No wonder Alexander liked her. She was the cruel donkey I told him to fuck.
“Demonstrate.”
Taking a deep breath, Sirena straightened her neck and raised her arms above her head—posing like a dancer. I blinked and I missed it. Sirena vanished and a beautiful snowy owl flew— No, a bat flapped its wings— Not a bat. An eagle. A falcon. A phoenix. A pegasus.
Gasping, I lurched back, grabbing Theron’s hand automatically.
A fifty-foot dragon filled the stadium. Sunshine glinted off silver-painted scales, widening my eyes with wonder. Wings so pale they were translucent stretched above her head, adopting nearly the same pose as she tipped her head and roared.
“She can change into monsters?”
“Sirena can change into any and everything that can fly. She can even change into creatures that don’t live in Olympia. She isn’t limited to what she knows.”
“Amazing,” I blurted.
He blew out a sigh. “That’s what everyone’s been saying her entire life.”
“Ever wonder how and why certain people get the powers they do? Both Nitsa and Sirena were chosen by Hera, but one can turn into a dragon while the other turns into a cow. There’s no making sense of it.”
“I wonder if they asked why too,” Tycho spoke up. “Do you think Hades wanted to be trapped in hell while his brothers ruled the skies and the seas? It’s a random, unfair world for all of us—gods and demigods alike.”
The dragon disappeared and down floated Sirena—naked as the nymphs scurrying through the trees. Lewd whoops and cheers sounded around me, earning another ear-ringing reprimand from Vasili.
“Titan class.”
Sirena walked off unfazed—head high and looking plenty pleased that again, all eyes were on her. She left her clothes behind, which confused me until a girl ran out and scooped them up for her.
“Daciana. High priestess of the Volana clan.”
A name and title? Vasili didn’t read all that out for anyone else. “Volana clan? I’ve never heard of it.”
“You’re about to find out why,” Tycho said.
I got a good look at the high priestess of the Volana clan, scanning over her wavy brown and bronze hair, wide nose, elven eyes, and pleasant smile.
She cleared her throat. “My goddess is Luame. She sings to the wind and runs with the moon.” Understanding hit me like a brick.
“I am a werewolf.”
“Demonstrate.”
Calm as could be, Daciana removed her clothes and set them in a neat pile beside her. Watching her transform was nothing like the blink-of-an-eye changes of Nitsa and Sirena. Her fur sprouted first, layering her face and body in black, downy strands. So fascinated was I by the slow elongation of her nose, I didn’t see the tail sprout from her back until it flicked the air—long and powerful.
Her bones popped. Legs bent. Arms lengthened. Torso widened and stretched. She didn’t make a sound, though I wondered if she was in pain. Every bit of her broke apart and reformed in front of my eyes.
She wasn’t a fifty-foot dragon, but if you told me this wolf could take on one, I wouldn’t doubt it. There was power in her lethal-sharp seven-inch teeth and even longer fangs. She moved and pure muscle rippled throughout her body.
“She’s beautiful.”
The wolf swung to me, gazing straight into my eyes. Did she hear me? Her ears were as big as my face, so it was possible she did.
“Sisyphean.”
“What!” I burst out. “Are you kidding?”
“Silence.”
“But—”