“Presumably it’s the last mark that will give you full access to everything you should have as a sorcerer. You were born to be a weapon. A weapon so powerful and horrific that no one would ever want to use it. You were the nuclear option of the day. And Hera and her companions discovered this and forced a change in everything. They tried to have you killed, and then for some reason they stopped. I don’t know why. I assume whoever they work for forced them to allow you to grow.
“Your parents created me. They wanted someone who would protect you, and they were aware of a nightmare’s true identity. They came to me and asked for my help.”
“To you?”
“Erebus. The actual Erebus.”
“You’re alive?”
“I was. I have no idea if I still am. I was a sorcerer. Like you I could use shadow magic, but I could also use mind magic. And when you were born, I agreed to place a piece of myself inside the nightmare that inhabited your body. Neither you nor the nightmare would be aware of it until you’d gained enough power that the nightmare was close to being able to take control and move you on to the next level. Your parents believed that by doing this they would help the transition from a normal sorcerer to a sorcerer on a level that you were destined to be. Unfortunately, instead of just leaving a piece of myself, I merged my entire mind with your nightmare. The level of power inside you was just too much to only give it a piece. So, I’ve been in here ever since, unable to know who I really am.”
I stared at Erebus for several seconds. “I’m so sorry for what you’ve lost.”
Erebus waved my words away.
“The Fates said I would turn into a monster who killed a lot of people,” I said. “You think that Hera found out about that possibility and figured it would help her in the long term?”
“That is possible. On a happier note, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“And you couldn’t tell me this earlier because my marks ensured you could only tell me a portion of what you knew?”
“You had to be ready.”
“And what makes you think I’m ready now?”
“I don’t get to decide that; your body does. And your body wants those marks gone. You’re angry, and hurting, and you want someone to unleash that on. They’re using your name to murder people, they’re hunting you and your friends, and now these people are using Shadow Falls and Galahad to spread terror. I’m positive you’re close to losing your temper.”
I cracked my knuckles. “I can’t afford to lose my temper.”
“Why? You think that doing so will make things worse?”
“Is that what will remove my last mark, losing my temper? Because I’ve lost it plenty over the years and no marks vanished.”
“I don’t know exactly what will cause it to go; I just know that it’s happening. I know how you’re feeling, and I know that I needed to talk to you. Once the mark is gone, there will be one left, and I have no idea how you’re going to lose it. It’s not like the others; it’s not affected by memories or power. It’s something else. And I don’t know what it will take to finally make yourself whole. But you’ll figure it out. I have that faith in you.”
“Do you know who my father is?”
“No. I believe that’s locked behind whatever is in your head. Your mother loved you, Nate. I was there when you were born. She loved you so much. She left with you, moved to Constantinople to keep you safe. When this is over, you’ll need to find her.”
“If she’s alive.”
“I’m sure she is. She has your tenacity, and your stubbornness.”
“So, we’re not going to pretend that you’re just me anymore?”
“No, I am Erebus, and I am a primordial god. Or was considered one.”
“You kept the secrets of sorcery from people. Told them that nightmares were dangerous.”
“I did. Or at least I helped. It was for the best, or we thought it was for the best. A lot of people turned into nightmares and couldn’t handle it. They went insane, murdered, committed suicide, and other things that we needed to try and stop. Telling people that nightmares were a curse, were evil, was the best way to do it, even if it meant that a large number of sorcerers would never achieve their fullest potential.”
“What happens to you when you vanish completely?”
“I have no idea. I imagine I’ll fade from existence. I don’t even know where my body is.”
“If I can find your body, can I put you back in it?”
“Still unsure. Lots of questions still to be answered. For now, I remain. And now you know the truth about who I am, and how I came to be here. You have to fight, Nate. You have to fight everyone who would destroy everything your parents sacrificed to keep you safe.”
“Merlin wasn’t the best candidate to put me with.”
“Merlin is not the man he once was. I do not know how or why he changed, but there is something dark inside of him that was never there before. I sensed it when you fought in Camelot. I didn’t know how I sensed it, but with great power comes great sensory abilities. Isn’t that how it goes?”
“No.”
“Well, I can’t be perfect. I’ve got a lot of your memories in here.” Erebus tapped his head. “Tommy has said a lot of pop-culture references over the years. They jumble up a bit.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Of course you can—you’re Nathanial Garrett. Your mother was essentially the greatest warrior the Norse ever knew. I once saw her punch out a troll. She was the kind of person you didn’t cross unless you’d decided that breathing was best done by other people. She terrified her enemies. And you did the same as Hellequin. You didn’t have her power then, you didn’t have her knowledge of so much, and yes, Hellequin is now forever dead to you, but that just means that people need to know who Nate Garrett is. Make your enemies tremble, Nate. Make them fear you.”
Erebus stood and walked over to me. He bent down and kissed me on the forehead. “In a different time, I would have been called your godfather, I think. I would have loved you like a son. I am proud of you, and what you’ve become. Your parents would be, too. I think you’re ready. Go forth and conquer, Nathanial Garrett.”
Erebus vanished, and I gasped as pain wracked my body.
“Nate?” Selene asked. “Nate, are you okay?” She moved over to me as the pain subsided.
I pulled up my T-shirt and watched the last mark vanish. “We need to land,” I said. “Really fast.”
“We’re a few hours from being able to do that,” Sky said. “What’s happening?”
“The last visible mark is gone,” I said as my vision began to change. The world around me took on a purple haze, with dots of various sizes all over it. I looked down at the table in front of me and saw dozens of small dots. I instantly knew what they meant. They were weaknesses. The larger the dot, the larger the weakness. I placed a finger on one of the dots and pushed, but nothing happened.
“Nate?” Zamek asked, tapping me on the shoulder.
I turned to him and discovered that, unlike everything else, he had no purple haze or dots, and neither did Selene, Sky, or Grayson.
“Matter magic,” Grayson said, looking at the purple glyphs that adorned my arms and hands. “What are you seeing?”
“Purple. Everything is purple.”
“You okay?” Selene asked.
I nodded. “I’m sleepy. My brain has taken a lot in all at once. It’s difficult to compute.” I looked around the cabin. “I see weaknesses. Hundreds of them. Each one a way to break something if enough force is applied at that exact spot.”