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“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it,” Warrick said. “I heard this is one of the hardest levels.”

“I hope so because that was embarrassing.”

“Not at all,” Warrick said with a chuckle. I stretched in my seat, looking around at Warrick’s plant- and fern-filled room. Blasts of green surrounded us, adding color everywhere you looked. It was soothing. Like his bedroom was a sanctuary mixed with a greenhouse mixed with an arcade. I noticed his degree on the wall, framed by trailing ivy. He had just recently graduated from SoCal University with a degree in mythozoology and a minor in botany.

Mythozoology…

“Hey, War,” I began, placing the controller on the table, feeling the weight of my newfound idea pressing on my mind. “Can I ask you something?”

Warrick looked up, his blue eyes shimmering with curiosity. He had softer features than most of his siblings, with a rounder chin and bigger cheeks. He always had kind eyes too. “Of course, shoot.”

“Well, Damien and I were talking—”

“Is that all you guys were doing?” he said, leaning over his seat and jabbing me in the ribs with an elbow and a wink.

“Yes, we were just talking and strategizing.” The look he shot me said, “yeah, alright, buddy.” I powered on with my question, even though I could feel my cheeks getting red (and my ass still pleasantly sore from getting pounded). “What if we could somehow utilize the basilisk’s stare to fight the Matriarch? Without actually bringing the creature itself?”

Warrick’s eyebrows knitted in deep thought. He leaned back in his chair, tapping a finger against his chin. “You’re thinking about replicating its effects?”

“Yeah, exactly,” I responded eagerly. “Is there a way?”

He paused for a moment, thinking. “Well, basilisks are unique creatures, not just because of their deadly stare but because their essence is believed to be concentrated in their eyes. There have been some studies that show that those who could extract the essence without directly looking into the basilisk’s eyes could use it to mimic the creature’s power. But the sources are iffy on those studies.”

I felt my heart race. “So you’re saying there’s a chance we could… create some kind of weapon using this essence?”

Warrick shrugged. “It’s theoretical. We would need a medium to store and release the essence, something that can replicate the intensity of the basilisk’s gaze.”

We slipped back into thoughtful silence. I started to look around his room again, my gaze settling on the large golden mirror leaning against the wall next to his closet. That’s when it hit me.

“What about a mirror?” I suggested, thinking about how Medusa’s reflection had been her downfall. “If we can trap the essence in a mirror, then use it to reflect its gaze—”

Warrick snapped his fingers. “That’s brilliant, Robby,” he said, adjusting the round glasses so that they sat higher up on his nose. “I think it could work.”

“So how do we go about doing this? Extracting the essence without getting turned to stone?”

“Leave that to me,” Warrick said. “I’m friendly with some basilisk handlers. Actually, I should probably go talk to them now.” He was halfway across his room and grabbing his sneakers in a matter of seconds, a whirlwind of excitement. “You’re a genius, Robby.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t—” But he was gone, disappearing out into the hallway with a wave over his shoulder and a promise that he’d be back soon.

I couldn’t tamp down my smile. Killing the Matriarch had been a big roadblock that had seemed insurmountable, but now, maybe it wouldn’t be the impossible mission I had imagined it to be.

I got up and shut the game off, putting the controllers back in their charging station and heading out. As I left Warrick’s room, I walked headfirst into someone else. Someone as solid as a brick wall. I looked up, locking eyes with Benjamin the vampire. Even this close, I could see that there wasn’t a single pore on that ethereal face.

“Sorry,” Benjamin said, stepping aside so I could move past him.

“Actually,” I said, cocking my head, smiling. “You’re the person I’ve been wanting to talk to.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, let’s go somewhere a little more private.”

Benjamin’s perfectly plucked eyebrows inched together, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he flashed me a fang-filled smile and silently followed me as I led us to a quiet study, closing the door and locking it.

The conversation I was about to have with Benjamin would need to stay private.

Chapter 30

Like a Dungeon Dragon

Damien

Today was the day. Blackthorne Castle was alive with activity, as if the walls themselves had been replaced with the honeycomb pattern of a beehive. There were Marvels and fae and dragons and shifters and even a couple of vamps, all going to their assigned squadrons, refreshing on their duties. These were all friends of ours, people who not only wanted to help us but also wanted to be a part of something even greater.