The Green Golem stopped thrashing his tail, but remained wrapped around Elena’s neck. “Oust.”

Nothing changed, but Elena’s paralysis needed to wear off before it became clear whether she was still possessed.

The air left the Pink Wizard’s lungs. She’d let this happen. She’d been specifically instructed not to tamper with Gondra’s left hand, and yet here they were, retrieving it first, under her leadership, executing her plan. Which meant, it was up to her to deal with the aftermath. She aimed her staff. “Gondra’s left hand, Move back to your stand.”

Nothing happened. Even at level three, her Move spell wasn’t sufficient to affect the hand. They were in over their heads with this quest.

“Now what?” Tara doused her illusionary light, and the air around them dimmed a degree, still illuminated by the ambient light of the dome. “If a level three spell can’t affect it, my illusions can’t either. Maybe they can still affect Elena.”

“Right.” Petals glanced around. There was only one obvious way in and out of the dome. “Put an illusionary wall across the exit. As soon as Cherri’s Stop command terminates on Elena, she may be looking for a way out of here. She’s probably still being dominated to act against her will, and who knows where she’ll be directed to go, but if she can’t see a way out, that might give us the time we need to figure out how to deal with her and the hand.”

“You got it.” Tara faced the exit. “It’s done—for as long as I keep my focus on it.”

The dome appeared smooth and solid all the way around.

All was quiet as everyone waited for Elena to move.

The Shooter’s camouflaged miniskirt flared as she spun to face her friends. The dome’s light reflecting off her bright yellow cheeks and forehead caused everyone to momentarily raise hands to shade their eyes. Elena took a step towards them, the scuffing of her footwear on the floor breaking the silence. She didn’t take another step, but glanced around, as though searching for an exit.

The red-headed, green-skinned Kat took a step towards the pedestal, her camouflaged tank top and miniskirt rustling. “Elena? Say something, please.”

The Yellow Shooter didn’t give her fellow rifle girl a glance.

“I have two unassigned skill points,” Ash said. “I can assign one to Oust and see if level four will affect this thing.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Petals nodded. “It’s up to you, but it sounds good to me.”

Her gaze unfocused, Elena raised her hand. The severed appendage in her grasp released her and leaped at the Green Golem.

The Pink Wizard couldn’t raise her staff quickly enough to aim.

“Stop,” shouted Cherri.

Unimpeded by Cherri’s command, Gondra’s severed appendage closed its fingers over Ash’s tail. The Green Golem went limp for a moment before stiffening, tightening around Elena’s neck.

Awareness giving way to horror in her eyes, the Yellow Shooter clawed at her serpentine collar. “Get it off me.”

But the harder she tried to remove Ash, the tighter his coils constricted. She coughed.

“Stop fighting it, Elena.” Petals aimed her staff. When the rifle girl didn’t comply, the Pink Wizard cast her spell. “Elena, hear what I said, Move your hands above your head.”

Tears rolled down the cheeks of the Yellow Shooter as her hands rose above her head against her will. Petals hated treating Elena this way, especially after the girl had just been released from one possessor, but Ash’s coils relaxed enough to allow the rifle girl to breathe.

Petals walked forward, a hand raised to signal calm. “Shh. Elena. Please. Listen to me. The more you struggle against it, the more it will fight you, and it’s stronger than any of us. I don’t know how much you’re aware of what happened, having been possessed until just a moment ago, but you freed Gondra’s left hand from its pedestal. It is currently possessing Ash, and Ash is wrapped around your neck. Ash doesn’t want to hurt you. The hand possessing him wants him to stay on your neck, and you need to let him stay. Don’t fight him, and you’ll be fine. Just relax, while we figure out our next move. Can you do that?”

Elena closed her eyes, forcing a tear to fall, and nodded. “I’ll try.”

“Good. My spell is still on you, but I’m giving you back control of your hands. If you start in trying to remove Ash again, I’ll pull your hands away, and you’ll have lost my trust in this matter. Do you understand?” Petals raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Elena opened her eyes and met the Pink Wizard’s gaze. “I understand.”

The rifle girl lowered her hands, dropping them by her side. She clenched her fists and then unclenched them. “What are we doing then?”

“It’s got our Healer, and we have no way to Oust it from him.” Petals grimaced. “We have no choice. We have to take it wherever it wants to go, hoping it will release Ash once it gets there. We’re going to leave the dome and let you lead, Elena. Don’t run. We can’t afford to lose you in the twisty tunnels outside this dome. I’m sure the left hand knows the way out.” Petals raised her voice. “Isn’t that correct, Left Hand?”

Ash nodded his wigged head.

“That’s what I thought.” Petals lowered her staff. “You will point the way for Elena to go. She’ll go the way you direct. You won’t choke her. Is that agreeable to you?”

Another nod from the possessed Green Golem. His tail extended out from the girl’s neck. Maintaining its grasp with three fingers and a thumb, Left Hand pointed its index finger at Petals. She stepped aside, and the finger didn’t follow her. It was pointing in the direction of the exit, not fooled by Tara’s illusion.

The Ebony Illusionist dismissed her visual, and the exit appeared. The Color Guard parted as Elena strode between them. They followed her into the twisting tunnels, aided once more by Tara’s illusionary light.