“Yet you do not understand all of it. There are still some mysteries left.”
I saw where this was going. “You’re right, there are. If I were to understand the parts that don’t make sense, would I be able to manipulate the prophecy somehow?”
He didn’t answer immediately. The machine’s gears clicked, and the giant scope atop the metal ball rotated a fraction.
“Understanding the parts of the prophecy you don’t yet comprehend will not help you to beat it, I’m afraid.”
My shoulders slumped. “Oh.”
“If anything, you should fear the occluded verses more than the others.”
Great. Just when I thought I had enough to worry about. So far, I wasn’t sure how this man had helped me at all. “Then why am I even here?” I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. Pretty sure it hadn’t worked.
“Patience,” he said. “I will help you the best I can, but you should know that things will never turn out how you wish. The part of the prophecy you should fear most is not the one you have been concerning yourself about.”
“It isn’t? Killing everyone isn’t what I shouldn’t be worried about?”
“No.”
“Then what is?”
He pursed his lips before answering. “Mending the rift,” he said simply.
“What about mending the rift?” I asked. “What does that even mean?”
He only shook his head. “That is not for me to reveal.”
Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my emotions in check. I hated prophecies in the first place, especially since they were never straightforward. They only hinted at things, leaving my imagination to fill in the gaps, and my imagination tended to go to awful, maddening places. Maybe it was time for us to focus on something else.
“You said there was a way to manipulate the prophecy. What did you mean by that?”
We sat in the chairs near the telescope as the gears continued their incessant clicking, like a clock marking time, counting down to something I was beginning to fear even more with each passing minute.
“Time,” he said. “Time is the one variable never mentioned in the prophecy.”
“Time?”
He nodded.
I followed his train of thought. “Can time be manipulated?”
“What do you think?”
I thought about what I knew. I’d never seen anyone manipulate time, and time travel seemed a bit farfetched, even in the crazy worlds I lived in, but then I remembered something. “Mochazon,” I said. “He was a pixie man who traveled to Earth because the tree with pure magic sent him there—but it sent him two weeks into the past. It was a fluke. I don’t think it was meant to happen, but it did. Could something like that happen again?”
“Perhaps, though it would not be easy, and I’m afraid only a spell with pure magic can manipulate time. Even so, such feats have never been accomplished by any practitioner I know—and there is a reason. Time is not meant to be tampered with.”
“But if it could be, then how would one do it?”
“It would be much the same as creating a portal. One would need the proper magic. More importantly, the spell would require an anchor.”
“An anchor?” My figurines. They must have been anchors for the portals I created. But to manipulate time, I would need a different sort.
Lucretian rose. “Come,” he said. “I must show you.” I followed him back to the small stove where he stooped and opened the door. Most of the logs had burned down, leaving a bed of glowing embers in their place.
The druid stood, removed a pair of tongs from a shelf on the wall, then returned to kneel by the heater. Carefully, he removed one of the coals from the open stove. After shutting the door with a click, he turned to me.
The coal shimmered in differing hues of bright orange, but it slowly cooled. When the coal turned black, Lucretian’s eyes met mine.
“Hold out your hand,” he said.
I did as he said. He placed the coal on my palm.
“What is that?” he asked.
“A coal.”
“Yes, and what else?”
“Charred wood?” I wasn’t sure what he was getting at.
“Is it more?” he asked.
I studied the object sitting on my palm, feeling its weight in my hand, barely heavy enough to make an impression. It was fuel, carbon. It was many things, but I suspected Lucretian wasn’t referring to any of its physical traits, so I concentrated on something else instead.
Its magic called to me ever so quietly, a gentle whisper, barely perceptible. It was only there if I searched for it—yet, I felt it. The characteristics of black magic came from the small piece of charred wood.
“Black magic,” I answered.
His eyes lit up. “Yes! You can feel it, can’t you? Is it evil?”
“No, it’s only magic.”
“Correct. Magic is not evil, but it can become that way if the practitioner uses it for ill purposes. Black magic is negative magic. It absorbs energy. It must be taken from something else and cannot be created on its own, making it more easily tainted and unable to resist evil the same way other magics function. But,” he said intently, “its unique properties can also be used to balance the other magics.”
I held very still, not breathing as his words sank in. “I can use it to balance my magic.”
“Yes, and I suspect you already have been, even though you didn’t realize it.”
“My magic has been easier to use since I got here.”
“And that is because you have been using black magic.”
“But… I’ve only been using what’s around me. I haven’t been conjuring the magic. Because if I did, wouldn’t that make me… wouldn’t I be… a witch?”
He only stared at me.
“Because I’m not a witch. I couldn’t be. I’m only able to use black magic here because it’s part of this world, but I’ve never been able to use the powers outside of this world.”
“You are correct for the most part. But, as you see, black magic can be found all around—even in your world—if you know where to look, regardless of whether you possess the natural abilities to use it.”
My knees felt weak. Silvestra was right all along. I could use black magic. “You know, this would have made my life a whole lot easier if I’d known this a few months ago.”
“Now that you have this knowledge, you must use the magic to balance your own powers. Soon, with the three magics working together, you will find your powers growing stronger.”
His eyes became more intense as he studied my face.
“’She will come…” he said, his voice quiet, yet his words resonated within my soul. “‘In flame.” He opened his palm where a pillar of amber and blue fire sparked to life. “‘… And ash.’” With his other hand, he picked up the coal, crushed it in his hand, and let the ash fall onto my palm, a light coating that I barely felt, soft against my skin.
He held up the flame flickering over his palm. “Amber—Earth magic. Blue—Faythander magic. The flame.” Closing his other hand over mine, he encased the ash inside my fist. “Black magic. The ash. ‘She will come in flame. And ash.’
“You, Olive, have been destined to wield three forms of magic from the beginning of your life.”
Chapter 8
I descended the stairs with Lucretian following behind me, my mind buzzing with new information, still in shock to learn that I was indeed a witch. It was true that I hadn’t inherited black magic, yet the art could be learned, and the more time I spent on this world, the easier the power came to me.
It would have saved Kull and me a lot of trouble if I’d learned all this a few months ago, before he’d been captured by the silverwitch. Silvestra had been so certain that I could use black magic—she’d even referred to the prophecy as proof—and I’d thought she’d been off-her-rocker crazy for thinking it. Looked like she was right after all.
The druid and I made it back to the dining area where my companions sat around th
e table, talking quietly. Maveryck kept his arm wrapped around Heidel’s shoulder as she leaned into his chest.
Heidel had never accepted his death, and it looked like she’d been right about that, too. Seemed I was getting a lot of things wrong lately.
Kull looked up and gave me a gentle smile as I sat beside him.
“We were just discussing how we’re going to get that sword back,” he said.
“How do you plan to do it?”
“It won’t be easy,” Maveryck answered. “Jeven is the high ruler of this planet’s last remaining city. He keeps the sword hidden in an unknown location in his tower—a basically impenetrable fortress located at the town’s center where the magic is strongest. The sword is protected by a web of spells that are fueled by the same energy powering most of the city.”
“But get this,” Kull added. “You remember how the unicorn’s stone was stolen several years ago, and how we were able to find the fairies’ stone but never located the unicorn’s stone?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“It seems Jeven and his people lured the bloodthorn—who was then a unicorn—into their lands. They used him to steal the unicorn’s stone and bring it to them. Now, it seems they’ve been using that very stone as a partial power source for their city.”
“And,” Maveryck added, “they also use it as a protection against the Regaymor. But it won’t last long, which is why they tried to use the bloodthorn to steal the fairies’ stone for them, so they could replace the unicorn’s stone with it.”
“Wow,” I said. “I never knew.”
“No, none of us had any way of knowing,” Maveryck said. “Also, they thought that by bringing the two stones to their land, they could restore their world. You see, they once worshipped Theht, but the ancient goddess disappeared completely from this world. She withdrew all her powers, which had once protected them. The people here thrived on her energy, and when she left, millions died, leaving only a handful of people behind. Now, they all live in that city, surviving in part on the magic of the stolen unicorn’s stone.”
“And,” Kull added, “if we want to remove the sword from Jeven’s tower, we’ll have to take away the source of the magic keeping it locked inside.”
“If we wish to take the sword,” Maveryck said, “we’ll have to remove the unicorn’s stone first.”
“So…” Brodnik said. “That’s two things we’ve got to steal—the sword and the stone.”
My eyebrows rose. If a King Arthur reference went unnoticed by everyone at the table except for me, was it still a King Arthur reference?
“Why are you smiling?” Rolf asked me.
“Inside joke,” I answered. “But yeah, let’s talk about this. How are we supposed to steal the sword and the stone at the same time?”
“We’ll have to split up,” Maveryck said. “That’s the only way to do it. We actually have to split into three groups. One group will wait outside the city gates with Lucretian.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because,” Lucretian answered. “Long ago, Jeven and I were friends, but he craved power and sought to take my magic from me. We battled one another. I beat him, and he failed in taking my powers, but he managed to place an aaric’s spell on me, making it impossible for me to enter the city. Jeven holds the city and everything in it. If I were to enter, the guards would be immediately alerted to my presence and I would be taken prisoner. It would end our quest to remove the sword before it ever began.”
“Someone must wait with Lucretian outside the city walls,” Maveryck said. “It won’t be an easy task. Inside the city, there is protection from the Regaymor, but outside, there is none. However, once we retrieve both the sword and the stone, we will have to leave the city as quickly as possible and make our way outside the gates where Lucretian will create a portal for us to escape back to Faythander.
“Escaping through a portal is the only way we’ll elude Jeven’s guards. We’ll have to do it quickly, and even then, I’m not sure it’s possible. Still, we have no choice but to try.” Maveryck nodded at the two Wult men sitting at the end of the table. “Rolf and Brodnik have agreed to guard the druid while we enter the city, but they can’t do it alone. Lucretian will need the staff of Zaladin.”
“Why does he need the staff?”
“Because its magic has the ability to repel the Regaymor.”
Made sense. “While Lucretian, Brodnik, and Rolf are camped outside the city, what will the rest of us be doing?” I asked.
Heidel spoke up. “We thought you and my brother would take the sword from Jeven while Maveryck and I retrieve the stone. Neither task will be easy.”
“But if we want the sword back,” Kull said, “they’ll both have to be done.”
I sat back in my chair. “Let me see if I have this straight. Kull and I are going into Jeven’s tower to steal the sword, but we can’t remove it until Heidel and Maveryck remove the unicorn’s stone—and we’ll be doing this while Lucretian, Rolf, and Brodnik are camped outside the city walls waiting for us to return. After we escape the city with the sword in tow, Lucretian will create a portal that will get us off this world and return us to Faythander. Is that about right?”
“Yes,” Kull answered.
“All right. What’s the plan from here?” I asked.
“We’ll leave in the morning,” Maveryck answered. “Lucretian can create a portal that will take us to a forest outside the city walls. I suggest we get some sleep while we can. We’ve got a difficult quest ahead of us.” Maveryck stood. “I shall show you where you can sleep, if you’ll follow me.”
We stood and followed Maveryck into a large room in the mountain’s interior. There were no windows, so he lit several candles placed on tables throughout the space.
“Lucretian doesn’t get many visitors out here,” Maveryck said, “so I’m afraid there aren’t any spare beds. But we’ve got rugs on the floor and you can unroll your sleeping packs here.”
“It beats sleeping in the desert,” Rolf said, slinging his pack off his shoulder. The others did the same. At least we wouldn’t have to take watch. Maybe I would actually get some sleep for once.
Kull laid out a blanket near the back of the room. The candlelight turned his skin bronze and glowed over his blond hair.
My heart gave that familiar flutter, yet as it did, nerves pinched my stomach. I wasn’t sure how to sort out my emotions. I knew I loved him, yet I couldn’t doubt I feared him at the same time. However, was it really me who was afraid him? Perhaps that piece of Theht inside me feared him, because it knew he would be the one to bring its end—which meant he would most likely bring my death as well.
I tried not to let those thoughts bother me, but knowing someone would kill you wasn’t an easy thing to shake off. Kull wouldn’t really kill me—and I knew it—but he had admitted that if the thing inhabiting my body wasn’t me, he would have no other choice. Even after talking to Lucretian, I still hadn’t figured out how to avoid the prophecy. Either I would destroy the world or Kull would kill me—that still hadn’t changed—but at least now, with Lucretian’s revelation that time could be a factor, I had a place to start.
Pushing my unease aside, I crossed the room to where Kull set up his sleeping arrangements. He looked up and smiled.
“Hey,” I said. After unrolling my pack next to his, I laid down beside him.
He turned to face me. Behind us, I heard the others talking in quiet conversations. Rolf was informing Brodnik of his wife’s extraordinary cooking skills, and Maveryck and Heidel spoke quietly. It was good to see them reunited, even if it had happened in a place like this.
Kull took my hand, giving me a slight smile. When I looked into his eyes, my reaction wasn’t what I expected. Fear made my heart skip a beat. I knew it was Theht who feared him, but the closer we got to the prophecy being fulfilled, the harder it was to sort out my emotions from Theht’s.
He kissed my knuckles, and I prayed he hadn’t noticed my reaction. His lips were
soft, and the familiar scent of sandalwood came to me, helping to calm my fears. I shouldn’t have feared him. I knew better. But I wasn’t sure I was completely in control of my emotions anymore.
“You know,” I said, “sometimes you really are one scary brute.”
His knowing smile sent my thoughts in a completely different direction. “Do I scare you, Olive?”
“Yes,” I answered. “Very much so.”
“You shouldn’t be scared,” he answered quietly. “Not yet, anyway. Not until our wedding night.”
I laughed, hoping to ease the tension. “Are you teasing me?” I whispered.
His hands wandered, cupping my cheek, trailing around my ear, and then his warm fingers traced down my neck to my collarbone. “I want you so badly,” he said. “More than you can imagine.”
“I can imagine pretty well.”
His eyes lit up. “I could take you now.”
“That might not be the best idea, seeing as how we’re in a room full of people… including your sister.”
“You might be right, but I will have you, Olive.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Yes, it’s a promise.”
I leaned closer, our faces only inches apart. “Then it had better happen soon.”
He took my hand and slowly kissed my knuckles, his lips lingering on my fingers, making desire well inside me. “It will.”
“Well,” Brodnik bellowed from the other side of the room. “What do you say, Kull, do you believe Rolf’s wife is the best cook in the kingdom?”
“No,” he called back. “Olive is better.”
“You’re lying,” Rolf’s voice echoed. “We’ve tasted what she cooks.”
Kull propped onto his elbow. “She cooks in Earth Kingdom all the time.” He leaned toward me. “What’s the name of a dish you cook in Earth Kingdom?”
“Something I cook?”
“Yes, give me the name of something that sounds exotic.”
“But Kull, I don’t cook.”
“I know, but there must be some sort of dish you prepare occasionally, right?”
“Okay, how about… Ramen noodles?”
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