Silas noticed how Olivia's eyes closed at the same time she stopped talking. Her body lurched as if she was about to faint but before the chimera could reach out to break her fall a hand rose to his eye level to stop him.

Refusing to be helped, Olivia straightened up, took a deep breath and her blue eyes opened to stare at him. Their color hadn't changed but there was something different, a shadow that had settled over them like an bad omen.

A witch.

Still bent over trying to restrain Rufus, Dhabeos and the children watched that brief, silent exchange with curious glances. Even the gang leader narrowed his eyes and seemed to forget that only a moment ago he had been trying to get out the door.

“Is something wrong, Olivia?” Milo asked worriedly.

She shook her head and gave a broad smile, though it lacked her usual warmth. The curve of her lips hinted at a spark of mischief in her expression. When she spoke, her voice sounded slightly deeper.

“I feel great, better than ever,” her words didn't convince anyone, but she didn't seem to mind and waved a hand as if to dismiss the matter.

Silas grabbed her arm tightly and brought his lips close to her ear.

“Who are you?” he asked in whispers.

“All in good time,” she answered softly. “I have a plan.”

Dhabeos cleared his throat loudly to get their attention.

“If you are determined, I will take you to Rovenna,” he said turning around to open the door to the passageway but stopped short when she answered him:

“I need to talk to Silas first,” having said that, the witch grabbed Silas by the same arm with which he was holding her and dragged him towards the other end of the room far enough away so that the others could not hear as long as they kept a low tone.

“First tell me, who are you?” He gritted his teeth. “Dawn, Clover, Spark?”

She made a mocking face.

“My name is River.”

Aw, damn it. Another one. At least from the other three he knew what to expect, but who knew what intentions this one might have.

“I want to talk to the others.”

The witch folded her arms as if offended.

“What's your problem with me? I'm just as capable as the rest. Besides, it's not like we can just show up whenever we feel like it.”

Silas clenched both fists trying to calm his growing frustration.

“Don't you witches decide? Stop making fun of me. How does this work then?”

“That's between us and Olivia.”

“If you intend to use her body you know damn well she won't resist. That's what your friends told her.”

Annoyed, she shook her head.

“Of course I don't intend to use her body. She's a treasure to us. We don't want to exploit her.”

“And you're really going to rescue Penn?”

“Olivia seems very serious about that and we don't intend to go against her wishes.”

Silas looked at her with suspicion.

“Why, there's no reason why you can't refuse.”

“You think very badly of us. We are not as cruel as you think.”

“And yet your friend Spark had no problem attacking the lake and the village.”

“Desperate times, desperate measures. Doesn't Olivia intend to attack City Hall right now? And you? Why did you cross the mountains? You want me to believe you just wanted to visit the human world after everything that happened to your race? I'm much older than you, cub.”

She was right about that, but that was the wrong time to talk about it. Besides, so much had happened in the last few weeks that Silas could no longer remember the last time he had thought about his initial plans for revenge. He hadn't completely abandoned them but his resolve was no longer as strong as it had been. Sometimes he feared that staying so long in his first form would make him forget the heinous deeds the humans had committed.

“If you want me to trust you, answer this. What is the relation between you and Olivia.”

The witch shrugged.

“Simple. We're connected to her.”

“That doesn't tell me anything.”

“Let's say we are in a remote location and the only way we can manifest on this realm is through Olivia.”

“But how?”

“That's a question you'll have to ask Daephennya. It was her plan after all. We had no way to intervene.”

“If you're in another realm... that means... are you dead?”

“Not exactly... but close.”

“What the fuck are you whispering about?” Rufus shouted angrily, still lying on the floor, “What are you waiting for? Are you going to save Penn or not? Just a moment ago you were so ready, Olivia, but now I think you're just trying to escape!”

“Olivia's not like that!” Milo exclaimed and gave him a smack on the head that made the other one groan.

“Hey, leave the boss alone, you scum!” Vinnie let go of his boss's leg and jumped on Milo. As the two of them writhed on the floor, Katty and Finn struggled to keep a grip on Rufus who was trying to crawl to the door.

“And how long have you known her? Huh?” shouted the gang leader. “She's a noblewoman. There are no guarantees. Maybe she's just another hypocrite who preys on the helpless.”

“We're discussing the plan!” Silas gave Rufus his fiercest look.

“Then hurry up!” Rufus tried to free himself from the arms and legs that held him, but the children didn't give an inch. “Otherwise I'll make you pay for every wound the wizards inflict on Penn!”

“Please, Olivia, save my brother!” Finn whimpered.

“They're right, time is running out,” sighed the witch, turning her somber gaze to Silas. “Look... I can't tell you anything more. The only thing that matters is that we both want the same thing: to reach the island safely. If you listen to my plan, I promise you that not only will we rescue Penn, but we'll also be able to escape.”

Silas frowned.

“And how you intend to do that without using Olivia's body?”

“The witches had a talk... and maybe there's a quick solution to your problem. The important thing is that you get to the island. It doesn't matter how.”

“And how are we supposed to get there if not by boat?”

“Well, by flying, of course.” She gave him a haughty look as if what she had just said was the most brilliant thing she could have come up with.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Flying? How? You said you wouldn't use–”

“I'm not talking about Olivia's body.”

“A flying object then?” Humans had invented different ways of moving, but Silas had never heard of flying artifacts.

“I'm talking about your body, dummy,” the witch finally admitted. “You are so slow.”

Silas was stunned.

“My body?” Seeing that she nodded with certainty, he asked. “You mean... You'll give me the power to fly? How? I can't–”

“We'll use the same method as the sirenians.”

“The sirenians... but... wait... That form didn't last me very long.”

“That was the fault of your own inability... and a little lack of goodwill on the part of the chiefs...” she said in a disdainful tone. “But the power of the witches is even greater. As long as Olivia is with you I'll be able to help you maintain your new form.”

Flying... Despite the distrust the witch inspired in him, Silas could not prevent an old longing from igniting in his chest, like a spark that rekindled a fire he thought was extinguished. He had always wanted to fly. As a child, it was what he wanted most in the world.

He remembered the long journeys through the mountains listening to the whisper of the wind and constantly looking up to the sky where every now and then he spotted the graceful wings of hawks, eagles, vultures and many other masters of the skies. He couldn't stop dreaming of one day being able to join them, feel the wind caress his face, soar above the earth and dive into the horizon.

His father always told him that those able to see the world from above were destined to one day become leaders who would guide the other members of the pack. He had hoped that Silas would be one of them but in time it was discovered that he was not strong enough. His father made every attempt to awaken his powers, going to unspeakable lengths but finally gave up. There came a time when Silas no longer dared to look up and kept his gaze stuck to the ground. His father's disappointment haunted him and with every step he took he carried the weight of those words, the pressure of not living up to them.

A leader... a true leader must fly. Now, standing in front of the witch, those old words echoed in his mind, more intense than ever. What if he really could do it? What if all he needed was a little help like when he managed to become an orca? How could he turn down that opportunity when that unattainable dream was now becoming more tangible, within his reach? Would Olivia be proud when she woke up to see that he had managed to get them out of the port with his new wings

Before speaking he cleared his throat, disguising the lump that had lodged in his throat.

“And what form are we talking about?”

“Something big enough, for sure, so that you can bear Olivia's weight as you fly over the sea. Eagle, hawk, albatross... have you heard about condors?” The witch's excitement reflected what Silas was trying to hold with all his might inside himself. “Not only I can turn you into any bird, but I can change your size regardless of the species. I bet you the sirenians are incapable of doing that.”

Flying over the sea... but that sounded too good to be true.

“How do you plan to do it?”

“First...” The witch turned her head and looked around. “We should look for a more open space... It would be hard to get out of here once you are transformed.”

Silas bit his lip.

“It's hard for me to trust someone I can't see...”

The witch turned away from him and went to a corner of the room where she found Olivia's blankets. From there she extracted a silver mirror that the girl had been using lately. She rested the mirror on the table and pressed her index finger into the surface as she brought her face closer.

Silas stepped closer and watched Olivia's reflection mutate into a face of sharp, angular lines, with a broad forehead framed by short locks of blue hair, the same color as her thick eyebrows. Her skin was pale, almost like the color of the moon, and her eyes had a metallic gray. Her lips, thin and taut, formed a mocking grimace.

So that was a witch.

But... wait a moment... there was something that didn't fit. He looked more closely at the reflection paying attention to every detail until it dawned on him.

“You're a boy!”

The others looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

“Olivia is a boy?” asked Katty.

“Did she trick us?” said Vinnie outraged.

“No, impossible, it can't be! Olivia!” cried Milo.

The reflection raised his eyebrows.

“Do you have a problem with that, chimera?”

“But... I thought that...”

“Oh, right, you thought there were no male witches, typical.”

Silas shot him a menacing look.

“You'd better be careful what you do with Olivia.”

The boy in the mirror laughed.

“Now are you worried about that?”

No, he couldn't be distracted by that nonsense.

“You've already seen me,” the witch continued. “That's what you wanted. Your friends are getting more and more impatient. I'll explain the rest of the plan when we're up there.”

The witch stopped touching the mirror, and the reflection vanished. Then he turned to Dhabeos who had been watching them closely all this time.

“Ready to go?” asked the captain.

“Yes,” answered River. “But we won't go with Rovenna.”

Dhabeos' eyes darkened.

“What are you playing at, girl? We had agreed–”

“I have a much better plan,” the witch moved forward, but Dhabeos stepped in front of him.

“Would you mind giving me the details?”

“We don't have time,” he dodged the captain and headed towards the entrance.

Dhabeos' gaze oscillated between the girl's possessed body and Silas.

“We're not leaving until you tell me what's going on!” he exclaimed trying to impose his authority.

“Calm down, man, we'll get to Rovenna, but first we must do something,” said River.

“Since I found you here, you've done nothing but act suspiciously. I won't open the door until you tell me what you're up to. Only Rufus and I can activate the key.”

The witch turned suddenly to look at him and gave him a playful smile.

“I don't need any of you, Captain.”

River reached over to the wall and stretched out his hand. Olivia's fingers began to move quickly, drawing golden lines that briefly glowed, activating the key to the shield.

To everyone's surprise, including Silas himself, who had not expected it either, the door to the passageway opened.

“How?” Rufus stood up as soon as the other children let him free. “How did you figure it out so fast?”

Without answering, River advanced through the dark passageway. Everyone else ran after him.

“Wait!” Dhabeos rushed to stop him, but the witch nimbly dodged him. “I can't let you leave just like that.”

“You can come if you want. I have no problem with having witnesses.”

“Witness to what?”

“You'll see.”

“Rovenna was so right about you two,” growled the captain.

With the witch in the lead, the group continued in line down the passage.

“This is not the way to City Hall,” said Rufus.

“No, it goes to the old lighthouse,” answered the witch.

“What do you plan to do there? Out there the storm still rages!”

The witch did not answer. They continued walking in the darkness through curves and stairs until they reached the same exit they had used days before to get to the secret room. Making similar movements with the fingers, the witch activated the key without any trouble.

As the door opened, an icy gale slammed into their faces, carrying with it raindrops and piercing howls. Outside the morning sky was covered with dark clouds illuminated by white flashes of lightning. In the distance the waves of the sea roared against the cliffs, crashing heavily as if trying to break them.

The group sought shelter among the ruins of the old lighthouse to take refuge from the force of the wind that threatened to push them towards the cliff's edge.

Once safe, River turned to Silas, and his voice rose amidst the deafening roar of the wind.

“Ready?”

Silas' body began to shiver, though he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from the tension growing in his chest. He could feel his heart pumping with such force that it seemed capable of breaking the skin barrier and flying away.

But he could not hesitate now.

“What do I have to do?” he shouted, grabbing onto a rock to keep his balance as the wind tried to tear him off the ground.

Following River's directions, Dhabeos and the children had moved away to watch the scene behind the holes of a shattered wall.

River stretched out a hand toward Silas, pointing Olivia's index finger at the chimera.

“Just touch my finger and I will transfer my power to you.”

That was it? It couldn't be that easy. He remembered the lake, Thalassa and the rest of the sirenian chiefs, how they had needed to perform a ritual in the water to transform him last time. The witch's scathing gaze generated more doubts than reassurances in him.

But if he didn't do it, if he didn't at least try that, Olivia would give herself to the wizards. And he couldn't allow that.

They would arrive at the island together. Flying.

Firmly, though hesitating inside, he raised his bear paw, the same one that had helped him so much in the last few days, the one that had saved him from a certain death. Time seemed to stand still as his claws slowly advanced towards River and he was no longer even able to hear the roar of the storm.

The impatient witch furrowed his brows and took a step forward, closing the distance between them in a sudden movement. Before Silas could regret what he was about to do, Olivia's finger reached out and firmly touched the tip of his claw, as if sealing the pact through a mysterious power.

“Silas! Olivia! What are you doing? Silas! Get up, Silas!” the desperate cries of the children came to him drowned out by the gusts of wind.

At first, it was like touching a glowing ember, an intense pain that made him recoil with a choked grunt. But he could not escape: that burning pang expanded in an instant like a flash, shooting up his arm and bursting in his chest. An unstoppable force, a bolt of lightning from the very sky, left him paralyzed as the air escaped from his lungs.

A blinding whiteness took over his vision, blotting out the terrified faces of Dhabeos and the children, the cynical smile of River on Olivia's face, as well as the rest of the world around him, while his mind was invaded by a thunderous roar that seemed to emanate from the very core of his being. The heat would not stop; it spread in relentless spirals, deeper and deeper, as if a swarm of sparks were coursing through her muscles, straining them to the edge.

New onslaughts of pain wrenched shrill howls that burned his throat as he felt his bones begin to creak and shift as if being crushed by a giant's foot. His whole body vibrated, shaken by waves of agony and fury.

From the unfathomable abysses, crossing space and time, something was opening up inside him. A beast, brutal, ferocious, ancient, tearing everything in its path and claiming every fiber of his body.

As all his sanity dissolved in that whirlwind of darkness and fire, a desperate thought clung to the remnants of his consciousness.

The witches had betrayed him.

Something had gone terribly wrong.