I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”
“Oh, it’s not nothing,” Ruv said, moving so he stood on the other side of the obelisk. “I don’t think that word could ever be used to describe the man it represents. Morgan of Shadows was certainly more than nothing.”
Hearing my mentor’s name on his lips was almost enough to cause me to forget why I was here and who I was protecting. I wanted nothing more than to tear this man apart, to break him until he was begging for me to stop, and even then, I would say no, and he would— I took a deep breath.
I let it out slowly.
“Morgan of Shadows,” I said. “I’ve heard of him.”
Ruv grimaced. “Of course you have. Everyone has. He’s a legend.” He looked down at the obelisk. “Well. He was a legend.”
“I suppose.”
Ruv traced a finger along the words carved into the black stone. “I knew him. Maybe not as well as others could claim to. But I stood before him. I looked him in the eye. And he had no idea who I was. Or what I was capable of.” He sighed and smiled ruefully at me. “Funny how that works. One of the most powerful people in all the world, and I was able to fool him. I was… scared. That day. Nervous, though I couldn’t show it. I had a part to play.”
I swallowed thickly, my hands in fists at my sides.
Ruv sighed as he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter now. Morgan is gone. Myrin saw to that, much like he’ll see to the rest of the world. I just… I understand people are scared. They often are of things they don’t understand. I don’t see why they can’t just give him a chance.”
I stared at him. “The man who took over their country and forced people from their homes and into prisons because of the color of their skin and the faith they belonged to and the class they were born into, and you want them to give him a chance?”
Ruv frowned. “You sound… liberal.”
My eyes widened. “Oh no. No, no, no. I mean. Muahahaha. Evil things. I’m so happy with all that has happened. Dropkick defenseless animals! Or whatever villains like us do. Electrocute the gay out of people? I don’t know. I’m new to this whole bad guy thing. I’m not very good at it yet.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
I was very sweaty. It didn’t help that Ruv was absolutely correct. “Right! Right. I didn’t mean it like that. In fact, we should electrocute the straight out of people.”
“Interesting,” Ruv said, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. “I don’t know that Myrin has ever thought about that before. Perhaps I should bring that to his attention. You might just be good at the whole villain thing after all.”
I was the worst person alive. “Or! Maybe instead of electrocuting anyone, we could just leave people alone and let them do whatever they wanted and be happy and let things go back to the way they were?”
Ruv waved a hand at me. “That doesn’t sound very villainous.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at me again. “In fact, it sounds treasonous. Where did you say you came from again?”
But before Ruv discovered that I couldn’t lie for shit, another Dark burst through the clearing, panting as he bent over, hands on his knees. “Sir,” he managed to get out. “Your presence is required. There’s been a breach.”
I felt instantly cold.
Ruv looked only mildly interested. “What kind of breach?”
“We’re unclear on that, sir. A sewer grate outside the City is missing, and there are footprints around it.”
“The Resistance is getting brave,” Ruv said, sounding amused. “Fascinating. Sam returns, and now this. He inspires them.”
The Dark’s eyes bulged. “S-S-Sam? Are you sure? Maybe he hasn’t even made it to the Resistance yet.”
“Are you scared of him?”
“Oh yes,” the Dark said. “Extremely. Most of us are.”
Ruv frowned. “And why is that?”
The Dark hesitated. Then, “It is said he can make your nipples explode with just a single thought.”
Ha! Flora Bora Slam, motherfucker!
“Bah,” Ruv scoffed. “I highly doubt he can do any such thing.”
I told myself that Ruv would be the first. And I would relish it.
He glanced back at me, staring for longer than should have been necessary. “You’ll do well here, I think. Just don’t let me catch you out here again. Do you understand me?”
I nodded.
He spun on his heels, robes flaring out like an asshole as he followed the Dark out of the clearing.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
And then screamed a little when he stuck his head back through the bushes. “I look forward to seeing you again,” he said, winking at me.
Then he was gone.
I waited another moment or two before turning back to the entrance to the passageway. “You can come out now,” I called quietly.
Ryan was first, bursting through the vines, a furious expression on his face. “Are you okay?” he demanded, pointing his drawn sword in all directions as though we were surrounded by villains. “Where is he? Let me at him. I swear to the gods, I will separate his head from his body and carve his heart from his chest and chop his mothercracking dick off—”
“So violent,” I whispered in awe.
“I assume the sewer grate in question was how you entered the City?” Randall asked Justin, who nodded. “That certainly explains the smell.”
I stared at him with wide eyes. “We smell?”
“I certainly didn’t want to say anything,” the King said, patting my shoulder. “But yes. You all do. And this is coming from someone who has spent the last six months in a dungeon.”
“You have terrible ideas,” I told Justin.
He rolled his eyes. “We got my father, didn’t we? I consider that a success, even if we do smell like shit.”
“—I’ll cut his traitorous tongue from his mouth, and feed his nose to a pod of angry selkies, and chop his fingers off one by one until he is begging me for mercy—”
“Can’t you just suck us through your hole now?” I asked Randall. “I mean, we can’t go out the way we came.”
“Lady Tina,” Justin reminded me.
“We could leave her. I mean, she’d understand, right? I’d understand if I was her.”
“You know,” Justin said, eyeing me with disdain, “if you weren’t with Ryan, I’d swear to the gods that you and Lady Tina actually liked each other.”
I gaped at him.
He shrugged.
“Hey, Justin?”
“Yes, Sam.”
“Do you remember all those times I called you my best friend 5eva?”
“Unfortunately.”
“I take them back,” I said savagely. “What, may I ask, the fuck.”
“Oh no. I’m so sad. Randall, you are not allowed to suck us through your magic hole until we have Lady Tina.”
“I blame you for everything,” Randall growled at me.
“—and then I’ll pay for a disease-ridden prostitute to rub their herpes on his toothbrush and will watch as he brushes his teeth—”
“Many things change,” the King said, leaning down to kiss the top of the obelisk. “But how they also stay the same. You would be amused and exasperated, old friend. Just as you always were.”
“Ryan,” I snapped. “Stop stabbing the ground! My mom planted that grass!”
“—and then I’ll roast him over an open spit until his skin cracks and his juices drip from his heated flesh—”
“If any of you call it sucking through my magic hole one more time, I’m going to leave you all here to die,” Randall threatened.
“This rescue mission will be stricken from all history books,” Justin said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Amused and exasperated indeed,” the King said quietly.
THE TREK through the castle went better than expected. We only encountered a few Darks, and they paid us little attention as they scurried by. As we moved through the throne room, the King scowled, eyeing his throne longingly. Justin held on to his arm, pulling him along. He offered little resistance as we passed through the Great Doors, but didn’t seem to find the new banners hanging from the ceilings and walls very amusing.