A pack of werehyenas the size of gorillas slinked from behind the buildings nearby. At the same time, shadows flickered across the sky, and a group of darkbringers landed next to the adze. Several dozen elokos pushed past the werehyenas with their jagged teeth bare, then came the prisoners from Alsar—nearly fifty of them. They ranged from small to giant in size, from scaly to unscaly. Some had only two arms, whereas others had extra arms and legs. Some had tentacles like Crusher or deadly barbs like Spike. At least half of them had wings. All of them had razor-sharp claws.

“I was afraid of this,” Zeran mumbled under his breath.

I stood stock-still, unable to speak or move, to even think, as more magical creatures filled the streets—more than I could keep track of. This was much worse than I had expected, but Commander Rovey had warned us that many magical creatures had joined the Lord of Shadows. I just couldn’t believe it—or I was in some major denial. Probably both.

Eli gulped. “I don’t suppose we can talk this out in a nice, civilized manner?”

Frankie pressed the heels of her hands together, and magic gathered in her palms. “I don’t think they’re interested in talking much.”

Black Mamba grinned. “Y’all already too late anyway. The Lord of Shadows will soon emerge into our world.”

I lifted my staff. It felt heavier in my hands than it had my entire time wielding it. Eli called his ghost army. They rose from the ground and through the walls of the surrounding buildings, but we were still outnumbered fifty to one.

Streaks of light cut across the sky, and a person landed in front of us with such force that the ground cracked and dust rose around them. A woman in a purple jumpsuit with lightning striking around her stood with her hands on her hips. Her braids waved in the wind. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size and see what happens?” she said, her voice strong, powerful, commanding.

It wasn’t just any woman—it was her. I had to pinch myself. It was really her. She was just like from the first issue of the comic books. Oya, the warrior goddess, in the flesh, or um, in the celestial flesh. “Oya.” I stuttered. “You—you’re really here.” Admittedly, I could have come up with something cleverer to say, but I was still in shock. “I mean, you’re back.”

“It’s been a long time—too long,” she said as another lightning bolt struck the ground. “I hear the Lord of Shadows is up to his old tricks.”

“Unfortunately, he’s got some new ones.” I gestured to Black Mamba. “And some new friends.”

Oya smiled, and I could have melted. She was really here. Like here, here. “I have friends too.”