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I ducked as one sailed over my head and into the pool.
“Better get out of the way,” she said with a grunt. Slam. Another whiz of light.
“You’re the Sparkstriker!” She had to be. I couldn’t believe I’d found her! Okay, so maybe Nobody wasn’t too bad after all. Then I remembered I was wearing that stupid mask.
When I went to take it off, the woman said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Could be calamitous.”
What? Did she, like, have eyes in the back of her head? “You mean bad?”
“I mean this light will fry your eyes out of your sockets.”
Definitely left the mask on.
Her red hair was all ratted out like a nest, and there were teeny tiny silver trinkets—bells—woven into the knotted strands. She turned to me. Her face was uneven in places where it shouldn’t have been. Her nose was bent a little too far to the right and her right eye sagged an inch below her left. Her forehead had a lump in the center that looked like a giant mosquito bite. “I thought you’d never get here,” she said.
“You’re… you’re the—”
“Yes, yes,” she said impatiently. “Now hurry over here so I can make sure this fits.”
“Fits?”
She rolled one of her eyes. The other one stayed in place like it was glued there. When I drew closer, I peered down at the stone table she was working from. It looked like it could double for a body slab. Right in the middle was a cane, and I’m not talking any cane. I’m talking ninja-style, hammered silver with a jade grip. I’m talking the kind of cane that looked…cool. Like if you saw me walking down the street with it, you might stop and ask me where you could get one, too.
“Well, don’t just stand there. Pick it up!” She shook her head, but strangely, the tiny bells didn’t ring.
As I reached for the cane, it started to hum. Then, when I closed my fingers around it, the thing went silent. I don’t remember exactly, but I think I was holding my breath, because it felt like a really big moment. Like whatever happened next would matter a lot. Carefully, I picked up the cane. It was light as air and felt warm to the touch. I could swear it pulsed in my hand. I set its tip on the ground, turned, and took a step with it. The cane was…incredible!
Wait a sec. That can’t be right, I thought. My limp was… it was gone! My eyes bugged out and my heart rolled over. Then a slow smile spread across my face.
“A few more steps,” she said, eyeing me as I took another turn.
I seriously could have cruised around like this all day. “How…? It’s… it’s amazing!”
“Of course it is,” she said. “It’s more than it appears. It’s also a spear and will do as you command.”
I inspected it more closely while she went on about its magic.
“How do I turn it into a spear? Is there a hidden button or something?”
“Do you tell your legs to walk, your arms to move?”
Was that a real question?
She snorted and added, “It’s connected to you now. I’ve pounded it with lightning, bound it with old magic, and infused it with the blood of the gods. Or more specifically, your father’s blood. It’s indestructible, Zane Obispo.”
“My… father’s blood?”
“First time he’s ever given a drop,” she said. “Mighty powerful stuff, too, co
nsidering he’s the creator god.”
(Sorry, Mat. I’m totally sure she meant you, too.)
“Now for the grand finale!” she said. “Go choose a bolt.”
I looked around the little cave for the first time. The rocky walls jutted out sharply, making the tight space feel even tighter. There were no other tools around, no screws or bolts. “I, um… I don’t see any bolts.”
“Lightning bolts.” Her voice rose so loud it shook the stone walls. “The pool?”
