Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1)(97)

“It’s just biology,” Jason said. “I’m not saying it’s good or bad.”

Theo slumped back in his seat. “Yeah, well, all I know is I would have been the first one over the cliff. The Spartans probably weren’t big on scrawny nerd babies in a martial culture.”

“It’s a myth,” said Diana.

Alia wasn’t sure what that meant anymore. “You mean like Warbringers and battle gods?”

“No, I mean, one of the most famous Spartan poets was blind from birth. They had a king with a clubfoot. They knew there was more to being a warrior than strength. All that stuff about leaving babies to die was Athenian propaganda.”

“Hey,” said Nim. “Do you know what the Spartans said when the Persians demanded they lay down their arms and surrender?”

“No,” said Theo. “But I bet it was followed by a lot of yelling and a slow-motion fight scene.”

“Molon labe,” said Jason.

“?‘Come and get them,’?” murmured Diana.

“Ha!” said Theo. “Someone knows more than the know-it-all.”

Nim hurtled them past the next turn. “Theo, I’m pretty sure we have time to detour to that bottomless pit.”

Come and get them. Alia wondered if Diana thought they might be facing a battle today. Was she afraid? Or was she like a concert violinist looking forward to a chance to play?

“Alia,” said Theo, ignoring Nim, “what’s the first thing you want to do once you’re purged of all your Warbringer-ness?”

Alia opened her mouth, then hesitated. In all the terror and desperation to get to the spring, she hadn’t really thought about what might come after. “Do you think I’ll feel different?” she asked Diana.

“I don’t know,” Diana said, “but I think the world will.”

Theo laughed. “You mean we’re all going to join hands and sing folk songs?”

“That sounds unpleasant,” said Diana.

“Come on!” said Theo. “Peace, love, the Age of Asparagus.”

“Aquarius,” corrected Nim.

“Is this really what you think peace is?” Diana said, clearly amused. “It sounds like a bad one-act play.”

“No, no, no,” said Theo. “It’s definitely a musical.”

“Oh God,” groaned Nim.

“When the mooooon is in the something something,” crooned Theo.

Nim gripped the steering wheel. “Theo, shut up.”

“And Jooopiter is wearing paaaants—”

“Theo!” snarled Nim. “Shut up. There’s something behind us.”

Alia craned her neck to see out the back window. There was a truck there, flashing its brights. “Maybe he just wants to get by.”

But at that moment the truck accelerated, its bumper kissing the back of the Fiat, sending the little car lurching forward as they all screamed.

Alia looked back again, and through the window she saw the driver’s hollow black eyes, his lips pulled back in a rictus grin, his monstrous face framed by a lion’s helm. The truck flickered, and Alia saw the shape of a chariot drawn by four massive horses, their eyes red as blood, their huge hooves sparking against the asphalt. Fear flooded through her. She needed to get out of this car.

Diana grabbed her hand, keeping it from the door handle.

“Don’t give in to the fear. It’s Deimos,” she said, keeping her voice low, steady, though Alia could see her pupils had dilated and a sheen of sweat had broken out on her brow. “God of terror. Phobos’s twin. Nim, you have to slow down.”

The driver laid on his horn, the sound too loud, filling Alia’s ears. In it she heard the trumpets of war, the screams of the dying.

The truck roared forward and banged against their bumper again. The car jolted, swung far into the left lane, nearly colliding with a car coming the other direction.

Nim clutched the steering wheel, pulling them back into their lane, and hit the gas, trying to outpace the truck. “What do I do?” she gasped, voice trembling. In the rearview mirror, Alia could see the terror on her face, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

“Slow down,” commanded Diana.

“He’s right on my butt!” Nim yelled.

“Listen to Diana. He won’t try to kill us,” Jason said, his fists clenched, knuckles like white stars. “Slow down. They don’t want the Warbringer dead.”

“Do it, Nim,” said Alia, though everything in her screamed to run as far and as fast from the monster behind them as they could. She made herself squeeze Nim’s shoulder. “Do it.”

Nim huffed a low sob, flexed her fingers, and took her foot off the gas. The car slowed.

Again the truck’s horn blared, and Alia covered her ears. Over it all, she heard the roar of the engine, the thunder of hooves. The truck had moved into the opposite lane and was pulling alongside them.

“He’s going to run us into the cliff!” cried Theo.

“We need to stop,” said Jason.

“I can’t!” sobbed Nim. “There are cars behind us.”

Innocent drivers. What did they see? A little Fiat packed with tourists, slowing and speeding up, driving erratically? A truck trying to pass? Or something worse? If Nim stopped the car, the other drivers might have time to slow and stop safely, or those people might go careening off the cliff into the gorge.