I should be scared. And I am—terrified.
But I’m also thinking, Fucking of course. Of course this is how I’m going to die! Because somebody’s looking for Simon and finds me instead. I’m going to be murdered by some power-hungry maniac who doesn’t even know my name.
I don’t try to fight. What’s the point? But I go limp. And start to cry. Just because I knew I was going to die like this doesn’t mean I’m ready for it. I wish I’d been nicer to my mum this morning. I wish I were wearing something other than leggings and Ugg boots. I always figured I’d make a more beautiful corpse.
The Mage hauls me to another room, where a trapdoor hangs open in the ceiling, light streaming down.
He points his wand at himself—“Up, up, and away!” You’re not supposed to cast that spell on people; you can accidentally pull their lungs through their shoulders. But the spell works for him, and we start to float up through the door.
Then another spell—“And we all fall down!”—knocks us both to the ground. Whoever casts it falls, too. I hear her land.
“No, Davy,” she says. “Let her go.”
And I think it must be Lucy. Here. To save me.
SIMON
I land on the Great Lawn at sunset and walk across the drawbridge. I see the Mage’s Jeep, and Dr. Wellbelove’s Volvo, and I wonder if they’re here—or if they’re off somewhere fighting. Actually fighting. Blades out, wands drawn. I don’t even know where to look for the war if it isn’t at Watford.
I’m headed for the Mage’s office when I see the light at the top of the Chapel.
It’s in a tower I’ve never seen lit before. I’ve never even noticed the stained glass there—it looks like a crown, or a cluster of stars.
As I’m looking, the windows blaze with light.
AGATHA
The Mage lurches up onto his hands and knees and starts casting spells. “Please, please, please! Let me, let me, let me!”
“Hell hath no fury!” the woman shouts. Fire pours from her staff and hits him in the chest. I’ve never seen anything like that, not even from Simon. The light from the fire finally illuminates her face—it’s Ebb. The goatherd.
“Run, Agatha!” she says.
But the Mage has fallen on top of me. “I can’t!” I sob.
The Mage raises his wand to cast at her, and I hit his hand as hard as I can. His wand goes flying, and he rolls away from me to get it.
“Run for your life!” Ebb shouts, and I do. I scrabble to my feet and run from the room like there’s a jet stream at my back.
I run through the smoke and darkness out into the light and snow, and then I keep running.
81
EBB
He would have killed that girl.
I don’t suppose I had a choice but to come back.
THE MAGE
There’s no time.
The Humdrum is devouring us.
And today’s the day—today is a day that my magic might work. Holidays are auspicious, the solstice lingers.
Today is the day.
This is the hour.
If only Simon were here.…
I thought we’d done it—at great cost, yes—but I thought we’d done it, Lucy. We’d brought the Greatest Mage.
He is the greatest mage.
I hid him among the Normals, so that no one would know. So that no one would ask. I hid him until he was ready. Until he called me to him, just like every prophecy said he would!
I didn’t know that he was broken.
I couldn’t see that he was a cracked vessel.
Maybe it was too much power for a babe to hold—maybe that was my mistake.
If he were here, I could fix it. I have different spells now. (I’d been looking too far in the past; I should have realized that new power must come from new psalms.) I have a chance now, I could relieve him.
But Simon isn’t here. And I can’t wait for him. The Humdrum won’t wait. The Pitches are on their way— This woman will have to do. She’s the brightest star in the Realm, next to Simon.
Our Simon.
I can take her power.
I just have to kill her first.
EBB
I don’t suppose I ever had the choices I thought I did.
THE MAGE