The Black Reach held up the Kosmolabe. “This world was chosen at random and in haste, but with the compass of the Kosmolabe and my knowledge of what was coming, I was able to search at my leisure until I located the perfect hospitable plane. A place where we can survive the Leviathanandkeep our futures under our control. Those of you gathered here—Svena and Katya of the Three Sisters, Svena’s children, Julius and Chelsie of Heartstriker, and I suppose Brohomir now as well. Also Xian the Qilin and his eldest son, Fredrick, and of course the new seer—you are all dragons who’ve proven you can overcome the inherent evils of our race. Once I move you to a new plane, you will become the foundation for a reborn dragonkind.”
Julius had no idea what to say to that. His sister, however, had plenty. “Your invitation list is missing a pretty big name there, buddy,” Amelia growled. “Where am I in all of this?”
“You were not included,” the Black Reach replied. “You are a selfish alcoholic who was willing to risk the fire of every dragon and this world’s entire magical system in your quest for personal power. Even if you were less typically draconic, however, I couldn’t take you with us because you are now a spirit, bound to this plane. The same goes for you.” He turned to Marci. “You are a Merlin, a human whose magic is inextricably linked to a concept of this world. You can visit other planes, but you cannot survive without this one, which I’m afraid means you can’t come with us.”
“I didn’t want to go, anyway,” Marci said stubbornly. “I’m not running like a coward and leaving everyone else to die!”
“Me, neither,” Julius said, taking her hand. “I’m not going anywhere Marci isn’t. And what about Justin and Ian and all the other Heartstrikers? Don’t they deserve to live?”
“It’s not about who deserves life,” the Black Reach said angrily. “It’s about who isbest. I could not put this plan into motion until after I’d done my duty and punished Brohomir, but I wouldn’t have chosen differently even if I’d had centuries. You are all the absolute best candidates to ensure my desired outcome. I don’t need anyone else.”
“Then you’d best come up with a B-list, because I’m not going, either,” Svena snarled. “I will not abandon my sisters to Algonquin’s tantrum now that we’re finally free of Estella and our mothers.”
“I, too, will not run,” the Qilin said, his beautiful voice as steady and immovable as bedrock. “I am an emperor, the pillar of twenty clans. I will not abandon my subjects, or the rest of F-clutch. They are all Chelsie’s and my children. I will not leave them behind.”
“Nor will I,” Fredrick snapped. “Those are my brothers and sisters. We just got free. I haven’t even told them who our father is yet, or that we have a new sister.”
Everyone started talking after that, the whole group launching into all the reasons they couldn’t, wouldn’t, and shouldn’t run away. It was starting to get deafening when Bob’s maniacal laughter broke through the din.
“What are you cackling about?” Svena demanded.
“Nothing, nothing,” Bob said, trying and failing to get a hold of himself. “I’m merely appreciating the irony. The Black Reach chose all of you for salvation precisely because you were the sort of good, compassionate, responsible dragons he’s always dreamed of having. But now that the chips are down, you’re allsoresponsible, no one will take his out.” He laughed again, turning to grin at the Black Reach. “Surely you saw this coming?”
“I did,” the construct said. “But I’ve also foreseen every one of them will take my offer in the end. Responsible they might be, but there’s a line between doing what is right and throwing your life away for no reason, which is what they will be doing if they dawdle much longer.”
All the arguments cut off like a switch after that. “What do you mean?” Marci asked.
“He means there’s no way out of this corner,” Bob said. “Not unless we’re willing to pay for it.” He smiled sadly at the Black Reach. “I’d really hoped you had something brilliant up your sleeve. Some miraculous plan that would save everything at the last second. Alas, you do not, but I think I actually like this outcome better, because it proves I was right. If even the great Black Reach has been forced to cut and run, that means I really did find the only future where we survived.”
“No one claimed you were incorrect,” the Black Reach said irritably. “I wish I did have something brilliant, but we’re dealing with a Nameless End. Survival of any kind is the best we can hope for against a foe like that.”
“If that’s the baseline, then my way was better all along,” Bob pointed out. “At least in my plan, everyone lived.”
“If the future you’d saved for us could have been called living,” the construct growled. “Your plan would leave us puppets. My way, fewer survive, but they are the best dragons this world has to offer, and their futures would still be full of possibilities.”
“Would we even be dragons anymore?” Bob said, his voice growing heated. “Your Brave New World of Nice Dragons wouldn’t even include our spirit.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I appreciate you adding me as your plus-one at the last second, but if my sister can’t come, I’m not interested. Your salvation sounds boring beyond belief.”
Terrible as things were looking, Julius couldn’t help but smile. HeknewBob would never give up Amelia. He just wished they had another choice.
“Well, I don’t like any of it,” Marci said, echoing his thoughts. “Is there a plan C?”
The two seers frowned in unison. “Nothing I can see,” the Black Reach said.
“Me neither,” Bob said, running a shaking hand through his long black hair. “It gets pretty dark, doesn’t it?”
“Quite,” the Black Reach agreed, peering into the Kosmolabe. “Whatever we decide, though, we’d best do it quickly. If the Leviathan gets much bigger, this plane will soon become too fragile to support our end of the portal, and then we really will be trapped.”
As though to prove his point, the ground began to shake, causing Amelia to gasp in pain.
“What is it?” Julius asked.
“Same old, same old,” she replied, her voice shaky. “Just the unpleasantness of having an extra planar interloper rooting through your metaphysical insides. He hasn’t tried to take a bite out of me yet, though, so I think we’ve still got time.”
“How do you figure that?” Marci asked. “A Nameless End in your insides sounds pretty serious.”
“Oh, it’s serious,” Amelia said. “He’s forcing his way into our plane like he’s getting paid by the inch, but he hasn’t actually started devouring it yet. Probably because he’s not done with Algonquin.”
“I’m sorry,” Julius said, confused. “Tell me again why he has to finish Algonquin first.”
