Her screech sounds annoyed, and I decide to trust her. I know I can’t count on my fire, but I can use air and water to defeat the Witch King at least temporarily.
I climb on her huge body, then she runs, breaking part of the door so we get out and take off.
Up in the air, I see Cherry Cake, his eyes red and menacing, not even looking like himself. Riding him, the Witch King.
I send a current of wind to destabilize them, hoping to make the old fae fall. Nothing happens. It’s as if my magic dissolved before reaching him. I send a blast of water, and the same thing happens. Mirella flies towards them, and I yell, “Stop!”
She doesn’t hear me, and keeps moving fast in their direction. The Witch King sends a sharp ice shard, and I break it at the last moment, then he sends another, and another. I try to shield them with air, but my air magic vanishes and some of the shards pierce through.
“We should land,” I say, horrified to realize that I can’t fight him.
Mirella screeches, as if she doesn’t want to give up. I don’t want to give up either, but sometimes there’s no choice. Trying to use magic that never reaches the Witch King is not going to get us anywhere.
To make matters worse, her wing’s bleeding. I throw a water spear on the Witch King, but it melts before reaching him.
He laughs. “So entertaining! Do you like my steed?”
“I love him,” I say, and it’s true.
But love can’t fix this.
ASTRA
I’m laughing and laughing, as I notice that I’m too strong for the fae trying to attack me. It’s none other than the legendary Fire Prince, and yet he can’t defeat me even though I’m so weakened.
The vision fades, and I realize the Witch King is absorbing Marlak’s magic. He won’t be able to defeat him like that, unless… I glance at the Shadow Ring. Suddenly, it makes sense. That’s how they defeated him. It’s why it’s considered the most powerful object in existence—because it can neutralize anyone, even the most powerful fae of all time.
Marlak needs the Shadow Ring, but he doesn’t know it, so he won’t try to summon it. I need to send it to him. With eyes closed, I imagine it on Marlak’s finger, just like I’ve summoned Dawnshadow and the sundering dagger before, and see it in his hand.
The ring disappears, but I don’t know if it went where I wanted to, and if Marlak will know what to do with it.
Block his magic. Block his magic. Use the ring and block his magic.
Can Marlak hear me?
MARLAK
Ablast of magic hits my hand, and then I feel something different. The Shadow Ring appears on my palm, and it wouldn’t have come to me if it wasn’t mine again. I put it on my finger, hoping it will give me a fighting chance.
Focusing on the Witch King, I imagine that I’m blocking his magic. There’s no way to know if it worked yet, unless I try to hit him with magic again—but I need to do it right, before he escapes.
An image comes to my mind. Cherry Cake burning. I realize the unicorn’s sending me that image, but I can’t use my fireagainst him. I’m not even sure I can use my fire to burn the Witch King.
The old fae’s still laughing, unaware that anything has changed. I’ll have one shot, and I think I’ll try to freeze him like Ziven did.
The image of them burning comes to mind again, but the burning continues, and Cherry Cake survives. I understand then. Cherry Cake is impervious to fire—and he’s telling me to use it.
Fire.
Cold shivers run through my entire body. It’s not only the fear of the memories that the element can bring, but the fear of failing. And if I fail now, will I get another chance?
Can I let everyone down?
Then a thought comes to me: all I need is one strong—and long—blast. Only one blast. If I do it right, I can pass out right after, I can be assaulted with memories and drawn in my own horror. All I need is one single blast, and whatever happens to me after that, it won’t matter. But I’ll have only one chance, as I never know how I’ll react to my main element.
My body’s trembling, terrified of failing, terrified of having to relive all those memories again. Meanwhile, Mirella advances against the Witch King, who’s no longer laughing.
I focus on fire. Only fire, and I try to detach any memory or emotion from it. It’s just magic. My own fire that I can control.
