Book Eight: Chapter 103

“I love it when you take charge,” she said. “That’s why--” Her eyes suddenly went wide and she stared up at the ceiling. “It can’t be...” she whispered.

“What can’t--Nyx!” Mike called after the princess as she sprinted down the hallway.

“We’d better keep up,” said Sofia, who broke into a jog. “We don’t need to fight our way through another castle!”

Realizing that the cyclops was right, Mike ran after her. The familiar cool touch of Cecilia’s fingers on his collarbone gave him comfort as they moved down the dark hallway.

There was no church at the other end of this hallway, but there was a spiral staircase behind an open door. Mike ran up it, easily passing Sofia who didn’t have the stamina he did. She nodded at him, too tired to speak.

“Cerberus, stay with Sofia,” he called, knowing the hellhound would look out for her. The stairs continued up for several stories, and his legs burned with the exertion. He was far enough back that he could barely hear Ny