“What nonsense!” Morgana cries out before the queen can mull over my words, her anger shifting to desperation. She crowds Fern and embraces her. “I’m her closest friend; I want nothing but the best for her. I’ve told you time and time again, Fernie, these children are not to be trusted. Lilibeth and Ruth filled their minds with lies. They want revenge. They want to take everything from you—your husband, your sons, your power. I won’t let that happen.”
“You cursed me!” I jab at Morgana in a last-ditch attempt at reason. If I can finish my sentence, then it’s true. “And you cursed Bash too. It’syourfault he can’t use magic in the first place!”
“Oh, please,” she scoffs. “More lies.”
“When your spell on my father mutated, you couldn’t stand your ego taking a hit. You couldn’t stand it that your magic failed. You manipulated the situation—”
“ENOUGH!” the queen yells, and the dagger dances close again. I clamp my mouth shut. “Donottalk about her like that!”
Morgana glows, pleased to be defended. Then her smug smile falls flat. “I could just kill them if you wish, my dear,” she says. “We can’t have them ruining this special day.”
For a moment, I truly believe the queen is considering it. Her jaw tenses.
“If Felicity’s curse can be used again, if we can get rid of the corruption causing her to lie, then I don’t want her dead,” the queen says, lowering the blade. I allow myself a breath of relief. “I want heruseful.Is there a way to fix her?”
“I’m not—” I try, but the queen shoots me a warning look.
“Possibly,” Morgana says. “But we should kill the boy. Although once Bastion has his magic back, he might delight in doing that himself.”
I take a small step back and search the air for Will’s hand. He locks his fingers in mine, and there’s a whisper of a breeze up my arm. He’s going to get us out of here, like he always does. Time for a new plan. Just as Will squeezes my hand, Morgana flicks her manicured fingers. He cries out in pain and crashes to one knee, yanking me down with him.
“Nice try, little mouse,” the sorcerer growls.
He surges to his feet and goes on the offense, slashing a hand through the air and sending a blast of wind toward the two women. Morgana shields them without even blinking.
Will seizes where he stands, jerking back like he was shot by an arrow.
“Will!” I yell, and fly to keep him on his feet.
The queen stands at her full height. She lifts her nose and points directly at us. A target, a death stare. “Send them where they can no longer interfere with today’s proceedings,” she orders, as sharp and precise as the blade in her hand.
Morgana grins. “Gladly.”
One moment I’m standing in Bastion’s chambers, Will leaning his weight on me and the sun at our back.
Then the floor disappears under my feet.
Bastion’s walls are replaced with blue sky and horizon, and for a fraction of a second, I hover. Shock allows me one short breath, until—
Thousands of feet above the castle, we plunge through the air.
We tumble through the sky, and I grapple with Will as he does his best to keep hold of me. A scream rips out of my throat over the deafening roar in my ears, over the overwhelming terror.
“Will, do something!”
A blast of wind rushes to greet us but does nothing to slow our fall.
“I’m trying!”
The castle is smaller than a bee but growing ever closer. In flashes, I make out the lake, the citadel walls, the forest beyond, the mountains to the north that grimace at us, knowing just how the air up here can chill to the bone.
I cling to Will’s neck as our clothes whip around us.
The earth rises to greet us.
“I—I can’t!” Will shouts, one hand around my waist and one attempting to magic the wind into submission. It battles against him, battering us left and right, stronger up here, unruly and temperamental. Not the friend he knows from the ground below. I sob. This is how Morgana gets rid of us. This is how we die.
“Can you swim?” Will yells into my ear.
