While Carran’s attention was on me, Zeran shrugged with a goofy smile on his face. He let Frankie go, and she launched another energy ball. This time Carran wasn’t fast enough. The ball expanded into a net in midair and pinned her to the ceiling. She looked like a spider caught in a giant web. “You’re going to regret that, you little pest,” Carran screamed before I shot a green blob from my staff that landed across her mouth. She screamed against her muzzle.

“That’s better,” I said. “We’re sick of hearing you babbling on with your nonsense.”

“I seriously need a nap.” Eli’s eyelids fluttered closed. One by one, the ghosts around us faded. He leaned against the lockers, breathing hard. “I’m exhausted.”

“I think they’re retreating,” Frankie cheered.

The darkbringers were losing ground. The godlings were holding their own. All those lessons with Ogun were finally paying off.

Down the hall, Winston appeared with blue flames dancing across his forearms. “You don’t want none of this,” he shouted at the darkbringers, his voice cocky. “I’m going to light you up.”

I gulped. He meant that literally.

Candace was punching darkbringers clear across the room, and Tay sent shock waves through the floor to knock them down.

“Hey, Winston, looks like we’re on the same side now,” I called out as the last of the darkbringers fled. One of them had cut Carran out of Frankie’s energy web, and she sulked as she ran with the others.

“Whatever, little Maya,” Winston shot back.

I looked around at the godlings. They leaned against lockers, cradling their injuries. They had bloodied noses, busted lips, cuts, and bruises. This was serious. Some slumped to the floor. From the looks of it, the darkbringers had been winning, so why did they retreat? It was almost like this had been a distraction.

“This isn’t right,” I said before a gateway opened in the middle of the hallway. Eleni ran out with another two dozen godlings on her trail before it snapped closed. Her voice came out in fits and starts as she doubled over with her hands on her knees.

“It’s the celestials,” Eleni said, gasping for breath. “They’re in trouble.”

Eleven

DID THOSE THINGS JUST MOVE?

I DOUBT THE ORISHAS are in trouble,” Winston said as the flames on his skin extinguished. “They can handle these darkbringer clowns.”

Zeran crossed his arms and glared at him. “I don’t know what clowns are, but if it’s coming from your mouth, it has to be an insult.”

I rocked on my heels to calm my nerves. If the celestials were in trouble, then that meant we were in trouble too. “Where are they?”

Eleni’s eyes filled with tears. “I saw them go into the library, then they disappeared.”