“What begins? What do you mean?” Terena asked, hands splayed as she took a few steps closer.
The Magi looked off to his right and his eyes widened slightly. He licked his lips and looked wild-eyed at Terena.
“I’m usually dead by now,” he mused.
“What’s that now?” Croak frowned.
The man dropped his chin. When he looked back up at Terena, his dark skin was pale beneath a sheen of sweat. “You must kill me.”
Terena scoffed, shooting a look at Croak.
“Take the shroud and go north this time,” the man pleaded. “Do not go to Metilai. You will die there.”
Terena stilled. “What?”
“Take the shroud and go north,” the man said, his voice almost manic now. “You’ve searched your whole life for him. You can get the Twins later. Go north. Now.You have the shroud.”
“I don’t understand.” Terena bit out. “Who?—”
“Please let this be it,” the Magi mumbled. He glanced off to his right again.
The right side of his lips lifted beneath his thick black beard, but his eyes looked sad when he turned back to Terena.
“Who are you talking about? What does the shroud?—”
“Please,” the Magi whispered as he looked up at the black sky.
He mumbled something in a language Croak didn’t know. He looked up at his sister, her face ashen.
The Magi leaned forward so fast, Croak had no chance to react. The man grabbed Croak’s wrist and tugged it forward, slicing his neck on Croak’s blade.
Croak stumbled to his feet, falling a few steps away, and cursed.
“What…,” Terena whispered, drawing out the word as she gawked atthe dead Magi. They both watched him slump to the ground, blood soaking into the worn marble beneath them.
“What the fuck?”
Croak’s pulse thundered in his ears. He blinked, then looked around as the area all around them became brighter.
Croak nudged Terena a few times before she glanced at him with a frown.
He pointed to the sky.
All around them, stars appeared, as if something heavy and unnatural had dissipated. The full moon glowed. The sounds of the night drifted toward them, and Croak took a minute to calm himself.
“What just happened? What the fuck with everything just now?”
Terena barked out a laugh and lifted both hands to her head, strands of black hair matted to her face. “No idea.”
She brought a hand down to her mouth and shook her head. Her hazel eyes remained fixed on the dead Magi.
“What did he say?”
Terena looked out at the now moonlit square.
“Ren. What was he mumbling there?” Croak asked again, taking a step toward her.
Terena turned her head as if in a trance. Croak waited, his breath held.
