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It shows the royal family, the queen, her king, and all four Cardinal Gods. All of them are obscured by magic that softens their facial features into a blur.

It’s a magic I know well.

“The boy must be dealt with,” the queen says. She’s wearing her finest, an aubergine dress with a front panel of lavender covered in tiny diamonds. It may be one of her best dresses, but I can remember her telling me she liked to receive the gods in simple clothing so as not to outshine them. So it’s always made me speculate that she was in a state of urgency.

Her husband, the king, is in a matching aubergine cloak. Both of them are wearing their largest crowns.

“The boy’s magic is unpredictable,” the queen says. “I fear he will soon become a liability. Not only to Oz, but to you as well.”

“We hear your concerns,” one of the gods says.

“We’ve attempted to handle the situation ourselves,” the king adds. “But we’ve been unsuccessful.”

“He is half god,” the queen says. “I fear he is no match for us.”

“We will take care of it,” another god says.

“You have our word.”

The magic sizzles out and the memory fades. I glance at Blue, waiting to hear how he’ll defend this evidence. There is no defense, but I will enjoy seeing him try.

“Mmm.” Blue takes a drink from his bottle. “Do you believe everything you see?”

“That’s a memory. A stored memory.”

“All right. So it appears it is. Whose memory is it? Who was allowed to be in that room with the queen and her king, and four Cardinal Gods, while they discussed murdering someone?”

I go still. “You ask me to doubt my own eyes?”

“I ask you to look beyond your eyes.”

My mouth is suddenly dry.

Blue takes another drink, draining his bottle just as the servant returns with several more.

“Ahh. Perfect timing!” He waggles his fingers, gesturing for the servant to come over.

I shove back my chair and rise to my feet. “I will not feast on your deceptions.”

“And yet you reek of lies.”

The rage is like an oil fire burning through my veins. The light in the room dims as power crackles around me. I had this god on his knees in that little log cabin with barely any effort. Maybe I could kill him with my bare hands.

But no. That’s exactly what he’s hoping for. A dead god with no witnesses is just a myth.

I need a spectacle. I need to prove to all of Oz that I am mightier than the old gods.

I turn around and leave, because there is nothing left to be said.

THIRTY-TWODorothy

I go to the West’s bedroom and fight with my armor for a few minutes before managing to take it off.

I drop into the bed, keeping my base layer on just in case we need to leave quickly.

The bed must be king-sized because I feel small and insignificant in it. And so terribly alone.

Pulling back the dark bedding, I slip beneath it and curl on my side, tucking the pillow beneath my head.