It worked.
“Will!” Bastion continues shouting.
My mind feels slow, fuzzy, like it’s stuffed with cotton, a cloud stranded in the sky. I can’t move. I can’t open my mouth. I can’t speak. What do I even say? WhatcanI say?
“Will! Stop being an idiot andwake up.I swear if you die, I’ll bring you back and kill you myself. Get up this instant!”
“Bastion, please. Give him some space.”
“Hey!Will!”
“Can you pipe down?” Will mumbles. “I’ve got a killer headache.”
He’s okay. He’s alive. He loves me.
I blink until I can see more clearly, still resting against my mother’sshoulder. Will is on his back in the center of the burnt circle, the runes now a charcoal black. Ruth barely has time to finish healing the wounds on his temple and forearm before Bastion scoops him into a hug.
“Uh…” Will wavers, resting back on his elbows. Bastion refuses to let go. “All right, all right. Get off me, you royal prick.”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Bash repeats.
“One more time, please?”
Bash’s shoulders tense. He pulls away and glares at Will. “I’msorry.”
“Ah, I think there are some people at the back there that didn’t hear….”
“Fine.I screwed up! Everyone can know it. I was an awful friend. I should have stuck up for you and I didn’t. Every time I saw you, I was reminded that I was at fault, so I lashed out and blamed you and shoved down the guilt and— Why are you smiling? Stop laughing.”
“I’ve waited a long time for you to grovel. Please keep going.”
The prince sighs and drops back on his heels.
“Are we really doing this now?” Bash asks.
“Do you have somewhere else to be? Or should I almost die another day?”
“Fine.Fine…I was jealous of you, Will. You had everything. A loving home, incredible magic, freedom to do what you wanted, and I had nothing compared to that. I had a bleak, lonely castle and increasing pressure to be the magic-wielding son my mother wanted. Before Card, you have no idea how isolating this place was—especially when Merit started going away to Dreah. Card lights up every room and keeps me sane and— Wait, no, I need to save all that for my vows. I just…I wanted to be like you, Will. I thought if the spell at the oak tree worked, I would be satisfied. When it failed, I was so ashamed, I couldn’t face it. I’m sorry.”
There’s a stunned silence.
“But!” Bastion scowls. “You have to admit you didn’t make it easy. You’ve been a complete nightmare. Do you know how many brokenwindows we’ve had to fix over the years because of you?” The prince sighs. “I suppose I’m partly to blame for that too. I’m sorry I’ve put you through so much. I’m sorry for what I said about your dad. I’m sorry I let the situation get so out of control. You’re my brother, Will. You always have been.”
“Oh.” Will’s voice is small. I know without being close that he needs time to process that, needs time before he shares his response. “Uh, while you’re at it, I think there’s someone else you need to apologize to.”
He pushes to his feet and Bastion steadies him. “Pigeon!” Will calls.
Pigeon lifts a fallen chair among the wedding guests helping put the room back to rights. “Hello?”
“You wanted an audience with the royals, right? Here’s your chance. It seems the prince is in a particularly sentimental mood.”
Pigeon places the chair down and, for the first time since I’ve known her, shows a flash of nerves.
“Right,” she says, then adjusts her belt of pouches and fiddles with the bow slung over her shoulder. “Yes. Um.”
Will pats Bastion’s shoulder. “I’ll let you two take it from here. I have a florist I’d much rather be with,” he says.
Seconds later, Will drops to his knees beside me, waves of hair over his forehead, now healed and clean of blood. His eyes twinkle like the glint of his earrings. “Hey, Princess. How are you doing?”
