“Stay,” I say again. “We just got started.”
“We’ve been through this already. Twice.”
“I know, I’m sorry!” I hold my palms up to him. “I’m sorry I keep jerking you around. I’ve had areallyrough couple of weeks, and I don’t know which way is up. I still don’t know if I can help you by myself—honestly, I wouldn’t bet my thirdborn on it—but just . . .” I take hold of his denim sleeve. “Stay.Let me try. What have you got to lose?”
Shepard looks down at me. “You know you don’t have to do this by yourself.”
“No, it’s okay. I want to do what I can. I’m notcompletelyuseless. Ineverysituation. Usually. I think.”
“No. I mean—Penelope, I’m here, too. We can work on this together.”
Oh . . .
Right.
I suppose we can.
26
BAZ
Simon didn’t take it well.
“There’s anewChosen One?”
This was last night. After we went hunting. (I still can’t believe that he camehuntingwith me. That he watched me drink rat blood and still wanted to kiss me.Repeatedly.) We’d eaten my aunt’s Bourbons, and we were headed back to sleep. My head was resting on his chest. It was bliss.
Simon sat up forcefully, pushing me off.
I sat up, too, sighing. “More than one, apparently.”
“ButIwas the Chosen One!” He turned to face me, his wings flared out behind him. “I mean, I was a fraud, but—”
“Disagree.”
“Baz . . .”he groaned, hiding his face.
“Simon, you know how I feel about this. You fulfilled every prophecy.”
“The Greatest Mage was supposed todefeatthe greatest threat to the World of Mages; Iwasthe greatest threat to the World of Mages.”
I shrugged. “Why not both?”
Simon shook his head, still trying to make sense of it all. “So, like, new people are calling themselves the Greatest Mage now?”
I leaned back against my headboard, elbows up, crossing my wrists on my head. “That’s how it seems. Fiona didn’t give me many details—just that, with you and the Mage out of the picture, a few charlatans are taking advantage.”
He still looked dumbfounded. “So your stepmother is following around a newChosen One?”
“I’m not sure. Aunt Fiona thinks so.”
“Well”—Simon squared his shoulders—“we have to rescue her.”
I could have hugged him in that moment. And then I realized that Icouldhug him. That nothing was stopping me. I wrapped my arms around him, under his wings, and held tight.
“Baz?” Simon’s arms fell more gently around me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just very glad that you’re here.”
