“What if you’re wrong?” Maddie asked gently.
“I’m not,” I decided with firm conviction. I was a demigod, for heaven’s sake. I was stronger than a prophet, and it was up to me to decide what my prophecy meant. Maddie couldn’t help Ava decipher her prophecy’s meaning, so I didn’t know what she was doing lecturing me on mine.
“Are you sure?” Maddie pressed.
“Ava and I have promised each other we’re going to do whatever it takes to stop this war, save the Elves and help people, even if it costs us each other,” I said. “She and I are going to work together to make sure that happens, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Be careful,” Maddie warned. “You believe that you can keep your promises to Ava, and perhaps you can. But when push comes to shove and your back is against the wall, you’re going to find the options that are available to you are going to be very different from what you’re considering now. When you’re in the heat of the moment… are you going to be able to make the final call? Because I’ve foreseen what you will decide, Charlie—bothoptions. And neither one is going to leave you anythingbut heartbroken. I only plead with you to make theright choice, because if you don’t, you won’t only lose Ava. Everyone will lose everything. And as much as I love my niece… preserving her life isn’t a price I’m willing to pay for the world. What about you?”
I didn’t answer, because that was a ridiculous question, and I couldn’t believe she’d asked me to consider it. I turned on my heel and headed for the elevator, because I’d heard more than enough.
“Don’t give me that look,” I told Oberi once we were in the elevator.
You have no idea what look I’m giving you, she replied snidely.
“I can sense you’re about to give me a lecture,” I said.
Oberi sighed.I’m not here to lecture you, Charlie. I just want to check in.I’m not going to try to change your mind. I know you won’t listen to me, anyway?—
“I listen!” I defended.
You’re interrupting,Oberi stated flatly.I just want to understand. You aren’t stronger than a prophet. Their magic is a power that goes beyond ours. Are you choosing to accept that your prophecy is fulfilled because you truly believe it, or because you don’t want to face the chance that you still have a difficult decision to make?
Her question struck a chord in me, and I immediately got defensive. “Do youwantus to face a repeat of the Infernal Underground— or worse? Maddie said I get to choose, so I’m choosing this. The prophecy is done. We held a funeral for Ava. I’ve already destroyed her once. We’re demigods, and we’re strong enough not to let this happen again. If people can choose their own meaning of their prophecy, then I’ll save Avaandthe world.”
I’m not suggesting you’re bending the prophecy’s wording too far,Oberi said.I’m just not sure if you truly mean whatyou’re saying. What if the Underground wasn’t enough to change her mind? What if Ava chooses to destroy everything? Where does that leave us?
“I guess that part would be up to her.”
And you need to know how you’d respond, so you can prepare for it. That’s why the prophecy exists, so youareready. If Ava chose to destroy the world, would you stand by her and watch it burn, or destroy her to stop it?
“Ava and I have discussed this a million times. You know where I stand.”
I know what you’ve said, Oberi replied.But do you really believe that, despite your promises, you could choose to let her go for the sake of the world?
“Why would I need to make a decision about something that’s never going to happen?” I shot back. “It’s silly hypotheticals, because I’ve already fulfilled my prophecy.”
You didn’t wish to discuss what would happen if one of you passed before you went down into the Infernal Underground, and Ava died that time,Oberi reminded me.
A heat of rage rolled through my body, though I forced it to stay suppressed. Bringing up what had happened still made me sick. “Yeah, and she’s not dying again, certainly not by my hand,” I spat. “What kind of a husband do you think I am? If it’s afate worse than death, it means something like torture, or inevitable, prolonged pain… do you really think I’d do that to her? It’s unfathomable. Let’s not worry about what’s already come to pass.”
Charlie, you don’t understand. I will follow whatever you two decide, to save the world or damn it, because that is my responsibility and my oath as a Familiar. But you’re brushing this off as unimportant when it means everything.Oberi gave an angry huff.Maddie believes Ava is going to hurt people. Both of us find that hard to believe, because she wants to saveeveryone so badly. But what are you going to do if Maddie is right? If there’s an emergency and we have to subdue Ava, we need to do it safely, so none of us get hurt. We should have some sort of plan we can execute together, just in case things don’t go our way.
“Fuck the plan,” I said shortly. “It’s not going to happen, and if it does, I’ll deal with it myself.”
Don’t go making prophecies of your own,Oberi warned.You aren’t aware of how they might go.
Oberi could say whatever she wanted. I wasn’t giving in on this. We were demigods, and we decided our fate. Not silly prophecies, gods, or anything else.
Ava was waiting in the car when I came to the entrance of the building. I slid into the passenger’s seat as Oberi flew in the back.
“You took a while,” Ava stated, though it was hard to read her tone. “What’d you talk about?”
“The prophecy,” I admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. I told her it’s not going to happen, and that we decide our fates. I honestly don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
Ava leaned over to kiss me. “Of course there isn’t. We’re calling the shots now.”
My wife drove the car at high-speed back to the palace. I thought about my encounter with Maddie, but I resolved to let it go. Like I’d told Oberi, there was no point in worrying about what had already come to pass. There were more important matters at hand— namely, finding the vampire key. The sooner we had all seven Divinity Keys, the sooner we could end this war.
