The next morning, we all met at Potions & Pastilles promptly at seven. My mother had departed last night after our chat, and Cass and Del had immediately descended upon my apartment, questions in tow. They’d wanted to know all about her.

While I still didn’t remember a lot of my past the way they did, I had an opportunity to make new memories. I’d take that any day. The three of us had fallen asleep at my place sometime around midnight.

Now, we all gathered around the bar at P&P, coffees in hand, courtesy of Claire. They’d closed P&P today so that they could help us and so there would be no observers when I untangled the prophecy using the Vessel of Truth.

Cass, Del, and I sat at barstools at the counter. Roarke, Ares, and Aidan stood behind us.

“I’ll be right out!” Connor shouted from the back, where his workshop was located.

I glanced at Ares, nerves skating through me. He smiled. “It’ll be all right. Perhaps the prophecy won’t be bad.”

I laughed. “Was that a joke?”

He smiled. “Yes.”

“Even if it is a good prophecy, I bet Drakon has a plan to use it for evil.”

Ares nodded. “Fair assessment.”

The door from the kitchen swung open and Connor walked out, a vial full of gray potion in his hands. He held it aloft. “Ta da!”

“Looks delicious.” I grimaced. Though Connor was one of the top potion makers in the world, not all of them tasted great. I opened the wooden box I’d put on the bar and removed the beaker, then handed it over to Connor. “You can pour it in here.”

I held my breath as he unstoppered the bottle. Ademius had said that if we didn’t get the potion right, it could destroy the beaker. I had faith in Connor, but still, it was hard to shake the nerves. So much rode on this.

Carefully, Connor poured the liquid into the vessel. When it didn’t explode or shatter, the air rushed from my lungs and my shoulders relaxed. For a moment, the beaker glowed with a pale light.

“I think it worked,” Cass said.

“Here’s to defeating Drakon.” I gave everyone one last look, then put my lips to the beaker and drank.

At first, nothing happened. It did taste worse than Connor’s invisibility potion, however, which had the unfortunate flavor of mud. This was like mud plus old socks. I gagged slightly, then drained the beaker. Once the last drop was down my throat, warmth flowed through my veins. Kinda like Four Roses, but my favorite bourbon didn’t come with a side of clarity and understanding. It also tasted a whole lot better.

I set the beaker on the table and closed my eyes, calling up the prophecy on instinct. The only two words that I’d understood floated in my mind— dragons and return.

Energy fizzled through my mind. I gasped, clutching the counter, as more words appeared. It was like a curtain was being drawn away. Words floated through my head.

Deep in the place where the earth meets the sun and the mist meets the magma, the Phoenix will give rise to the dragon’s return or the Triumvirate will engender their fall.

I gasped, opening my eyes. “I understand the prophecy.”

“What is it?” Del asked.

“Not good.” My stomach turned. I met everyone’s eyes. “Somehow, the three of us will be the end of the dragons.”

“Us?” Cass’s voice was stark.

“Yeah. He’s not just after me. He’s after all of us.” My stomach twisted at the idea that Drakon wanted my deirfiúr as well. The stakes had been high before—but they were being hunted too? It shook my world. I was used to them being in dangerous situations, but this was so much bigger. I repeated the prophecy to them.

“Fall?” Del asked. “That’s like… death or destruction. But they’re already dead, right?”

No one had heard of or seen dragons in centuries. They’d disappeared one day, gone forever. They were assumed dead, but no one really knew. “The prophecy may be suggesting they aren’t.”

“If they still exist, he’ll have to find them first,” Ares said. “And it sounds like the prophecy gives a clue to their location.”

“It’s does, but it’s vague.” I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Deep in the place where the earth meets the sun and the mist meets the magma.” Del recited the prophecy. “That sounds like it’s part of a myth or something. It feels familiar, almost.”

“It’s another clue. One that Drakon is capable of tracking if he’s given enough time.” I shivered at the knowledge of how capable. He had resources and power we didn’t even know about. “Maybe that’s why Drakon wants us––we’re supposed to help him find the dragons with our dragon sense.”

“Can we?” Cass asked.

I shrugged. “We might as well try. It’s not a lot to go on, but you never know.”

The three of us went silent, each calling upon our dragon senses. I recalled the prophecy, using it as fuel. Seconds passed, then minutes. I pushed my magic, trying to force my dragon sense to work.

“Nothing.” Del’s words snapped me out of my trance.

“Same.” Cass frowned.

I sighed. “Yeah. That’s just not enough information to go on. But it’s a place to begin. And Drakon already has a head start on us. Once he finds them, he’ll whatever terrible thing he’s planning.”

“If he wants to kill them, why?” Del asked. “There has to be something other than just the joy of doing something super evil.”

The answer blazed in my mind. “Power. That has to be it, right? The dragons must be able to give him more power of some kind. Extended life of more magic or influence or something.”

“It makes sense,” Ares said. “And since we don’t know where the dragons are to protect them, we have to kill Drakon before he finds them.”

“Agreed.” I looked at the clock. It was just past seven thirty. “No time like the present.”

“Let’s get this party started.” Del grinned, but worry was clear in her eyes.

I couldn’t blame her. The idea that we might be used to hurt dragons? Not good.

While Claire and Connor went to gather their supplies, the rest of us pulled on our winter clothes. Since we were going to Siberia in January, I figured we’d need them. We’d all agreed on black since it was going to be night when we arrived. Hopefully this would give us an element of stealth. Beneath my dark jacket I wore a black T-shirt with Basement Cat painted in dark blue. It was subtle, yet encouraging.

When Connor and Claire returned, I stepped forward. “Okay. Cass and Ares? Could you guys transport us to the Valley of Darkness?”

Cass saluted. “I can take two at a time.”

“I can do the same,” Ares said. “We’ll go in groups.”

I reached for Ares’s hand, then gestured for Claire to do the same. Aidan and Del took hold of Cass’s hand.

“Ready?” Ares asked.

I nodded. A moment later, the ether sucked us in, pulling me away from the cozy warmth of P&P and spitting us out in the cold chaos of Siberia.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the golden lights that shined through the gloom. I tensed. Magical signatures hit me from all sides, a cacophony of noise around me. Ares gripped my hand as people jostled around us.

As my vision cleared, I called my magic to me, ready to do battle.

But it seemed I didn’t need to—not yet, at least.

We were in a magical bazaar at night. Despite the stark chill in the air, it was full of supernaturals. Not all were bundled up like we were, and I had to assume they were some variety of cold-loving species. They browsed at tented stalls selling all variety of things—food, clothing, jewelry, housewares, spells.

But the one thing that was similar amongst it all—dark magic prevailed. It stunk—a combo of garbage and rotting fish and moldy onions.

“This place stinks,” I muttered.

“It’s pretty though,” Claire said.

She was right. Despite the foul odor of dark magic and the cold bite in the air, it did look surprisingly nice. The lights strung between the colorful tents looked like fairy lights shedding a golden glow over the wares—none of which looked as evil as they smelled. Upon closer inspection, the light bulbs were filled with sparkling glows of magic, not electricity. It was gorgeous.

The whole place looked like an enchanted evening if one could ignore the stench and prickle of evil that crept up your neck.

“Why does everything give off a taint of evil?” Cass asked. “Clothes, shoes, even the fruit. That’s weird. Unless they’re all cursed? But Curse Markets usually aren’t this large.”

She was right. It took a lot of power to curse items with dark magic. This place had to be the biggest Curse Market in the world.

“I’m going to go get the others,” Ares said.

I let go of his hand and he disappeared. While he was gone, I called upon my dragon sense to find Torus, using what Ademius had told me about him. A faint tug pulled around my middle, directing me through the market and hopefully toward the stables.

A moment later, Ares returned with Roarke and Connor.

“You know the way?” Ares asked.

I nodded and pointed. “He’s not too far.”

We made our way through the market, passing by stalls of food and clothes and books. The dark magic that haunted this place never abated, but it didn’t feel quite right either.

As we passed, more than one supernatural stared at us slightly too long for comfort. Fortunately, no one started anything. They knew we weren’t like them, but hopefully as long as we didn’t do anything shifty, they wouldn’t give us any problems.

At the edge of the market, there was a corral full of horses. Some were saddled and some were not, but they were clearly meant for riding.

“Is this the parking lot?” Del asked.

“There’re no cars,” I said.

“I didn’t see any sign of technology, actually,” Claire said. “It was the stone ages back in the market. No phones, cash registers, or electric lights.”

“That’s weird. This place is remote, but to not even have cars?” I inspected the paddock containing the horses, noting a large stable beyond. I pointed toward it. “I think Torus is in there.”

We made our way around the paddock, finding an entrance at the side. I looked at the weathered gray wood of the door and said, “Want to bet there’s no electricity in here either?”

“I’m too smart to take that bet,” Del said.

Beside her, Roarke chuckled.

I pushed open the large stable door and was proven correct. It was dimly lit by several strands of the enchanted fairy lights. A long corridor led down the length, with stalls along both sides.

It wasn’t heated, which was strange. Poor horses. They whinnied as we stepped inside. I headed straight for the back, following the pull of my dragon sense.

In a stall near the back, a man stood tending to a huge black horse. He rubbed a brush over the animal’s hide, but stilled when I knocked on the stall door. My friends gathered at my back.

The horse looked toward me first, and I gasped at the sight of its flame-red eyes. Actual fire burned within the horse’s eyes. And he had fangs.

Wow.

The man turned and frowned at me. “Who are you?”

“I’m Phoenix Knight.” I considered using my given name, Lividius, but I preferred the one I’d chosen when I was fifteen. “Are you Torus?”

“I am.”

“Ademius has sent me. We need to find Drakon.”

The man’s jaw firmed, his eyes turning wary. “Why would you want to do that?”

“I want to destroy him.”

Interest glinted in his eyes. “Do you, now?”

“I’m fated to.”

A slight smile tugged at his lips. “Fate, you say?”

“You don’t believe in fate?” I asked.

“I once did, but now?” He shook his head, eyes sad. “If fate does exist, you’ll need its help to defeat Drakon.”

“Can you help us find him?”

“I can, yes.”

“What will it cost?” Ares asked.

“Nothing.” The man shook his head. “If you succeed in this, I will have everything I want.”

“You hate Drakon that much?”

“You have no idea.” Darkness colored his voice. “If we leave now, you can be there in two hours. Can you ride?”

“Not particularly well,” I said.

“We can hold on,” Cass said. “This can’t be that much different than a camel.”

I grinned. We’d ridden camels once, through the desert. But these horses were definitely different.

“What kind of horses are these?” I asked. “They have flames for eyes and don’t seem bothered by the cold.” At least, I hoped they weren’t bothered.

“They were once normal horses. But time has changed them. Drakon has changed them.” Anger reddened the man’s cheeks.

“How?” Ares asked.

“His influence has polluted this desert. Turned the market and everything within it dark. The horses may not mind the cold, but they no longer play as they used to. His darkness has seeped into them, stealing their joy.”

Bastard. I hated Drakon. “Does this mean that this is not the biggest Curse Market in the world? That something else made it dark?”

“Exactly.” Torus sighed. “Go. Meet me outside. I’ll bring your rides.”

We filed out of the barn, waiting in the cold night for Torus and his horses. After fifteen minutes, they filed out of the stable in a line, each fitted with black saddles and bridles.

I chose one of the smaller ones, which was still bigger than any normal horse I’d ever seen. His hooves were massive.

“His name is Flint,” Torus said. “He’s brave and strong. You’ve chosen well.”

“Hi Flint.” I climbed into the saddle, finding it not as difficult as I’d expected. Ares made it look like a piece of cake, though, all but leaping into the saddle. Claire and Connor were pretty good, too, no doubt all that time in their bucolic English childhood, galloping horses across the moor.

In fairness, I’d invented that childhood for them in my head. They didn’t ever speak of their childhood.

Torus walked his horse over toward me. “Ready?”

“Yep.”

He led us away from the bazaar, toward the great black open of Siberia. A half moon shed light over rolling black sands of desert.

We followed in a loose cluster, like we were out for the deadliest trail ride in history. I didn’t think there’d be any marshmallows roasting over an open fire.

I directed my horse toward Torus, hoping to grill him for info. Astride his horse, he looked like he could gallop through Sleepy Hollow. All he needed to do was lose his head.

I angled my horse to walk alongside his. “This is a desert. I didn’t know there was one here. Aren’t we at the northern edge of Siberia, near the sea?”

“We are. There shouldn’t be a desert so far north, nor so close to the sea. And certainly not one like this. But it is Drakon’s influence, twisting the land around his castle. Polluting it.”

“That’s why you hate him?”

“Yes. He destroyed my pasture, twisted my family’s horses.” He patted the neck of the great beast he rode.

“How long has he lived there?”

“Nearly a hundred years.”

A hundred years? He hadn’t looked nearly that old. There was no plastic surgery that good. Which meant dark magic had to be at play, no question.

“It wasn’t always this dark here, though,” Torus said. “It happened over time, growing worse and worse. Our settlement won’t last much longer if he doesn’t leave.”

Our horses climbed a great black sand dune, their wide hooves moving easily on the sand. Thunder cracked in the distance, followed by a chill wind that bit into my cheeks.

“That thunder will never bring rain.” Torus’s voice was edged with sadness.

“Is it his magic?”

Torus shrugged. “I think so. Things began to change when he built his castle, according to my father. It was a great operation that dug deep into the earth and dark magic spread across the land. The magic wanes when he visits, then grows when he is gone.”

“What do you think that means?” Ares asked.

“I don’t know.” Torus shook his head. “There’s a story that says he absorbs it for strength.”

“So he comes here to regroup?” Del asked from behind. “How often?”

“Several times a year at least,” Torus said.

“This isn’t his only stronghold,” I said. “We destroyed one in Oregon.”

Torus grinned. “Good.”

“But it was nothing like this,” Cass said. “There was no well of dark magic.”

“Then this is probably his home base, isn’t it?” I asked. It was perfect for an evil bastard like Drakon.

“Seems like it could be.” Ares pointed ahead of us. “What is that?”

There was a dark shadow ahead, filling the air.

“The Cumulus,” Torus said. “Whipped up by the wind. We must go through it.”

“Aren’t cumulus a type of fluffy cloud?” I asked. It was rolling toward us so quickly, a dense black mass that made my stomach clench.

“Yes, but they’re nothing like this.” Torus’s voice was strained. “This is a cloud of dark magic. Your horse will take you through, but you must help him. And whatever you do, don’t turn back.”

The cloud was almost upon us, bringing with it the overpowering stench of dark magic. The sound of a roaring wind followed it, though I felt no breeze.

“How do we help our horses?” Claire shouted over the false wind.

“You’ll feel—!” Torus’s words were eaten by the wind as the black cloud rushed over us. If he was going to say anything else, I couldn’t hear it.

Immediately, I lost sight of my friends. Blackness closed over me, and Flint began to gallop. I clung to his back, bouncing wildly in the saddle. This was way harder than riding a camel. Despite Flint’s speed, the darkness remained. My skin chilled. Close spaces made me cringe and this was no different.

Chill out. I sucked in a calming breath, but got nothing. No air. I gasped.

Nothing.

Oh shit.

Don’t turn back. Torus’s words echoed in my mind. Oh fates. My lungs burned as I clung to Flint, every atom of my being screaming to retreat. To go back to safety.

But there was no safety. There was only forward.

And I couldn’t breathe.

Then Flint began to tire, stumbling as he ran. His gallop slowed.

We’re not there! I wanted to scream. My lungs ached, desperate for air.

I could feel the horse’s exhaustion, feel his strength draining. Could he not breathe either?

Panic lit my mind on fire.

You can do it, Flint!

Of course the horse couldn’t hear me. But he picked up his pace a tiny bit. Or maybe that was my imagination. I could still feel his misery, his exhaustion. It was like we were connected by a thread, our two souls becoming one.

I clutched the reins with one hand and pressed my hand to his neck, feeling his cool skin beneath my palm. I tried to push my magic and strength into him, praying it would help.

My muscles sagged and my brain slowed. But Flint picked up his pace. I gave him more of my strength, imagining it was a light flowing into him.

Though I was tempted to imagine that this was my new Life magic, it felt very different. I kept it up, encouraging Flint with my thoughts and my strength.

Finally, as I was beginning to lose my grip on the reins, we burst out of the blackness. I sucked in a massive breath. Nothing had ever felt so good in all my life.

I gasped as strength returned to my limbs and my lungs stopped aching. Around me, my friends plowed out of the Cumulus, gasping and choking for air. In the dim light of the moon, faces were pale and eyes stark.

“Oh my fates.” Del wheezed beside me. “That was awful.”

“Did you have to feed your horse your strength?” Connor asked.

“Yes,” Claire said. “For a moment I thought we wouldn’t make it. Then this instinct just came over me.”

As I’d thought, it hadn’t been my Life magic, but rather something between me and Flint. Partners.

“Fates, if I never see one of those again.” Cass sounded as winded as if she’d run up a mountain.

I glanced at Ares, who looked natural upon his horse. “Cumulus huh? More like Doomulus.”

A grin tugged at his mouth.

Cass laughed. “That was horrible, Nix.”

Ares chuckled, and I could tell he’d liked my dumb joke. I might be going to face my potential death against an evil of unknown power, but I wasn’t going to do it while moping.

“Come,” Torus said. “We are close and I don’t want to run into another Cumulus.”

“I can get behind that,” Connor said.

“Seconded,” Del added.

Flint picked up the pace, trotting alongside Torus. The cold night chilled my fingers as we rode across the black desert. Eventually, the sand gave way to pastureland. The grass was as black as the sand though, and the wildflowers were navy blue and a red so deep it was almost black.

A huge castle lurked in the distance, miles away. As we rode toward it, I could just barely make out black mist hovering over the castle walls.