Thank Arach for Mjolnir. If it wasn’t for him, Kaida would have to fight in the duel—and as much as she likes to think Bastet wouldn’t hurt her, in a life-or-death situation, she knows better than that.
She still hasn’t quite got her head around her connection with Mjolnir. She rode him, yes. He’s going to fight in the duel for her, yes. But he’s still Zryan’s dragon—and sharing a dragon should not be possible. It has vaguely crossed her mind that she should probably speak to Zryan about it—but that feels pointless. Everything is pointless without Cam.
Kaida bounds up to her, the sharp point of her tail thumping on the ground.
Still sad?
No, I’m okay, Little One.
Kaida cocks her head.Still sad, she declares.I will bring you a presence.
Bastet taught her the word “present” recently, and Skylar feels ahint of wariness as Kaida bounds toward the nearest line of trees, wondering what a baby dragon deems a good present.
She hears the footsteps first, the soft crunch of boots on dried grass. Then a lightly floral scent on the air—one Skylar recognizes.
She doesn’t bother to look up as Astrid sits down next to her. She’s barely spoken to Astrid, either—though she hasn’t forgotten what she did for her yesterday, changing her outfit to black, one small act of defiance from the two of them.
“What’s up, Little Witch?”
“I need your help.” Well, point to her for the lack of preamble, Skylar supposes.
“Is that so?” She can’t work up the interest she might once have had.
“I’ve figured out how we can find out where they’re taking the Champions.” Which means, Skylar knows, that she’ll be able to find the Heart.
In any other situation, she might be impressed. “I don’t care about that anymore.”
“Well, I do. And maybe you should, too. It’s your people they’re taking there.”
“They’re not my people,” Skylar says, bitterness coating her words. “I don’t care about any of them. I’ve only ever cared about one person, and he’s gone.”
She moves her knees to her chest, hugs her arms around them. Gone. Every time she thinks it, it’s another crushing blow to her heart. Will that ever ease? she wonders. Because she doesn’t think she can live like this.
“I’m sorry about Cam,” Astrid murmurs—and Skylar can hear she means it. “But I lost a friend, too, because of what’s going on here. So if you won’t do it for them, do it forme. Because I’m going to die in five days’ time—and I need to figure this out before I do.” She takes a deep breath. “I think there’s something wrong with it. The Heart.”
Skylar raises her eyebrows. “Is that so? And how, exactly, did you come to this conclusion?”
Astrid pushes a hand through her hair. “Various things.”
Skylar rests her chin on her knees. She thinks of the rising price ofVitalas, and of what she’s seen in some corners of Vatra, how the land itself seems to be dying.
“Peoplearedying, Skylar,” Astrid says quietly, almost like she can hear her thoughts. “And I’m fully aware I’ll be one of them soon. But just because I have to die, that doesn’t mean my queendom has to.”
Skylar sighs. “You know, you make it difficult to argue with you sometimes.”
“Is that a yes?”
Skylar hesitates. What she said to Astrid is true: If she couldn’t save Cam, why should she try to save anyone else? But she supposes it doesn’t just have to be about saving people, does it? Maybe it can be about destroying others, too.
“Fine. I’ll help.” She notices the way Astrid’s posture relaxes just a little—and wonders who Astrid would’ve asked, if she said no. “What do you need me to do?”
“I can’t believe you’ve got me doing this,” Astrid hisses. One of her hands nearly slips on the outer castle wall—which she and Skylar are currently descending in the dark.
“You didn’t want to get caught. This is the best way.” And it’s not like Astrid didn’tknowthis was part of the plan—it took them a couple of late-night planning sessions to work it all out.
“Yes, well, maybe we should have thought of a way to break out that didn’t involve me falling to my death three days before scheduled.”
“Don’t look down” is Skylar’s only answer.
