn't dare to hold it at waist height; she feared cutting one of her legs.

They ran down the stairs, followed by a retinue of rats. Once outside, they saw the centaurs pointing at the sky as the mace did whirling loops around the apex of the tower. Zel was shouting commands, urging the others to get to safety.

"What the hell is that thing doing?" Sofia shaded her eye with one hand.

The mace slammed into the tower a few times, knocking loose the chains attached to it. One of the chains dropped onto a large planter and shattered it.

Centaurs cried out in alarm as the mace swooped down on them. Eulalie stuck her sword into the soft dirt of a nearby planter and sprinted up the stone wall of the exterior, her eyes locked on the mace. The mace swung by several centaurs, but always pulled up at the last moment.

When it came near the tower, she leapt for it, both hands clasping the handle. In response, the mace shot upward.

I didn't think this through. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she held on for dear life as the mace carried her into the clouds. Mist formed on her hands and body, and she used her spinnerets to put together some sticky webs that she looped over the head of the mace to give her a better grip.

The weapon swooped down, and she twisted her body to cling to it with her feet. In the valley below, she could see distant centaurs pausing to watch, but her main concern was on the horizon. A vast ocean greeted them, and she watched in horror as the coastline receded behind them.

"This is a terrible way to say thank you," she shouted at the mace, then smacked the palm of her hand on its head. "Take me back right now or I'll have you recycled into a prison toilet!"

Laughter bloomed in her mind as the mace did a sharp turn in the air. She twisted herself around so that she could see where they were going. By her estimates, the magic weapon had a top speed of maybe fifty miles an hour.

Centaurs along the shoreline watched in horror as the mace descended toward them, hovering almost forty feet overhead. Their horror filled faces made Eulalie frown, and more than a couple reached for their bows as she shot past.

An arrow pinged off the head of the mace, and the weapon ascended out of range.