“How can you say that?” I snapped. “If Myrin comes for us all, he’ll eventually come for you!”
The Great White bared his teeth, and Kevin clutched me tightly to his chest. “Do you think the follies of men matter to me in the slightest? I am older than men. I watched as you crawled from the oceans, gasping for breath. I watched as you swung from the trees. I watched as you stood on two legs for the first time. I watched as your minds grew into conscious thought only to give way to greed. Humanity has been a blight upon this world. Its destruction would be no great loss. I have survived much, much worse than Myrin. Let him come. Maybe a cleansing is what is necessary to destroy the cancer.”
“You’d let that happen?” I was stunned. “You’d let the world fall?”
“It’s a course correction, apprentice. Sometimes it is necessary.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“You will try,” the Great White said. “I have known about you, Sam of Wilds, for a very long time. I must say that I’m not impressed. You think with your heart and not with your head. It will be your undoing. You do not know suffering. You do not know sacrifice. Everything has been handed to you. You are haughty and irresponsible. You act without thinking and somehow land on your feet. That will not always be the case. One day you will learn what sorrow is. And it will be more damning than you could possibly imagine. Come away with me, apprentice. In this forest deep. Into the dark of the wild. A year is what I require of you. Leave all the trappings of your humanity behind and I will give you the power to bring an end to the darkness.”
“Kevin,” I said flatly while glaring up at the Great White, “we’re done here.”
“Sam—”
“No. This was obviously a waste of time. He’s not going to help us. We need to find the others. They’re probably worried.”
Kevin sighed. “That’s most likely an understatement. I can already hear Gary’s… everything.”
“I told you once that you were not ready,” the Great White said, and I was so done with all his shit. “It would seem that I was right. You are just like all the others that have come before you. It will bring you nothing but ruination.”
I sputtered at him, but he was already lumbering past us, the ground shaking, the trees crashing down. “Yeah, well, screw you, pal!”
He ignored me.
But I’d gotten the last word in, so I won.
“He must be really fun at parties,” Kevin muttered. “How disappointing. You meet your idol, your idol turns out to be this weird old conspiracy theorist who wants you to follow him into the woods alone. This is why you should never look up to anyone. You always end up being let down or creeped out. Well, except for me. Everyone looks up to me and gets exactly what they are hoping for.”
“A gaping asshole and a variety of sexually transmitted diseases?”
Kevin smiled softly down at me. “You honor me, pretty.”
We watched as the Great White headed deep into the Dark Woods. Eventually he disappeared from sight.
THE FAIRIES found us first, glowing brightly in the fading light.
They swirled around the ruins of the forest, exclaiming over the fallen trees and trampled animals that still twitched, even though some of their insides were on their outsides.
Kevin sat me down as Dimitri approached, wings flapping furiously. “What have you done?” he demanded.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have the time or the patience for your shit right now, Dimitri. I really don’t.”
He glanced up at Kevin, then back at me, eyes narrowed. “Did you offend him?”
“Me? I don’t offend anyone.”
“You offend me!” one of the fairies screeched.
“Except for Harry,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But he doesn’t count because he’s still pissed at me that he wasn’t able to go through with the officiating of when you tried to force me to marry you. Which was forever ago, and he should get over it!” I added, raising my voice and glaring at Harry.
“You will tell me what you did,” Dimitri said, fluttering in front of my face.
I waved my hand as if trying to get rid of an annoying insect. “I declined a ridiculous invitation. Also, you should know that the Great White is a bit of an asshole. In case you were wondering.”
“You declined. An invitation. By the Great White.”
“Wow,” I said. “I didn’t know your face could turn that purple. That’s impressive.”
“Do you wish to die?” Dimitri snarled at me.
I cocked my head at him. “Was that a threat? Because that sounded like a threat.”
“You need him. You know what the prophecy says! You require—”
“You know what?” I took a step toward him. “I am getting sick and tired of people telling me what I need. What I must do. What’s required of me. And I’m really fucking sick and tired of this godsdamn prophecy. I never asked for this. I never wanted this. This was thrust upon me, and I am paying for the sins of those that came before me. The Great White chose to walk away without helping me. Without helping Verania. He has turned his back on me and all of you. I could do the same. I could turn my back on the people that need me the most, because I am tired of it all. But I’m not going to do that, because I am better than that. I’ve stopped Myrin before on my own. And now I have four dragons to back me up. It will be enough.”
I spun on my heels, pushing past Kevin and leaving the fairies behind.
I heard Dimitri speak quietly after me.
He said, “For all our sakes, I hope you’re right, Sam of Wilds.”
I didn’t look back.
GARY AND Tiggy and Ryan all yelled at me when they found us a couple of hours later.
Justin did that thing where he looked like he didn’t care, but obviously it was just an act because best friends 5eva.
“Is it done?” the Prince asked when the others had finally quieted down. Tiggy had gathered Gary and me in his arms, holding us close. Ryan stood next to him, hand wrapped around my ankle, anchoring me to him. I felt a little bit better. I loved my idiots. “Did he agree to help you?”
I smiled at him. It felt stretched too wide. My hands trembled the barest amount. “It doesn’t matter. It’s time to go home.”
And with that, we began the journey toward the City of Lockes.
THERE WAS a moment before we left the Dark Woods that I felt a little pulse at the back of my mind, a white light that echoed dully.
He whispered, Remember, apprentice: a year is what I will require when you return to me. And make no mistake, you will return.
And then it was gone.
IV: City of Lockes
Chapter 20: Home Again
ANYTIME WE came home to Castle Lockes, there was always a raucous welcome, the King, Morgan, and my parents all happy and excited to see us return.
This time was no different.
We’d been gone for a long time, far longer than we ever had before.
I didn’t think I could be blamed for the way my eyes burned at the sight of my parents standing next to Pete and the King at the gates to Castle Lockes, the word of our homecoming having spread as soon as we entered the City gates.