Authors: Shea Berkley
On the other side of Baun, Granel stands amid a cloud of inky darkness. Tension arcs off the Dark Souls. With Navar at the lead, they are more than ready to rip into us.
Baun sneers and shakes his head. We’re not even a problem in his eyes. More of a nuisance. “Kill everyone but my wayward son. Bring him to the arena,” I hear him say. When he turns to leave, I spy Hadrain, Kera’s dad, standing right behind him. My mouth drops. I know it does, and I hear Signe gasp. “Is that Kera’s father?”
“I thought he was on our side,” Reece asks. “What’s he doing with Baun?”
Granel stops Baun before he leaves and says something as he points to the mini sun I’ve created. Baun’s hand lights up, and the sun explodes over our heads, showering tiny balls of fire down on us. The hem of Signe’s dress catches fire, and Reece stomps it out.
A howl of victory rises from the Nightmare Men. The Dark Souls gather into a tight knot of blackness and surge forward.
“Ah, hell,” Reece mutters.
Signe fires one of the tiny metal balls at a group of Nightmare Men. The ball disappears within the tendons and bones of the nearest one and when it explodes, the man is torn apart.
My dad is walking away, and one thing is very clear. “We need that ring.”
“I can get it.” Signe tucks the slingshot in her belt and then vanishes without me even agreeing to the plan. I gave her Thaul’s invisible ability in case everything went really badly. Granted, it’s getting pretty bad, but I expected her to find Kera and leave. I should’ve known she wouldn’t.
“Signe!” Reece yells, reaching out to grab at empty air. When she doesn’t answer, he turns to me, a threatening look in his eyes. “Why didn’t you stop her? If anything happens to her…”
What can I say? I know how he feels. Kera is the poster child for running off and getting into trouble. “Honestly, she’s the only one who has a chance of getting that ring.”
As Signe moves off, the Dark Souls and Nightmare Men converge on us. I tell everyone to hold on. “This is going to get really ugly, really fast.”
Miracles Come at a Price
One miracle. “Just one,” Kera says on a sliver of suspended breath. It hurt to breathe. To think. To even wish. But she would beg for one more chance to make a difference, until her last breath.
Something clicked. Kera forced her eyes toward the sound. In the far corner, something was moving. Whatever it was grew bigger each second. It sprang fully open, jumping a foot off the floor and then down, bouncing, then swiveling in a circle until it grew still. It was the Salter’s magic. Suddenly, it popped on its rim and rolled to Kera, edging onto her hand. It twisted around her finger into an intricate, delicate ring. She pulled her hand close and let out her breath. Surely she could have one more chance. But she didn’t. Her lungs stayed flat. Her heart slowed. She felt the pull of her spirit as it left her body. She couldn’t die. Not yet. She needed to live, not for herself, but for Dylan. To prove she cared. She had always cared.
Her spirit hovered over her lifeless body. It looked frail and broken. Her clothes were scorched and her hair was a mess. Across the room, Bodog slowly scooted on his belly toward the fireplace, where the splintered stick that held Faldon’s spirit had been tossed. Yet Kera’s spirit remained, not rising or falling, just hovering aimlessly in a silent void.
“Bodog.” His name echoed hauntingly. He had always been able to see the spirits of those who had died and the truth behind people’s actions. She needed his guidance. She couldn’t just linger here. Forever.
He turned at her voice. “Not now.” There was a command to his words that didn’t sound anything like him.
If she couldn’t speak to him now, when? She had too many questions. She must have looked confused because he pointed to her body. “When your time begins. Go back.”
Only then did she see the ring glowing on her finger. The brilliance of that warmth swept under her skin, moving along her arm and through her body until its magic reignited life back into it. The magic invaded her spirit and pulled it down, trapping it in a shell of skin and bones that was her body once again.
Her eyes popped open and she sat up. The necklace Baun had placed on her ribs tumbled to the floor. She was alive. The glow from the ring slowly faded, and all the pain she’d endured was gone. She felt unstoppable.
She raised the ring to her lips and kissed it. “Thank you.”
It warmed her hand, infusing her body with hope. She snatched up the necklace before she stood and put it on. When she came around the desk, she saw Bodog stretched out in front of the fireplace and rushed over to him.
When she got closer, she saw his hand was touching the broken, charred stick. He wasn’t moving.
Not Bodog. He had jumped in front of her when Baun had tried to strike her dead, taking the brunt of the magic, but his sacrifice had been in vain. He’d tried so hard to do what was right even when he was scared. All she could see was his sad, frightened face. Hear him begging Dylan to fix Teag and make it a place where Bodog could live in peace.
She eased him onto his back, saw his eyes open, and she grasped his free hand. He blinked for a moment and licked his lips. The odd little man with the floppy ears, googly eyes, and too-big hands and feet attempted to speak, but nothing came out. Time stilled. The veil between the dead and the living split, and for a moment she saw a crowd of spirits huddled around him. One of them was Faldon. He smiled at her, and she felt a cool touch to her cheek. She closed her eyes and sighed, feeling the strength of his life flow through her. When she looked again, they all faded away. Bodog’s hand grew heavy, until his body lay lifeless.
She bent and kissed the top of his head. “You tried to save me, and you did. Thank you.”
There was no time to mourn. Baun had to be stopped. Kera rose and grabbed her bow and arrows. She took a dagger from a collection of weapons Baun kept in his chambers and strapped it on. Looking out the window, she saw a roiling mass of blackness by the city’s far wall. Dark Souls had gathered, and where they were, she had no doubt that’s where Baun would be. His spirit had been broken long ago. She saw that now. But she couldn’t allow him to choose a path that would see every good and wonderful thing about Teag destroyed.
She darted through the hole in the wall and ran through the secret passageways. Once outside, she encountered hundreds upon hundreds of people, scared and at odds with what they should do. “Leave the city,” she yelled at them all. “Protect yourselves.”
They only stood like dumb sheep waiting to be led as they looked into the sky. Kera looked up and squinted. It appeared to be a flock of birds darting in and out of a bank of high clouds. And they were headed straight for the crowd.
A sinking feeling hit her stomach.
“Dragons,” someone yelled. “Take cover.”
Instantly, the crowd moved, shoving one another out of the way. Kera stood her ground, drawing the dragons’ attention to her. If she was to die, at least she could give her people time to escape. She took her bow and notched an arrow. She tracked the dragons as chaos erupted around her. Seven massive beasts filled the sky. One dipped its wings and dived straight for the ground, straight toward her. An aggressive, bone-shaking roar filled the air.
Aiming the arrow, she let it fly. A flash of fire disintegrated it. None of the
firsts
came to help her. What had Baun done to them to transform them all into cowards? A few poked their heads out of hiding, presumably to watch her die. Nothing could tame the teeth and fire of the dragon. A distant whistle of wind over the leathery wings filled the air as the dragon came closer. The sound was more terrifying than anything Kera had heard before.
The streets were nearly empty now. Determined to draw it away from her traumatized people, she turned and ran into a cross street, the sound of wings beating the air above her filling her ears. She jagged around one corner, then jigged around another, leading the dragon toward a section that had recently been destroyed. When she turned another corner the dragon landed right in front of her with a thud that knocked her off her feet. She rolled to her belly and scrambled back the way she’d come.
The dragon sucked in a deep breath and spat a row of fire, cutting off Kera’s escape. Dying twice in one day didn’t seem particularly fair, but life wasn’t exactly playing fair lately.
Accept or Die
I gear up to send a blast of energy at the Dark Souls when a Nightmare Man slams into me and knocks me off my feet. His sword is coming down in a deadly arc when a fireball slams into his chest and blows him ten feet into the air and away from me. I guess he didn’t get the memo I was supposed to be spared. Nice to know Baun isn’t as all-powerful as he’d like me to believe.
All around us, shots of fire rain down from the sky like the end of the world is coming. I look up and heading straight for us is a flock of dragons. They dip and spit fire into the core of our enemy. Granel shifts his command and the Dark Souls shoot skyward. The dragons spin and roar and rip into the inky blackness, their scales a solid protection Granel hadn’t anticipated by the look on his face.
Behind Baun, the Rodarians become restless. Baun nods and they run forward. At the same time, the Nightmare Men are getting bolder and go after my friends with a vengeance.
Behind me, a
first
appears. Then another and another. They pour out of the Fall Gate like a tsunami, heavily armed and ready to meet the Rodarians head-on. One of Wyatt’s top soldiers, Cahl, appears and helps me to my feet. We dip behind a pile of debris, and he relates what he knows. “The bulk of the city has been evacuated. The only ones left are those who are in the coliseum.”
A huge explosion erupts close by and we both hunker down further. The coliseum isn’t far from where we are right now. “Why there?”
“It’s where Baun has been taking those who have refused to give him allegiance. It’s there he kills them and takes their magic. Three days ago, thousands of us possessed magic. Now we are barely five hundred.”
“Why does that sound familiar?” It was at the core of Navar’s madness when I first arrived in Teag. A madness inherited from my father when he had given Navar a portion of his magic to gain his release. Instead, the darkness infected Navar and had him demanding the people of Teag bend a knee to him or give up their powers.
It’s not a shock to learn my father has been up to no good for a while. And it’s clear his kind of desperation has him doing anything, sacrificing anyone, to get what he wants.
I see Halim…just a kid…and because of me, he’ll likely die.
Reece and Signe. They’re finally allowing themselves to love each other, but after today, they’ll be dead.
Reggie moves within a section of the broken-down carts. A Nightmare Man runs at him and he pops off more than a few rounds from his shotgun, shooting the ugly warrior to pieces. So far, he’s been lucky, but the Nightmare Men won’t stay down long. Their various body parts reconnect, clicking together like a demonized child’s toy. It’ll just be a matter of time before Reggie gets overrun by them. Before we all do.
“Tell Reece and Halim to meet me by Reggie.” I point to where Reggie is battling the Nightmare Men.
Cahl holds out his hand, and I take it. “Keep safe.”
“You too.”
I watch him run into the battle, and then I turn my focus on Reggie. Parts of an old wooden cart are burning near him and smoke rolls gray and thick into the sky. I take the choking cloud and push it toward the Rodarians, wiping out their ability to see and hopefully breathe.
I settle alongside Reggie. “I’ll handle the Nightmare Men. You shoot the Rodarians.”
Reggie props his gun barrel on a piece of wood and shoots. A Rodarian drops and disintegrates into a puff of ash. He eyes me. “Does no one just die here?”
“Not really.” I move to a place where I can cover Reggie’s back without being seen. The Nightmare Men swarm, and I take them down, separating their parts by tossing a few key bits and pieces over the wall.
One of the dragons overhead splits from the others. The ground shakes as it lands. It’s big, and its scales are scarred and familiar-looking. “Blaze?”
The dragon lets out a low, affectionate rumble and nudges my shoulder. I don’t know how he got here, but I’m more than happy he is.
He spits fire at an oncoming Rodarian, and without warning, Kera hops off his back with the help of a rider I can’t see.
My vision narrows in on Kera and only her. I don’t move. I can’t. I’m stunned. Leery. A bubble of happiness tries to rise, but I’m not sure I should let it. “You’re alive?”
It’s a stupid thing to ask. She’s obviously alive. She stands there, her hair a matted mess, her clothes ripped and charred, her skin speckled by dirt, and her weapons strapped to her as usual, and all I can think is that she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how she found Blaze or if he found her, or why she’s fighting with me instead of against me, but a lump lodges in my throat.
Her eyes soften. I can feel her love like a caress. It’s not enough. I go to her and she flings her arms around me and says close to my ear, “It was the magic. I swear. I would never hurt you on purpose. The last thing I wanted was to leave you, but I had to. To protect you.”
I pull Kera into a space between two buildings, and for the time being we’re protected by Reggie and Blaze. “I knew it wasn’t you. Down deep I just knew it.”
She puts her hands on both sides of my face. “I gave up my magic. I’m human again. One hundred percent.”
“How? Where is it?” Magic just doesn’t disappear. It had to go somewhere.
“I made a Keeper of Life. It was stupid of me, but I had to get rid of the dark magic…and…and then Baun took it. I couldn’t stop him,” she trips over the words in her rush to explain.
“Baun has all the magic?”
She holds out her hand to show me a ring. “Not all.”
“Is that the Salter’s magic?”
With a quick tug, she slips the ring off her finger. “Baun wanted it so desperately, but it wouldn’t let him use its power.”
Magic with a conscience? I can’t say I’m upset about that.
“It’s given me what I wanted.” She places the ring in my palm. “It’s yours now.”
The ring untwists and slips along my fingers, where it turns into a heavy ring that matches the one Kera had. I guess we really are two halves of a whole.
I can’t imagine Kera wanting anything. “What did you ask for?”
Rising on her tiptoes, she places a kiss on my lips and breathes, “To be here with you.”
“It’s getting thick around here. You need to cut it short,” comes a familiar voice. “Blaze and I are going back up.”
I glance past Kera and see Grandma peering around Blaze’s huge head. My grandmother—my sweet, nonviolent grandmother—is sitting astride a dragon. If flying monkeys had suddenly appeared, I couldn’t have been more surprised. “Grandma? What are you doing?”
She’s riding a dragon, that’s what she’s doing, but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around what I’m seeing. Grandpa’s going to have a fit when he finds out.
She kicks Blaze on his sides and the dragon spits another fireball. A Nightmare Man blows apart behind us. A smirk tips her lips. “Protecting you.” She pats the dragon on the neck. “A large group of
firsts
is pouring out of the forest and headed this way. Baun has sent part of his army to intercept them.”
“That would be Grandpa.” I don’t want to tell her, but she needs to know. “He’s a little banged up, but you know him.”
“Ooohh, that man,” she sighs, the sound sharp and hard. “I’d best go help him.”
Before she leaves, she pulls off Blaze’s whistle from around her neck and tosses it to Kera. “Call if you get into trouble.” She gives me a hard stare. “Don’t let Kera get into trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Grandma nudges Blaze into position for takeoff, and his sides quiver with expectation.
“Wait,” I yell before she leaves. I create a protective spell for her. She glances at me, her look confident, she thinks I’ve got everything under control. I wish I did. She leans forward and kicks Blaze in his sides. “Let’s go, big boy.”
The dragon jumps into the air; his powerful wings push them higher and higher. A massive storm approaches and lightning flashes in the sky. They don’t stop, and soon they’re circling the area with the other dragons, firing at the nearest threats, and tearing into the Dark Souls.
I stare after her, more than a little proud. “She’s fearless.”
Kera smiles, and it takes me a moment to realize the sound of battle is gone.
Out of the smoke I hear Halim call my name. Something in his voice doesn’t sound right. When he sees me through the smoke, he stops and points the way he came, hopping from one foot to another. “It’s Signe. She’s in trouble.”
Reggie jogs over, his shotgun and rifle slung over his shoulders, a frown on his face. “It’s too quiet. Where’d everyone go?”
Everyone stands fighting ready, but there’s no enemy. I grab Kera’s hand, and following Halim, we break through the smoke. I can’t believe my eyes. Baun is gone and all the Rodarians look like Signe. Only the glimmer of red eyes gives them away.
Reece turns to me, his face a hard mask. “I warned you. Now you damn well better fix this.”
How am I supposed to fix this? The Rodarians slowly fall back. The Nightmare Men retreat into the shadows, and Granel and the Dark Souls are nowhere in sight. Even the dragons are gone. I’m not sure if they’re chasing the Dark Souls, or if they’ve taken cover from the approaching storm. The clouds overhead are so dark, I’m not surprised when the rain comes. I hate my dad. He’s making it as difficult as he can to stop us. He really doesn’t know me. I don’t stop.
Halim separates himself from Reece, who’s pacing the area like a madman. The boy gets close to me and whispers, “What if Signe’s dead? I don’t think Reece is going to be okay with that.” He hesitates for second. “I-I’m kind of not okay with that.”
“She is alive.” Kera grabs his shoulders and looks him square in the eyes. “Baun must have caught her when she went for the ring, and had the Rodarians change their appearance to match hers so we can’t easily find her. But trust me. The Rodarians cannot take on the form of someone who is dead. She’s alive.”
“It’s freaky.” Halim nervously scratches red streaks across the dirty skin of his left arm.
“That’s it then,” Reggie says. “They have her. We follow them.”
“What?” I couldn’t have heard him correctly. Reggie’s been amazing, taking on his responsibilities without question, and there’s been some really strange stuff flying his way lately, but that’s crazy. “Going exactly where they want us to go sounds like a trap.”
“I’m not just some dumb sheepherder. They’re the sheep. All they’re doing is following the shepherd. But why? Your dad wants us gone from here.
This spot
. Otherwise he would just kill the girl.”
It’s a harsh statement none of us want to hear. “So, either there’s something special about this place or they want us somewhere else before they exterminate us.” I look around. This part of the city is a dump. I can’t imagine what they could want here. Nothing jumps out as being useful unless they need wood for a fire. I shrug, wondering if anything will ever make sense when it comes to my dad. “I don’t know what’s going on in Baun’s head.”
Reece shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. We have to go.”
Everyone nods. I tip my head back and let the rain pour over my face. We’re soaked and it’s getting colder by the second. I can see my own breath. None of this sits well with me, but I really don’t have a choice.
Reggie pulls me aside. “I’m staying here. My gut says they’ll be back, and I want to know why.”
I don’t know what he’s expecting, but I agree. “I’ll leave a few guys with you.”
I rejoin everyone else. As we start forward, I slant a quick glance Kera’s way. I don’t want to ask her, but I have to. “Have you seen your dad?”
She comes alongside me and slips her hand in mine. It feels good to have her back. “No. I’m almost scared to know what’s become of him.”
“He’s with Baun.”
She stops. “That’s impossible. He would never…”
“I know. But he’s with him.” I wait for a second and then ask, “Can you think of a reason?” The only one I can think of doesn’t have a happy ending.
“They were friends, but that ended when my father sent Baun into exile with the
pux
. I would think Baun is furious about that, but he hasn’t said a word. Not this whole time.”
“He’s waited for his magic.” We both know why Baun needs his magic.
“He’s going to send my father to the
pux
, isn’t he?”
“That’s what I’m thinking. It fits my dad’s style.”
The horror in her eyes makes me want to turn around and take her someplace safe. Someplace happy.
“We have to save them both,” she insists. “To lose either of them…”
Her face says it all. It would destroy her. Kera has already lost so much.
I pull her close and kiss her temple. “I’ll do what I can.”
“I know you will.”
Until now, I’ve been fighting to keep Kera safe. To find us a happy ever after. But this is far bigger than her and me, and now I’m trapped. Whatever I do, whatever choice I make, I’ll never be free. I can’t leave now. I have to finish what my dad started. His legacy is marred by greed and selfish motives. He’s hurt countless people. Worse, he’s become a cold-blooded murderer.
My dad is the villain of my story. He’s the one I have to stand up to, and one of us isn’t going to walk away. Maybe neither of us should.
Snatches of conversations I’ve heard over the past months crowd my mind. Kera senses my mood. “It isn’t hopeless.”
My gaze searches her bright, violet eyes. “Baun used to be a good king, right?”
She nods. “At first.”
“He used every bit of his magic to better his people,” I think out loud. “That’s what everyone says…but it was never enough.”
“Dylan.” Kera’s mouth softens as the sympathy she feels flows from her lips. “It never will be enough. People will always want more, even if they have everything.”
“Yeah, I get that, but how did he go from wanting the best for everyone to this—someone who wants all the power for himself? Who thinks nothing of killing for it?” My usual confidence wavers. “His power flows through me. He wants it back. He told me the first time I met him that’s what he wanted…”
“You cannot give it to him.”
“But if I keep it, will I become a crazed tyrant too?”