About what?
The prophecy. About what I saw. What I showed you.
We don’t know how much of that was real. How much was you or the gods or Ruv playing all of us.
This is true. But Sam, I don’t know that it matters. You saw him as clear as day. Ryan, your cornerstone, the life taken from him, his body cold. He escaped death once, but I fear that won’t happen again. I know you think my magic false, that I am nothing but a street magician, but I promise you, that isn’t the case. I worry it may come to pass. That Ryan Foxheart will meet his end in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
Vadoma had been right.
It would come to pass.
But not in the way she, nor the gods, expected.
A hero must suffer before the end. That was how the stories always went, wasn’t it?
“Do it,” Ryan growled.
And I had suffered.
“Sam, do it. Do it, godsdamn you! If this is who you are, then fucking do it!”
“Don’t curse like that,” I said mildly. “You need to think of the children.”
The green and gold came swiftly. They always had.
There was a sharp crack and Ryan stumbled forward, hands going to his throat. He fell to his knees. His mouth opened and closed. Opened and closed. He let out a harsh breath. One hand went to the ground as he slumped over. His armor clanked as it touched the ground. His face was red, eyes bulging.
And then he fell forward, facedown on the ground.
His left leg kicked once. Twice.
I felt the moment he died. I felt like I had been torn in two. My magic burst from me wildly, and I struggled to control it, my mind shrieking. Everything was overbright and loud, blood rushing in my ears. I could hear Gary screaming and Tiggy bellowing.
I gasped as I bent over, gagging, a thin string of bile dripping from my open mouth.
A hand dropped onto my shoulder, the fingers digging into my skin.
Myrin.
“Impressive,” he whispered near my ear. “I must admit, I didn’t think you’d do it. I thought you’d… well. It doesn’t matter now. Tell me, Sam. What did you do to him?”
“Stopped his heart,” I managed to spit out above all the noise in my head. I felt as if I’d been dropped into some great storm with no end in sight.
“Truly?”
“Yes.”
“Fascinating. Ruv. If you don’t mind.”
Ruv rushed past us to kneel down next to Ryan. He looked shocked and pale as he reached down and turned Ryan onto his back. Armor scraped against the ground. He put a hand on Ryan’s throat. Then, “I—he’s dead.”
Myrin laughed. “Oh, Sam. If only Morgan could see you now and everything you’ve become. If it’s any consolation, I’m sure he’ll welcome Ryan with open arms when he crosses the veil. They can mourn what has become of you together.”
Tiggy was crying.
Gary looked devastated.
Kevin didn’t say a word.
Dimitri’s wings buzzed angrily.
I wanted nothing more than to curl up on the ground and never rise again. It felt like I was shattering.
“Yes,” Myrin said. He ran his fingers along the slope of my spine. “I know. I know. I understand, perhaps better than anyone, Sam. The way it burns. The way it feels like little pieces of you are breaking off. If you are strong enough, it will pass. I… underestimated you. Again. I didn’t know what you were capable of. Now I do. And I am pleased.”
I gasped as a tremor rolled through me.
“I’m not cruel,” Myrin said quietly. “I will allow you to say goodbye to your knight. Crawl, Sam. Crawl to him.”
And I did.
My hands were dusty.
My vision was blurred.
My head was pounding.
But I crawled.
Ruv watched me with wide eyes from next to Ryan’s body. He stumbled back, falling to the ground, propped up by his elbows.
Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart looked at peace in death. His eyes were closed, face slack, mouth slightly open. His chest did not rise. His sword lay discarded at his side. I picked it up, the metal dragging along the stone. It was heavier than I expected. Or I was weaker. I didn’t know.
I placed it upon his chest, the blade pointed down toward his legs. I took each of his hands and brought them to his chest, arranged his fingers on the hilt of his sword.
There.
He was as Vadoma had shown me.
As the gods had shown her.
Everything had come to pass.
And I said, “Once upon a time, there was a boy.”
Everyone around me fell silent.
“Say that again, Sam,” Myrin said. “I don’t think I quite heard you.”
I forced myself to look up at him, even though every part of me ached. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Once upon a time, there was a boy.”
Myrin blinked. “A boy.”
I could barely breathe. I had to force the words out. “He was a kickass boy born in the slums of the City of Lockes.”
The Dark wizards started to murmur.
My heart felt like it was crawling with lightning. “His parents were hardworking, and at times life could be difficult, but they were alive and had all their teeth. Which was very important.”
Caleb frowned.
Ruv’s face was pale as he slowly rose to his feet.
Myrin watched me with an unreadable expression.
“One day, this boy went into the woods,” I said through gritted teeth. “His heart was hurting, and he was sad.”
Myrin took a step back. “What are you—”
“And on this day, in these woods, the boy found a bird.”
“Oh fuck,” Gary whispered.
“A bird,” Myrin repeated.
“Yes. A bird. It was dead. And the boy with the broken heart did something he didn’t think was possible. He brought the bird back to life.”
Silence.
Then, “You lie.”
Sweat dripped down my brow. “No. I don’t.”
“It’s not possible,” Myrin snarled. “Death is final. No one can—”
A sharp crack blasted overhead.
Everyone looked skyward.
Everyone, that is, except for Myrin and me. We didn’t look away from each other.
“That,” I said, “was a signal. From Randall. To show that the slums have been evacuated. Because while we stood here, while you went on and on and on, the people of Camp HaveHeart breached the City. They saved those you imprisoned. You were all so arrogant to think nothing could happen to you with me here.”
Myrin took a step toward me.
I laughed. It sounded like I was choking. “And while we take back our home, three of the dragons of Verania are in Meridian City at this very moment, laying waste to everything you’ve brought upon us.”
“You killed your cornerstone,” Myrin said coldly. “There is no coming back from that.” His expression stuttered. “Three. You said three dragons. There are five in total. Where is the—”
A loud roar split the air around us.
It didn’t come from Kevin.
“What is this?” Myrin demanded.
“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” I told him. “Because there’s one thing you’ve forgotten again and again and again.”
“And what would that be?”
I grinned rakishly at him. “I’m Sam of Dragons.”
Zero Ravyn Moonfire roared again as he landed on top of Castle Lockes, his muscular body curling around a turret, tail twitching dangerously. His eyes were blazing red.
Now? he growled in my head.
Now.
The hood around his face flared, the bony tips rattling as they shook. The Darks barely had time to react before the stone shattered beneath their feet as thick, dark roots burst up around them like tentacles, wrapping around legs and torsos, holding them in place. A few of them had a chance to scream before the roots covered them completely, cutting them off.
It was over in a matter of seconds. Where there had once stood the Darks of Verania, there was only a great prison of vermilion root, binding their magic in place.
But three remained untouched.
Caleb.
Ruv.
And Myrin.
Because there was a price to pay for what they’d done.
For what they’d taken from me.
There was a boy born in the slums.
The gods whispered about him.
They said he had a destiny.
That one day he would face a great evil and all the world would hang in the balance.
This boy was loved.
And he loved in return. With everything he had.
And he remembered how it felt.