Ariel a smiled back, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.
“Then you know what you have to do.” I pulled her close and gently kissed her forehead. “Thank you,” I whispered, though it was hard for me to say, and I could tell it surprised Ariel a, as well. The fey never say thankyou, for fear it will put them in another’s debt. The old Ash would never have let such a phrase escape his lips; perhaps this was just a sign of how human I was becoming.
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I stood, pulling her up with me. “I think I’m ready,” I said, gazing back at the castle. My heart beat faster in anticipation, but I wasn’t afraid. “I know what I have to do.”
“Then,” said the Guardian, appearing behind us, “let us not waste another moment. Have you made your decision, knight?” I pulled away from Ariel a and faced the Guardian squarely. “Yes.”
“And what have you decided?”
“My soul.” I felt a great weight lifted off my shoulders as I said this. No more doubts. No more agonizing. I knew my path, what I had to do. “I choose humanity, and all that comes with it. Weakness, conscience, mortality, everything.”
The Guardian nodded. “Then we come to the end at last. And you will be the first to claim what you have always sought, knight. follow me.” Puck joined us at the door, and together we followed the Guardian down the shadowed hallways, up a twisting spiral staircase, to the landing of the highest tower. Through the door, the roof disappeared into open sky. Here, beneath the stars and constel ations, where sparkling bits of moon rock drifted by, trailing silver dust, the Guardian walked to the center of the platform and turned, beckoning me with a pale hand.
“You have endured all the trials,” it said as I stepped forward. “You have accepted what it means to be human, to be mortal, and without that knowledge a soul could not live within you for long. You have passed, knight. You are ready.
“But,” the Guardian continued in a solemn voice as my gut twisted nervously, “something as pure as soul cannot grow out of nothing. One 340/387
final sacrifice remains, though it is not yours to make. For a soul to be born within you, a life must be given, freely and without reservation.
With this unselfish act, a soul can bloom from the sacrifice of one who loves you. Without it, you will remain empty.” For a split second of blissful ignorance, the true meaning of what the Guardian said escaped me. Then the realization hit all at once, and an icy fist gripped my heart, leaving me numb. I stared at the Guardian for several heartbeats, horror slowly turning to anger. “Someone has to die for me,”
I whispered at last. The Guardian didn’t move, and I felt a gaping hole tear open within, dropping me into blackness. “Then all this was for nothing.
Everything you threw at me, all I went through, was for nothing!” Despair now joined the swirl of rage. I’d been through so much, endured so much, just to throw it away in the end. But this was something I could not allow. “Never,” I gritted out, backing away. “I’ll never let that happen.”
“It’s not your sacrifice to make, Ash.” Stunned, I turned as Ariel a walked past me, coming to stand before the Guardian. Her voice trembled a bit, but she held her head high.
“I’m here,” she murmured. “He has me. I’m willing to make that choice.”
“Ari,” Puck breathed behind me.
No! I staggered toward her, panicked by what she was offering. My chest clenched in horror, in helpless desperation. It was the same feeling I’d had when I saw the wyvern strike her in the heart, when she lay dying in my arms, and I could only watch as she slipped away. This, I 341/387
could stop. This, I would stop. “Ari, no,” I rasped, stepping in front of her. “You can’t do this! If you die again…”
“This is why I’m here, Ash.” Tears filled her eyes as she turned to look at me, though she still tried to smile. “This is why I came. I was returned to life for this moment, my final task, before Faery takes me back.”
“I won’t accept that!” Desperately, I grabbed her arm, and she made no move to pull away. The Guardian watched us, silent and unmoving, as I faced her, pleading. “Don’t do this,” I whispered. “Don’t throw your life away. Not for me. Not again.” Ariel a shook her head. “I’m tired, Ash,” she murmured, gazing right through me, at something I couldn’t see. “It’s been…long enough.” Behind me, Puck blew out a shaky breath, and I hoped he would protest as well, keep her from this insane plan. But Robin Goodfel ow surprised me again, his voice subdued but calm. “I’m glad I got to see you again, Ari,” he said, and from the tremor beneath the surface, I could tell he was holding back tears. “And don’t worry—I’ll take care of him for you.”