Chapter 21: The True Cornerstone

 

 

RETURNING TO Mashallaha went quicker than I expected it to. Maybe it was the fact that we’d succeeded in what we’d set out to do, that something had actually worked the first time we’d attempted it, even if it’d been a bit of a bumpy road to get there. I didn’t know what it was I’d expected, but I didn’t think it mattered. We’d gotten the desert dragon on our side. I had Kevin already. That was two out of the five. The Great White had said I wasn’t ready. The star dragon had said there would be a sacrifice. But we’d come out ahead so far. And Zero was right: stone crumbled. We would prove everyone wrong, like we always did. I didn’t care if the gods themselves decried us. We would show them. I had faith in those around me. I had faith in myself. I wasn’t going to be controlled by Vadoma. I wasn’t doing this for Morgan or Randall. I was doing this because it was the right thing to do. And I would do this.

Stone crumbled.

Ruv went ahead as soon as we’d gotten into view of Mashallaha, saying he wanted to report to Vadoma as quickly as possible. He snapped open his sailboard and took off down the dunes, the wind at his back. Before he got too far, he turned and winked at me.

“Reporting to Vadoma?” Gary asked. “That didn’t sound ominous at all.”

“He’s probably a spy,” Ryan grumbled. “Gathering intel to give to Vadoma.”

“You just don’t like him because Vadoma wanted him to be my cornerstone,” I told him. “If he was anyone else, you’d think he was great.”

“No,” Ryan said, lying through his teeth. “He rubs me the wrong way.”

“I could teach him how to rub if he’s doing it wrong,” Kevin said.

I ignored him and focused on Ryan. “You know it’s nothing, right? There’s nothing there.”

“Tell your magic that.”

I rolled my eyes. “You knew there was more than one. That there could be multiple cornerstones.”

“Yeah, but I never expected to meet one,” he said. “And am I the only one thinking about how Vadoma knew that? She didn’t know you. She knew of you. How could she know who your magic would react to?”

That… was a fair point. “Huh. I never thought about that.”

“Knight Delicious Face has brains and brawns,” Tiggy said.

Ryan preened a little at that. Like a show dog.

“Maybe it was her visions,” I said, though I was loath to give any credence to that. I still thought her more of a fortune-teller than an actual seer. Maybe the star dragon had been a fluke, and everything else she’d done was smoke and mirrors. The Great White had said I wasn’t ready, but how did I know that had even happened? And the warnings about Ryan’s death. For all I knew she’d been manipulating me from the beginning, showing me only what she wanted me to see.

Stone crumbles, Zero had said.

And it did. But not if it was an illusion. Not if it was sleight-of-hand street magic.

“We shouldn’t trust her, kitten,” Gary said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Nor him, though he seems… enthusiastic. I think he’s harmless, but you can’t be too careful. We don’t know what Vadoma’s been feeding him all these years.”

Gary was right. Throwing caution to the wind would only end up getting us in trouble.

The problem?

That’s pretty much how we operated.

 

 

WHEN WE walked into Mashallaha a few hours later, we were greeted quite differently than we’d been the first time. Where we’d initially been met with distrust and derision, the gypsies now welcomed us as if we were the long-lost brothers of the clan. It was rather alarming, this change, because I couldn’t prove its veracity. These were the same people who had looked upon me with disdain because my skin wasn’t as dark as theirs. These were the people who had shunned my mother because she chose to love outside the clan. These were the people who didn’t seem to want to lift a finger to help us in any way.

I didn’t know if it had to do with Vadoma announcing that Ruv was my cornerstone before we left, but I thought it was a possibility. My suspicions seemed confirmed when Kevin and Gary and Tiggy had brightly colored scarves draped around their necks, similar to the one around mine, but Ryan was all but ignored. We’d been gone for just over a week. Which meant Vadoma had had eight days to fill her peoples’ heads with more of her rhetoric.

Oh man, were we gonna have some words.

To make sure he wasn’t separated from us or left behind somehow, I grabbed Ryan’s hand tightly, making sure he was at my side. There were grimaces on the faces of the people around us at the sight of him, but they continued to ignore him.

Welcome home, they said.

We knew you’d succeed, they said.

You have tamed the desert dragon, they said.

We’ve never known such joy, they said.

An illusion.

It all felt like an illusion.

We were herded toward Vadoma’s home. I would have preferred to shower and change out of my dusty clothes, to curl up in a bed with Ryan and sleep the rest of the day away, but we weren’t even given the option. I went with it, knowing the sooner we saw her, the sooner all of this would be finished. I wanted to leave Mashallaha as soon as possible. Tomorrow, if we could. We had a long road ahead of us to the mountains in the north and Castle Freeze Your Ass Off. Randall would be expecting us before too long.

I also needed to speak to Morgan, to let him know what had happened. And I wanted to hear my parents’ voices. To let them know we were alive. That we’d done what we’d come to Mashallaha to do.

So, yes. The very last thing I wanted to do was see Vadoma.

But it didn’t matter.

She was waiting for us in front of her carriages, Ruv at her side. He’d cleaned up, face scrubbed, wearing soft-looking trousers. He was shirtless and had a red-and-green band wrapped around his right bicep. He was smiling quietly as we approached.

Even Vadoma looked happy, which was weird. In the time that I’d known her, she’d never looked happy. Not like she did now. It was disconcerting, like she knew something we didn’t. It reminded me of a predator.

We were ushered to the front of the crowd, the gypsies gathering behind us. I kept my hand in Ryan’s, silently daring her to say anything about it. And I wasn’t going to be the first one to speak here. If this was a game to her, then I was going to try and maintain the upper hand.

I didn’t have to wait long.

“Welcome back,” she said, her voice carrying out into the crowd. “I have been informed of your success.”

I remembered my training. I bowed my head in deference. Morgan would have been proud. “We did indeed achieve what we set out to do.”

“And the desert dragon has committed itself to your cause?”

“He has, yes,” I said.

She didn’t even flinch at the warning in my voice. “Then you have begun the journey that has been placed before you. I have seen this path. I have seen the future and the possible outcomes. This is but one step in your ascension.”

“My ascension?” I said, confused. “Into what?”

Her smile widened. “Into the wizard that you are supposed to become.” Her eyes flickered over my companions, resting on Ryan briefly before she looked at me. “Though I’m sure the components of your journey can still be… negotiated.”

“Oh, is she trying to be undercover salty?” Gary muttered behind me. “Because Gary is starting to feel the need to bring the pain.”

And because I didn’t think Unicorn Rage was something we wanted to deal with right at the moment, I said, “Perhaps you and I can speak in private. To discuss these… components.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ryan whispered.

“Trust me on this,” I said quietly. “I know what I’m doing.”

He snorted. “You never know what you’re doing.”

“Rude,” I said. “But mostly true.”

“But of course,” Vadoma said. “There is nothing more I want than to speak to my grandson about the future. Come, chava. As for the rest of you, we have much to celebrate! Let us show our guests how much we appreciate the lengths they go to for the people of Verania.”

The gypsies cheered around us.

They sounded bright and happy.

It still felt like an illusion.

 

 

WE WERE alone when she said, “You must be tired after your travels. I won’t take much of your time.” She sat behind her desk and folded her hands in front of her.

I sat in the chair across from her desk. My legs were sore. I had sand in places I didn’t want to think of. And so I don’t know that I could be blamed when I said, “You can drop the act now. We’re alone, and we both know I’m not buying what you’re selling.”

She chuckled. “Is it so hard to believe I am happy for your return?”

“Anybody else, I would say no. Of course not. But you’re not anybody else. You’re the phuro. The seer. The manipulator.”

The smile faded into a more calculating look. It was chilling how quickly it happened. One moment she was the loving grandmother, and the next she was a hardened leader capable of squashing anyone who got in her way. I wasn’t concerned. I’d faced worse than her and come off the better. She wasn’t a villain, but she wasn’t someone I would trust. Not now. Probably not ever.

“I keep having to remind myself you’re smarter than they say,” she said. “It’s… surprising.”

I shrugged. “You can’t always believe what you hear.”

“Oh, I am aware,” she said. “But I don’t think you realize just how much is said about you, Sam of Wilds.”

“I am the future King’s Wizard. People know my name.”

She shook her head. “You mistake my meaning. Yes, they know your name. They whisper it amongst each other. But do you know what is truly said about you?”

“I don’t know that I care.”

She scoffed. “That’s certainly not true. Everyone does, no matter if they speak to the contrary. Especially you, who will be a leader amongst men. How can you say you don’t care about the will of the people?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You implied it.” She sat back in her chair. It creaked beneath her. “Most are in awe of you. Whether it be because of your magic or because of your rise from such… humble beginnings, there is a fascination with you. It doesn’t hurt that you carry with you a tongue of silver. There is an irony in calling me a manipulator when you are well-versed in the same, no?”

And as much as I wanted to disagree with her, to shoot her down, we both knew it would have been a lie. Because I did manipulate, even if I wasn’t thinking of it in that way at the time. I’d talked my way out of many a dangerous situation, turned the tables until I had the advantage. It wasn’t as nefarious as she was implying, but I wasn’t an innocent party in this.

I said, “I have my reasons.”

“I’m sure,” she said. “Better alive than dead.”

I didn’t reply.

“Most are in awe of you,” she said again. “But not all. There are… detractors. Those who think you have been given too much power too soon. That you are capable of destruction. Of bending the will of the King.” She smiled, but it was a cool thing. “Of murder.”

“I haven’t murdered anyone.”

“I am sure the Darks would disagree with you on that.”

“Lartin?” I said, outraged. “He had captured us. He was planning on attempting to ransom me because of who I was.”

“In exchange for?”

“Gold.”

“So he deserved to die?”

“I don’t—it was him or us.”

She frowned. “That’s a disturbing mentality to have for someone who will one day be an advisor to a king.”

“He was a Dark.”

“And some think Darks are only those who have lost their way.”

I laughed. “Is that what you think? They’ve made their choices. They’ve set themselves on a path where they know what will happen. There is no one to blame but themselves.”

“I wasn’t speaking of Lartin, though he does add to my point.”

I blinked. “Who the hell were you speaking of? I haven’t murdered anyone—”

“Wan. The Dark Hunter.”

“Wan,” I said. My skin felt cold. “I had nothing to do with Wan.”

“But you were there.”

“How did you—”

She pulled open a drawer of her desk and pulled out a bundled-up newspaper. She slid it across the surface of the desk until it was in front of me. I looked down at it. It was a copy of the City of Lockes Gazette, dated a week ago, just after we’d left for the desert dragon.

“How did you get this?” I asked. “They don’t distribute the Gazette all the way out here.”

“I have my ways. And I thought the story on the front page would interest you.”

I didn’t want to look, because this felt like another of her games. Like this too was an illusion. But curiosity had always been a weakness of mine, and I unfolded the newspaper.

The headline was sensational and accusatory:

DARK DIES IN CAPTIVITY WHILE BEING QUESTIONED BY SAM OF WILDS!

The article was pure speculation, and aside from saying that I was present and that Wan had died, was completely false. It said sources had revealed that Wan was under duress given the Wizard’s apprentice’s interrogation techniques and that Sam of Wilds refused to render aid when it became apparent that there was a medical emergency. It went on, making sure to skirt that fine line of fact and fiction, saying, although this has yet to be corroborated, what has been confirmed by the official spokesperson to the Good King is that Wan the Dark Hunter did indeed pass away while incarcerated. “Details will be provided once the investigation has been completed,” the spokesperson said. “Given the serious nature of the matter, the King cautions his subjects against conjecture, that the truth will come in due time.”

When reached for a comment on the matter, the president of the We-Hate-Sam-A-Lot Castle Lockes Chapter, Lady Tina DeSilva, said, “It is unfortunate that yet another person has met their end by the hands of Sam of Wilds. Allegedly. It is also unfortunate that people are just now learning what I’ve known for years, that Sam of Wilds is a danger to the populace and will stop at nothing until his machinations are fully realized and he has usurped the throne. Allegedly. Since I have my ear to the ground, I’ve heard that Wan the Dark Hunter met an end similar to that of Lartin the Dark Leaf, violent and bloody, which is no surprise, given Sam’s unending rage. Allegedly. And where is Ryan Foxheart in all of this? One might say he is complicit, but one would be wrong. In fact, if one says that at all, one should be dragged out into the street and tarred and feathered for having the audacity to say something so atrocious—ahem. Excuse me. What I meant to say is that an operation to rescue Ryan Foxheart from the clutches of Sam of Wilds should be mounted immediately and performed without regard to Sam’s life. Ryan is undoubtedly under some sort of mind-control spell because that is the only reason he would have left Prince Justin at the altar. Ryan must be returned where he belongs, at the side of the Prince, so they can be in love and have babies and hold hands and whisper how much they love each other and give each other forehead kisses, because everyone knows that forehead kisses are the sweetest and most adorable thing that has ever existed. Long live Rystin!”

It should be noted that a petition to have Sam of Wilds removed from his position as the apprentice to the King’s Wizard has garnered over ten thousand signatures….

I set the paper down.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

It didn’t matter. None of it mattered.

It didn’t matter that I was out here, so far from home, working off a prophecy from the gods in order to save the world. It didn’t matter that the very people I was trying to protect were apparently turning against me. None of that mattered. It didn’t change anything. I would still do what was being asked of me. When this was all said and done, the people of Verania would see that everything I’d done had been to protect them. They’d see. They’d all see.

I ignored the little voice that whispered I was lying to myself. That I’d done this for selfish reasons. That I was here because I couldn’t let Ryan die. That I hadn’t even thought of the fate of the world.

“I can’t control what they think,” I said, voice even. “And there’s nothing in here based in fact.”

“True,” she said with a nod of her head. “But since when is the news concerned about truth?”

“Was there a point you were trying to make?”

“My point, Sam, is that I am trying to help you become the leader I know you’ll be. You may not believe this, but I want nothing but the best for you, chava. I want you to succeed.”

“But you want me to do it the way you say.”

She shrugged. “Can’t the same be said for Morgan? For Randall? Are you or are you not following the path they set for you?”

“I trust them. I don’t trust you.”

“I’ve never lied to you, Sam. Can they say the same?”

And if that wasn’t just a kick in the nuts. “How do I know that’s true?”

“I’ve never had any reason to. Sam, I have a vested interest in seeing the world remain as it is. These people are my people. I am the phuro because they placed their faith in me. And it is my duty to protect them at all costs. Why would I lie, especially if it meant harm could come to them? I would sacrifice myself if it meant the darkness would not fall upon them. They are not meant to live in shadow. The gypsies are meant to bask in the sun.”

“You told them that Ruv was my cornerstone,” I said through gritted teeth, trying to hold on to any semblance of truth that I could. “You knew full well that I would never accept him. That I had Ryan. That I would always have Ryan.”

“I am the phuro,” she said again. “I would protect them. But it also means I am a politician. I curried their favor toward you. They allowed their prejudices to cloud their eyes. I gave you the chance to be seen in a different light. I did what I did for you.”

“You really believe that.”

“Yes.”

“And what will you do when they realize I will never be with Ruv?”

“You seem sure about that, chava.”

I banged my fist on her desk. She didn’t even flinch. “I am sure about it.”

“Well, then,” she said. “I will have lied. And I will deal with the fallout. But tell me, Sam. How can you know what the future holds? You cannot see as I have.”

I stood. The chair scraped along the wooden floor. “We leave,” I said, “in the morning. Me. Ryan. Gary. Tiggy. Kevin. That is it.”

“And the desert dragon?”

“Will remain where he is until I’m ready for him.”

“And how will you know when you’re ready?”

“When I have them all.”

“So you have accepted your destiny because of what I’ve shown you.”

I leaned forward, my hands on the desk. “No. Not because of what you’ve shown me. Because it’s the godsdamned right thing to do. I don’t know what you’re after, Vadoma. But you would do well to stay out of my way.”

She laughed. It grated against my ears. “Oh, Sam. You truly are beyond what I had hoped for. But I must remind you again: I have never lied to you. Can you name someone else in your life that can say the same?”

“I don’t have to answer to you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Do you know who I am? Who you’re talking to?”

I grinned sharply at her. “Do you? Because I’m Sam of Wilds. I’m the apprentice to the King’s Wizard. And I will do whatever it takes to keep those I love safe.”

“Your cockiness will be your undoing,” she said. “The power you wield will not protect you from everything.”

“It’s a start,” I retorted. “And I’ll figure out the rest. I mean it, Vadoma. Back. Off.”

I turned and walked away without looking back.

I was glad she wasn’t able to hear the racing of my heart.

 

 

I HATED to admit that, above all else, Vadoma had made a good point. It was easier being in Mashallaha when the people there weren’t being racist fucktards. It didn’t exactly endear them to me to see how fickle they could be with their affections. That night, as the celebration went on, it was like their previous actions had never happened. They smiled at me. They laughed around me. Men and women grabbed me by the hand and pulled me out to dance, spinning around and around as dresses and feet were kicked up. I had garlands of flowers placed around my neck, beads tied into my hair. They treated me as if I was one of them, as if I belonged.

If this had happened at the beginning, maybe things would have been different. But they hadn’t, and I saw through it for what it was: a farce.

Kevin was revered as he always was, regaling the crowd around him with stories that were expectedly untrue, not that anyone else knew.

Gary and Tiggy were given the same welcome I was. Tiggy was pleased, and Gary acted like he was too, but I could see the tightness around his eyes, the calculating look on his face when he thought no one was looking. He didn’t trust them in the slightest. After a while, I saw Gary lean over and whisper something into Tiggy’s ear that caused him to frown at the people around him, not that they noticed.

Ryan was ignored as if he didn’t exist. He was amused by it.

“You just think it’s funny because you’re the other woman,” I accused him as yet another new adoring fan of mine skipped away after not having even acknowledged Ryan sitting next to me.

“Wow,” he said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever been accused of that.”

I scowled at him. “If the high heel fits, you interloper.”

“Not one of my kinks,” he said easily. “Though I won’t tell you no if you want to try it.”

“That’s not… what are you even… holy gods, really? I mean, I don’t think I would like that, but what do I know? If you’d told me a few years ago I’d get off on fucking your mouth and coming on your face while I pulled your hair, I would have—scratch that. I would have believed that in a heartbeat. Holy shit, that’s super fucking hot. You know it’s—heeey, little girl who has apparently been standing in front of me long enough to hear me say something no little girl should ever have to hear. You look… pretty.”

The little girl burst into tears and ran in the opposite direction.

“Don’t do drugs!” I called after her. Ryan was laughing hysterically beside me, hunched over, arms wrapped around himself. It pissed me off, but it also made my heart thump a bit in my chest that, after all the crap we’d been through, he could still laugh so freely and openly. It really was beautiful to see and hear. I also wanted to fuck him stupid right about now.

“Oh,” he said, still chuckling. “You’ve got that look on your face.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said as I drooled a little bit. I wiped my mouth, feeling absolutely no shame. “So, come here often?”

He rolled his eyes. “Not really.”

“Would you like to?” I waggled my eyebrows at him.

His smile softened. “You’re ridiculous.”

“It is part of my charm,” I agreed. “Now, what say you and I get out of here and maybe I’ll fuck your orifices a little bit.”

“With an offer like that, I don’t know how I can refuse.”

“You seemed like a sure bet,” I said, leaning in to kiss him. My skin felt hot, and I wanted to grab hold of him and never let go.

“Smooth talker,” he said, and I could feel his breath on my face.

“I’m gonna do so many things to you in like three minutes,” I growled and closed the distance to—

“Sorry to interrupt.”

I groaned as I missed Ryan’s lips and ended up sucking on his nose a little bit. Not the smoothest I’d ever been, but it was all Ruv’s fault for even coming over to us when we were obviously about to bone.

Ryan grimaced as he pushed me off him, wiping his face. “That was unpleasant.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” I said, looking up to glare at Ruv. He stood a little distance away, hands clasped behind him, looking amused. “Someone doesn’t know what it means when I’m giving off my I’m about to get laid vibes. Not cool, dude. You fucking cock blocker.”

“My apologies,” he said, though he didn’t sound sorry at all. “I was hoping to have a word with you before you became… otherwise engaged.”

“That means the sex,” I whispered to Ryan.

“I know what it means,” he said, shoving my face away. “You dork.”

“Just making sure. Sometimes, things get lost in translation.”

“You’re not translating anything.”

I shrugged. “Same difference. Wait, what were we talking about now? Because my erection is getting really uncomfortable.”

“I did that,” Ryan said to Ruv, sounding smug.

“Congratulations,” Ruv said slowly. “You must be so proud. A word, Sam. If you don’t mind.” He glanced at Ryan, then looked back at me. “Alone.”

“Anything you can say to me, you can say in front of Ryan,” I said. “I’ll just tell him later anyway.”

“Yes, I suppose you will. But I’d prefer not to get stabbed.”

“Stabbed? What the hell are you—Ryan, put your sword away.”

“What? I’m just holding it.”

“And posing.”

“It’s not posing. It’s the proper at-the-ready position.”

“You just flipped your hair.”

“It was in my eye.”

“You just flourished your sword.”

“It was slipping from my grasp due to the desert heat, and I wanted to make sure I had a good grip on it.”

“You’re flexing.”

“I am? Oh, I didn’t even notice. But thank you for pointing that out. I do look rather vascular today, don’t you think?”

He really, really did. “You’re not going to even be able to walk by the time I’m done with you. I’m going to fuck you so full of my—little girl, why do you always come at the worst possible times?”

She burst into tears again and ran away, dropping a garland of flowers.

I almost felt bad but then realized that little girls have the worst timing ever, so I couldn’t be blamed. Plus, I figured it was probably better she learned now that boys were gross rather than later. When she got older, I bet she’d think twice before she did something untoward. I had done my duty in protecting the children of Verania.

“You’re not going to go away, are you?” I said to Ruv, resigned.

“If you’re leaving tomorrow, it’s best if we talk now,” he said.

“Babe, can you give us a minute?”

“I’m not going to stab him!”

“Babe.”

“Okay, maybe just a little.”

“You can’t stab someone just a little bit.”

“Watch me,” he said, teeth bared.

“Just… give us a minute.”

He groaned. “Fine.” He sheathed his sword and shot a glare in my direction before he turned back to Ruv. He took a couple of steps until he was standing right in front of him, only inches separating them. My lizard brain screamed at them to just kiss, but then I realized my dirty little lizard brain was an asshole, and that I’d probably end up punching Ruv in the kidney, so I kept my mouth shut.

Ryan was intimidating as all fuck. He was a big guy, with muscles and scruff and the ability to have a wicked snarl on his face that usually scared the shit out of most people.

The problem was Ruv wasn’t most people. In fact, he looked bemused at the posturing before him, like he was dealing with an irate puppy. Ruv obviously wasn’t as smart as I’d given him credit for. Or maybe Ryan wasn’t as daunting as I thought he was. Since one of those things threatened to change my view of the world, I decided that Ruv just had a death wish.

“I’ve got my eye on you,” Ryan said in a low voice. “You even look at Sam in a way that makes him uncomfortable and I’ll come back here and shove my sword through your dick until you’re shitting it out.”

“So violent,” I whispered reverently. “I mean, it ignores how the gastrointestinal system works, but wow. Also, watch your fucking mouth. There are children present.”

“I give you my word that nothing untoward will happen to Sam,” Ruv said, voice even.

“Darn right, mothercracker,” Ryan said. “Ryan doesn’t want to have to come back and cut a bro.”

“Aaaand that’s enough,” I said, stepping forward and pushing Ryan out of the way. “When you start sounding like Gary, you lose all credibility. Get outta here, you meathead.”

Ryan hooked a hand around my neck and pulled me close, laying a filthy kiss upon my lips, more tongue and teeth than finesse. But it turned out that I’m totally on board with tongue and teeth and gave back just as good as I got. By the time he’d pulled away, my face felt scrubbed raw by the week-old stubble on his face, my lips tingling and warm. He looked smug as he backed away slowly, glancing at Ruv. He brought his hands up, palms toward the sky, and said, “Ryan out.” He whirled around and headed toward Kevin, who was demanding even more gold than he’d already been given.

“Stop getting advice from Gary!” I shouted after him, a little dazed. “You stupid, sexy asshole.”

“He certainly likes to prove his point,” Ruv said, once again amused. “I suppose that’s a knight, though. Blunt and forward. Lacking in finesse and subtlety.”

I stared at him. “Obviously you don’t know us at all if you think any of us is subtle. About anything.”

“Point,” he said. “Walk with me, Sam.”

“You’re not going to try and touch my junk, are you?” I asked him suspiciously. “Because Ryan will stab you.” I frowned. “Not that I need him to. I don’t need no man to take care of bidness, if you know what I mean.”

“No. I really don’t know what you mean. Does anyone?”

“Sometimes. Where are we going?”

“Just away from the noise. There’s a dock near where you’re staying that—”

“I know,” I said. “I was there before we left.”

He didn’t seem surprised. “Good. It’s not far.”

I caught Ryan’s eye as I followed Ruv through the crowd. I jerked my head, letting him know I’d be right back. He looked like he thought that was the stupidest idea he’d ever heard, but he got distracted by Kevin saying something to him. I was out of his sight before he ever turned back around.

The noise fell away behind us. The wood creaked under our feet, the water lapping against the posts. I had a tendency toward stupidity, but I kept my eyes open, taking in my surroundings, making sure this wasn’t some feeble attempt from Vadoma to trap me in Mashallaha. I didn’t think Ruv would go along with it, but I didn’t really know him. He was the Wolf of Bari Lavuta. His allegiance was to his phuro. If it was anything like my bond with the King, I couldn’t underestimate what Ruv would do on Vadoma’s behalf.

The dock was empty when we stepped onto it. It swayed gently beneath our feet, but not enough to throw me off balance. A dry wind whipped over the water, a faint mist landing on our exposed skin. The stars were bright above. I’d have to remember what they looked like out here in the middle of nowhere when I was back in the City of Lockes. I didn’t think I’d come back to Mashallaha. Vadoma wasn’t someone I needed. Ruv was a headache I didn’t want to have to worry about. When we needed Zero, we could bypass Mashallaha altogether, or I could send Kevin. Either way, I didn’t want to come back to this city. It had hurt my family too much.

Ruv sat down on the edge of the dock, feet dangling down into the water. I sat beside him, sitting far enough away that we didn’t touch. I didn’t like how my magic felt around him, like it was comfortable, like it could be something more. Apparently my magic was a bit of a slut, given how it seemed to curl around him. Ryan felt bright and electric, like lightning. Ruv was smooth and warm, a desert wind. Ryan told me it took a long time before he was able to feel what I did, and even then, it was faint. I didn’t think Ruv could feel my magic, given that I hadn’t known him for very long, but it still felt… wrong. If this is what it meant to find another cornerstone, I hoped I never had to meet another one for as long as I lived.

“She’s worried,” Ruv said, breaking the silence.

I didn’t need to ask who. “Why?”

“Because she doesn’t think you’re taking this seriously. That this is just a game to you.”

I snorted. “She doesn’t know me.”

“Does anyone?”

“Gary does. And Tiggy. Kevin. Ryan.”

“So you say. But I think sometimes you hide behind a mask, even to them.”

“Right,” I said dryly. “And this is based on…?”

He shrugged. “Observation. It’s what I do. I watch. Your sass and snark. You have magic, but you mostly use words as weapons. There is great power within you, Sam, but you choose to hide it away.”

“I’m pretty sure you were there when I destroyed all those sand mermaids,” I said. “In fact, I know you were there.”

“And it was an impressive display. But I think you’re scared to show it.”

“Great,” I said. “It’s always fun to be analyzed. Because I don’t get enough of that in my life.”

“I’m not Morgan,” he said, and for the first time, I thought I saw a little crack on the cool façade. “Or Randall. I’m not Vadoma. I’m not trying to control you.”

“Then what are you trying to do?”

He turned toward me. I didn’t move away. “I’m trying to understand my part in this. All my life, I’ve been told I would be this… this thing to you. That I would be by your side and act as your cornerstone.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “But I had nothing to do with that.”

“I know,” he said. “And I don’t blame you. But you have to understand. Where your world was changed because of a destiny of dragons, mine was changed when the path I’d been set upon ended against a wall.”

“How did she know?”

“About me being your cornerstone?”

“Being a cornerstone, yes.”

He shrugged. “She said it was part of what she’d seen. In her visions.”

“And you took her word on that?”

He smiled at me, wide and handsome. “No, Sam. I took it on faith.”

“Sometimes faith steers you wrong.”

“Maybe. But it’ll still be there when I need it. Do you have faith, Sam?”

I thought of my mother and father.

Gary and Tiggy.

Kevin.

Morgan and Randall.

The King.

Justin.

Pete, my guard.

And Ryan. Of course I thought of Ryan.

“Yes,” I said. “I have faith. And they have faith in me.”

He was close. I didn’t know when that had happened. His hand was on mine, pressed against the wood. His eyes were dark, glittering in the starlight.

“I could have faith in you,” he said.

“You shouldn’t.” My magic burned.

“I could be that for you.”

“You won’t.”

“Sam.”

“Ruv.”

“I’ll ask you once. Do you believe that I could be your cornerstone?”

I swallowed thickly. “You could have been. But you won’t ever be. Because I found the one who makes me whole. And that’s all I have ever wished for.”

He smiled sadly… and pulled away. I slipped my hand out from underneath his, thankful that he wasn’t pushing this.

“This is where our paths diverge, isn’t it?” he asked.

“I think so,” I said honestly.

He laughed. It sounded a little hollow, but I didn’t blame him. If anything, I blamed Vadoma for filling his head with something that could never be. It was yet another life she’d interfered with, and it wasn’t fair. “For what it’s worth, Sam of Wilds, I think you aren’t what anyone expects you to be.”

I smiled at him. “Thank you, Ruv.”

He leaned forward, and for a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. Before I could pull away, he pressed his lips to my forehead, the lightest of touches, and then he was up and walking back down the dock. His footsteps fell away until there were no sounds but the water.

I looked up toward the stars and breathed.

 

 

RYAN FOUND me a little while later. I’d been planning on using the summoning crystal to talk to Morgan, maybe even Mom and Dad, but the crystal was back in the room I shared with Ryan, and I couldn’t force myself to go up and get it. I was too tired, too angry, too worried, too… everything.

I heard someone step onto the dock behind me, felt it shift. I tensed for the briefest of moments but then settled. I knew who it was. I didn’t even need to turn around. Soon enough, I felt a hand on the back of my neck, the fingers scratching into my hair. I hummed quietly and leaned against him when he sat next to me. I laid my head on his shoulder, and he rested his atop mine.

“Okay?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah,” I said. “Just… a lot. You know. In my head.”

“Gets loud, huh.”

“A little.”

“Need anything?”

“Just you. Just… you.”

He chuckled. “That I can do.”

He gave me time to parse through my thoughts, to try and put the pieces together and to discard the ones that wouldn’t fit. He didn’t know everything, but only because I hadn’t told him. Given what Morgan had told me before we’d left Castle Lockes, I hadn’t been able to work through it all. It’d been swirling around my head, the betrayal of it all, the anger, the anguish. Coupled with the fact that I had no idea what to expect in the desert, I wasn’t sure I could have given it the time it needed.

It didn’t help that I’d still felt the sting of betrayal. That my whole life had been foretold. That most of the major events that had happened to me, the things that had shaped me to become who I was today, seemed to have been done deliberately. That the man I looked up to almost the same as I did my father knew more about my past and future than he’d ever told me. One of the first things he’d ever taught me was that a wizard had his secrets. I knew that. I understood that.

It still hurt.

Especially to know I was keeping secrets too.

“My head feels full,” I muttered. “I don’t know what to focus on.”

“Okay,” Ryan said, turning his face to kiss my hair. “Let’s focus on one thing at a time.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you do what you needed to do here? With Zero.”

“I think so.”

“Will Zero help us when the time comes?”

I was surer about that. “Yes. He will.”

“And where do we go next?”

“North. The mountains.”

“Randall. Castle Freesias. The mated dragons.”

“Yeah.”

“And that’s the most pressing concern?”

I have awoken, O human child. In this forest deep, in the dark of the wild. And I have seen what is in your heart. Take heed of my warning: you are not ready.

All of you will not survive until the end. There will be loss, Sam. And it will burn like nothing has ever burned before. You must remember to keep in the light, even when the dark begins to curl around your feet.

I blinked away the burn.

And then I opened my mouth and lied.

“Yes. That, and I need to talk to Morgan.”

“Good,” he said. “Then we have a plan.”

I laughed wetly. He had to have noticed.

He did, of course. “Hey.” He lifted his head off mine, put a couple of fingers under my chin until I could look up at him. “What is it?”

I shrugged. “Just… tired. Really, really tired.”

“You sure?”

I nodded. “Been a long few weeks, I guess.”

“You can tell me anything, Sam. You know that, right?”

I looked into his bright eyes.

And believed him.

“I know.”

“All right,” he said, sounding regretful. “I distinctly remember a promise of butt sex, but if you’re too tired, maybe we should just get you to bed.”

I felt lighter because of him. Freer. “That’s how you play it?”

He had a wicked smile on his face. “That’s how I play it. What are you gonna do about it?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is that a challenge, Sir Knight?”

“It would be, Wizard. Think you can handle it?”

I leaned forward, the weight of the world pushed away, at least for now. I had more important things to focus on. When I spoke, my voice was low and rough. “Tell you what we’re going to do,” I said, watching as the breath hitched in his chest, because he knew that voice. His pupils dilated and his tongue darted out as he licked his lips. “We’re gonna head back to our room. You’re gonna get undressed. And then you’ll be on your knees while I’m still fully clothed. You’re gonna take my cock out. You’re gonna suck me off. And if you’re good, if you can get me nice and wet, I promise I’ll eat your ass until you’re crying. Then, and only then, will I fuck you. How’s that sound?”

“Yeah,” he said hoarsely. “That. Please. Let’s do that. That sounds good.”

“Then get up and get moving.”

He did, pulling me up. In his hurry, he almost ended up knocking us into the water but caught us before we went in. I was laughing at him, and he was laughing at me, and there, under the stars, I reminded myself that stone crumbled, and that even if it didn’t, I would shatter it until there was nothing left.

“I love you,” I said as he dragged me toward our room. “Gods, I love you.”

And when he smiled back at me, eyes still blown out with lust, his grip on my hand tightening, I knew no one would take this away from me. Because I would get my happy ending. If it was the last thing I did.

And there, under the stars, he said, “I love you too. You and me, Sam. Always.”

Yeah. I had plans, all right.

I could talk to Morgan later.