by Ben Wolf
“No.” He shook his head, chuckling. “No, not me. No chance. I’m the worst choice. I’m no one.”
“You are the only one,” Matthios insisted. His molten eyes locked on Calum’s.
Calum matched his stare with one of confusion. “Why would you even say that?”
“I was there when the King saved you,” Matthios replied. “I saw him ransom you from the brink of death. In doing so, he chose you to receive a portion of his power.”
Calum glanced down at his chest. Because he’d learned to control it, his light wasn’t glowing through his armor, but it was still there. Was that the power Matthios was referring to?
“Not the light,” Matthios said, as if reading Calum’s thoughts. “There is another power. Once that goes even deeper. It is the very power that healed you, that restored you. The King gave you a piece of himself—so large a piece that it weakened him enough that Lumen could kill him.”
“He saw this coming, Calum,” Valerie insisted. “And he chose you as his successor.”
Calum searched within himself, wanting to disbelieve their claims, to prove them wrong.
Instead, he realized they were right.
It had taken their words to make him notice, but he had discovered something within himself that hadn’t been there before—or at least, he hadn’t noticed it.
As he gave it consideration, a cool sensation, like when the King had healed him, spread outward from his heart. It chilled his insides and eased down his limbs and into the tips of his fingers and toes.
It was the King’s power—some of it, anyway—still residing within him.
It felt incredible, and he did feel stronger now that he’d tapped into it, but his mind reasoned with him, and he spoke his thoughts aloud.
“Even this,” he began, “is not enough to justify making me the King of Kanarah.”
“Tell that to your eyes.” Valerie beamed at him.
Calum blinked, and he furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
“They are green, like the King’s,” Valerie replied.
Calum looked to Lilly, whose own eyes widened at the sight of him. He looked to Magnus next, and he nodded.
When Calum turned to Riley, the Shadow Wolf said, “Yep. They’re green, alright.”
Valerie produced a small hand mirror and held it up for Calum. In its reflection, he saw a familiar pair of green eyes, every bit as vibrant as the King’s had been.
Calum blinked, but the effect didn’t go away. His body still felt cool, and his eyes refused to revert back to their original blue color. It was a phenomenon, to be sure, but that was the extent of it.
He shook his head. “Eye color doesn’t qualify me to be the king.”
“No, not that alone,” Valerie said. “But combined with everything else, it does.”
“How can you say that?” Calum’s heart shuddered at the thought. He could never measure up to the King himself. It would never work. “I’m not ready. I never will be. I’m not the one.”
“You are the only one,” Matthios repeated.
“He is right,” Valerie said, still grinning. “Matthios and Gavridel can defeat Lumen, but only you can rule. They are powerful, but they are not touched by the King’s power. Or, rather, by the Overlord’s power. It is, in fact, His power which flows through you. It is His power which signifies His hand on you. It is His power which will make you king.”
Calum wanted to refuse again, but when he saw Magnus nodding, his stance on the matter shifted. Magnus believed this. So did Riley.
Calum turned to Lilly, but she gave him nothing but a solid stare, one bordering on terror. Were his eyes frightening her?
He looked back to Magnus, hoping he’d say something, and Magnus obliged his silent pleading.
“You have been my leader from the day we first met in that quarry,” Magnus said. “You will continue to lead us ever forward as king. Only you can, and you will not be alone.”
Riley nodded along as Magnus spoke.
They believed it. They believed in him.
Calum exhaled a deep breath. Was this something he could actually do? Was he really the only choice?
His mind continued to bombard him with objections, but a small voice from his heart told him the truth. He listened to it long and hard, weighing whether it was something he’d conjured within himself or another voice, one that didn’t belong to him.
The voice told him to heed their words.
Calum exhaled a long sigh. He still didn’t feel like it should be him, but he’d chosen to listen to that voice.
“Alright,” he finally said. “I’ll do it.”
Valerie smiled and clapped. Matthios gave him a somber nod. Magnus and Riley grinned at him.
But when he turned toward Lilly, she was gone. He caught sight of her flying away, with Condor accompanying her several feet behind.
In that moment, Calum realized what a fool he’d been.
Axel wasn’t sure what might happen when Lumen physically sat on the King’s throne. Given how steeped in magic the likes of the King and his Imperators had been, Axel had figured the throne might’ve been enchanted or something.
But when Lumen sat down on it, nothing happened. Nothing changed.
Lumen didn’t glow any brighter. The chair didn’t somehow extend his power throughout the entire fortress. The walls and floors didn’t shake.
He just sat down, and that was it. Pretty underwhelming.
Lumen stood up a moment later and said, “A good king does not merely sit on his throne while his people languish in poverty and suffering. Come. I must meet with my subjects.”
As Axel followed Lumen out of the fortress, he couldn’t help but revel in their victory. The sun hadn’t even set, and they’d already killed the King, ended the war, and taken control of Kanarah. High marks for efficiency.
When he reached the city streets, however, Axel’s pleasant outlook darkened.
He’d seen the horrors of battle many times before, but the scale of the devastation and death in Solace made him shudder. Bloody bodies lay in the streets, most of them humans and probably some Windgales. Occasionally he spotted a dead Wolf or a Saurian, but they were by far in the minority.
The carnage extended to the homes and buildings in the city as well. Several of them still burned, even though the fighting had stopped nearly an hour earlier. Others were reduced to nothing but mounds of rubble. Blood had pooled in low spots on the streets all around them, intermingling with other kinds of filth and refuse.
Still, he told himself, it had to be done.
He’d known from the beginning that this would be a bloody fight, that people would die. They had sided with the King, and those who’d fought and died on Lumen’s side had nobly done so. Through their sacrifices, they’d won the war.
Axel kept telling himself that, even when he noticed the bodies of several men, women, and even children clad in normal clothing lying in the streets as well. They’d tried to avoid killing citizens when they’d taken Kanarah City, but evidently, that “rule” hadn’t also extended to Solace.
Lumen walked through it all, unfazed. He’d seen far more warfare in his long life than Axel ever would in his, so that probably explained why it wasn’t bothering him as much.
At least, that’s what Axel hoped it was.
“It appears your interpretation of the seeds was incorrect,” Lumen said.
Axel looked up at him, confused. “Huh?”
“The seeds. You overheard the King and his dog discussing the planting of seeds in fertile soil prior to our arrival at Solace.”
Axel recalled the conversation he’d overheard. It had been between the King and Valerie. He wouldn’t have considered Valerie a “dog” by any stretch of the imagination.
Though he’d only known her a few short days, she’d definitely made an impression. His heart ached a bit at having to leave her behind, especially without saying goodbye, but it was too late now. He hoped she hadn’t been killed or hurt dur
ing the attack. He hadn’t seen her when they’d killed the King, so hopefully that meant she was safe.
“Yeah,” Axel finally said. He’d anticipated that rose golems or some other weird plant-based thing would follow them toward Solace, but nothing had. “Guess I was wrong about that.”
As they continued walking, Axel noticed Saurians, Wolves, and humans gathering weapons and supplies and ushering people into their homes. Those who no longer had homes were either paired with those who did, or they were relegated to manual labor among the soldiers in Lumen’s army.
The sights confused Axel enough that he finally asked, “Why are we out here? I mean… what are we here to do?”
Lumen stopped walking and turned to face him. Though Axel had received powers, Lumen still towered more than two feet taller than him, so Axel had to look up to meet his blazing white eyes.
“We are preparing for the next battle,” Lumen replied.
“The next battle?” Axel squinted at him from under his helmet. “What next battle? We won.”
“They will return,” Lumen said. “Even now, they are gathering their strength to try to retake the throne.”
“But the King is dead,” Axel said. “Who do they think is gonna take his place? Matthios? Gavridel?”
Lumen just stared down at Axel without replying.
That meant Axel was supposed to know the answer to the question he’d just asked. But if it wasn’t Matthios or Gavridel, who would it be? Magnus, Lilly, and Riley were all rulers in their own regard, but they each had Kingdoms to lead already. So who was left to—
Axel realized the answer, and he cursed openly. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
It was Calum. They meant to make him the king.
Lumen nodded. “Absurd, is it not? He is just a boy. He cannot possibly rule.”
“Stupidest idea I’ve heard in a long time,” Axel agreed.
More than being shocked or confused, Axel was angry. He’d finally received incredible powers of his own, and Calum had still found a way to outdo him.
Who in their right mind would want Calum to be king, anyway? It was a terrible idea for every possible reason, but mostly because Calum was far too weak to do justice to the position. Stack him next to Lumen, and he’d fall short every time—way short.
“When they arrive,” Lumen said, “Calum is mine.”
Axel squinted at him again. “What do you mean?”
Lumen just stared at him again.
And Axel realized what he meant.
The thought sent ice trickling down Axel’s veins, but he’d sworn his unending loyalty to Lumen. Calum was the enemy now, and he’d abandoned their friendship, even though Axel had tried to keep it alive.
It had to be done.
“Axel,” Lumen said.
“Alright,” Axel responded quickly. “I won’t get in your way.”
It had to be done.
Chapter Forty-Four
Gill of Sharkville, the largest town in the Valley of the Tri-Lakes and the only remotely habitable place anywhere along the Central Lake, picked up his “Fishig” sign.
Together, with help from Jake and his fishing crew, they’d rebuilt Gill’s shanty after those nasty Sobeks had wrecked it. Gill still bore a gnarly scar on his forehead from the gash he’d taken well before the real fighting had started. It had bled like a son-of-the-beach at the time, but now he figured it made him look intimidating, so he didn’t mind so much.
With his hammer in one hand, he tucked the sign under his arm and plucked a nail from his mouth. Then he climbed the stepladder and positioned the sign above the door, all while holding the nail to it nice and tight.
He raised the hammer back for a swing, but he never did. Instead, he froze in place at the sight of something enormous rising from the lake beyond his little shanty.
Then Gill fell off his stepladder.
“Premieress!”
Condor’s voice chased Lilly’s flight path, but she’d refused to slow down until she’d climbed high above the clouds, far out of reach for anyone but other Windgales.
As the Premieress, blessed with her royal bloodline, she could fly faster than any other Windgale. Plus, the cool air dried her tears just as fast as she could cry them, so going fast was very much her prerogative.
Condor was plenty fast, but she was faster. He wouldn’t catch her unless she allowed it. She considered that now, after everything, maybe she wanted him to catch her, though.
Calum’s acceptance of his new role as king-elect had perfectly demonstrated that he didn’t need her, that she wasn’t a priority. After all, if he’d really believed that they could have a relationship, if that was something he’d really wanted, he wouldn’t have agreed to become Kanarah’s next king.
He’d promised her they would be together. He’d sworn they would make it work between them. This was the exact opposite of that. Calum was severing their relationship for good.
When Lilly finally broke through the cloud line, she eased to a hovering stop, inhaled a deep breath of thin air, and blew it out as icy vapor. Her tears chilled her cheeks, and though she wiped them away with her hands, more followed them.
“Premieress?” Condor’s voice carried from nearby. He’d broken the cloud line, too, and he’d spot her soon, if he hadn’t already. Now much closer, he said, “Premieress.”
Lilly needed comfort. She wanted to turn around and throw her arms around Condor, but how could she? She’d already made it clear to him that she was with Calum now. If Lilly and Calum were done, as she expected, Condor wouldn’t want to be her follow-up romance.
She’d made the wrong choice in choosing Calum, regardless of what her heart had told her.
“Lilly,” Condor said as he drifted in front of her.
Lilly kept her head down. She didn’t want him to see her in this state. She considered turning away from him as well, and another part of her told her to fly off again, to try to lose him in the clouds, to just run away from all of this.
But she’d done that before, and she’d paid the price for it. She couldn’t do it again—her people needed her, and she refused to abandon them.
“Lilly,” Condor repeated. He gently lifted her chin with his fingers, and through her tears, she met his piercing blue eyes.
It took every ounce of her willpower not to latch onto him right then and there. She almost did until Condor’s next words froze her in place.
“He didn’t know what he was saying.”
Lilly blinked at him. “What did you just say?”
“Calum didn’t know what he was saying.”
“Are you… defending him?” Lilly didn’t know whether to be outraged at Condor or confused. She thought he loved her, or at least had strong feelings for her, just as she’d harbored feelings for him.
So why would he defend Calum?
Condor shook his head. “He can defend himself, if he must.”
“Then why did you say that?”
“Because it’s true,” Condor replied.
Lilly scoffed. Was he taking Calum’s side? “What are you talking about?”
“He wasn’t thinking. He didn’t realize that what he’d said would hurt you,” Condor explained, but every word that came out of his mouth only reinforced Lilly’s anger.
“Exactly,” she said. “He wasn’t thinking. He didn’t even consider me. Not once. I was standing right next to him the whole time, and he just…”
Lilly flung her arms around Condor. She couldn’t help it. She needed a release, comfort, support—something. Condor held her close, and they hovered in the air for a long moment as she clung to his neck, heaving heavy sobs just as she had after Falcroné died.
When she finally pulled away, she glanced between his piercing yet compassionate eyes and his lips. His face was perfect, even with the scar that ran from the outer edge of his left eyebrow to the top of his cheek.
Lilly moved to kiss him.
Condor recoiled, and Lilly’s heart plummeted from her che
st down to the ground thousands of feet below.
“Premieress,” Condor said quietly, holding her at arm’s length from himself. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” she asked just as quietly, on the verge of crying again.
Condor shook his head. “You and Calum are meant for each other. Anyone can see that. And I refuse to insert myself where I don’t belong.”
Lilly stared at him, searching his eyes. “Do you really believe that?”
“How can I not? You did choose him over me, after all.” Condor gave her a wink.
“I’m starting to regret it,” Lilly muttered as another tear trickled down her cheek.
“Don’t,” Condor said.
“Why not?”
“He is young and impetuous. So are you,” Condor explained. “He made a mistake. So will you. What the two of you share should be stronger than any mistake, whether great or small. Talk to him. Work it out. Forgive him, and move on.”
Lilly sighed. Condor was right, of course. Calum hadn’t been thinking when he’d accepted Valerie’s charge to become king, but she’d been no better; she’d reacted, and she’d flown away instead of staying to talk with him about it.
“You’re supposed to be my protector, not my counselor.” Lilly managed a small grin.
“I serve to protect not only your body but also your mind and your heart,” Condor countered. “Now, shall we return?”
Lilly sighed again. After running off like that, returning would be embarrassing. Seeing Calum again would be hard enough, but she’d also flown off in front of General Balena, her uncle. She’d let him down, too, in a way.
“Do we have to?”
“We do, Premieress,” Condor replied.
Lilly wiped the last of her tears from her eyes, even though the wind would’ve just as easily done it for her on their descent. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Condor readied himself to zoom downward, but he was waiting for her.
“And Condor?” she said.
“Yes, Premieress?”
