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  “Not many people manage to deceive me. None of them survive the deception. And before you try anymore of your theatrics, you should know that my army is out there ransacking Jakani as we speak. If you don’t hand over the Ember Stone, they will kill every civilian in this city.”

  “You’re bluffing,” I say, my muscles trembling. I want him to be lying. I want it so much. But I saw his men patrolling the streets with my own eyes.

  Then—right on cue—a Jakani guard rushes into the throne room, he takes one look at the scene before backing away from the king. Instead, he addresses the sultan in his native tongue.

  “What the king said is true,” the sultan says. “They are ransacking the city. It’s burning. My city is burning. Give him the stone.”

  I want him to be lying. But there is a crack of real emotion in his voice that I doubt even the sultan could fake.

  “If I give him the stone he will create even more violence and destruction,” I reply.

  The sultan’s guards are back on their feet, and the two cats prowl the throne room. A bead of sweat works its way down from my temple. My mind swims with options. If I kill the king and the sultan, the fighting will stop. But can I kill both, and deal with the guards without putting my friends in danger? The cold power of the Ember Stone throbs, and, for once, I just want rid of it.

  But if I give it to the king, can I defeat him? Can I trust the power of the craft?

  I pull the stone out from my tunic and hold it aloft. There is a gasp around the room as everyone stares at the beauty of the black diamond.

  “Hand it over or your friend will be cut in two,” growls the king. “The longer you wait, the more children will be burned to death, and it will all be your fault.”

  I lift the chain from the back of my neck, feeling the freezing power ebbing away. The sultan’s guards close in, drawn to the power of the stone. The sultan steps down from his throne. Sasha averts her eyes. Even she senses its power. Even she longs for it. The sooner I destroy it, the better.

  I back away from the king. “If you want it, take it from me. Only you.” I glance over at the guards and the sultan. “Vines,” I whisper. The jewelled floor breaks apart as thick, green vines break through, wrapping around the legs of the guards, rooting them to the spot. “This is our fight. You can’t take this from me when you have hold of her, can you?”

  The king stares at the jewel as though in a trance. Finally, he lets go of Sasha, and she runs to stand near Treowe, who has pulled a sword from an incapacitated guard. The king hurries towards me, snatching at the stone with his large hands. I push him back with wind whilst I create a fireball, ready to end this once and for all. But then, the sultan throws himself at me, knocking me over, and causing the fireball to disintegrate. I manage to collect the chain to the Ember Stone in my hand as I fall, but the sultan grasps hold of the stone, his fingernails clawing at my closed hand, desperate to pry my fingers apart.

  The king sees an opportunity and kicks the sultan in the abdomen, who rolls off me, clutching his side. Treowe rushes towards him with his sword drawn, but a panther leaps onto him, plunging its teeth into his thigh. I’m on my feet and hurrying to help Treowe when the king barrels into me, wrenching the stone from my hand. I stagger back, aghast. I’ve lost the stone.

  The king wastes no time. In an instant he has the chain over his neck. The change in him is immediate. His eyes blacken into shiny dark orbs, and he stands taller, his arms outstretched. He roars, and the power glows from within.

  “What have I done?” I whisper. I’ve failed. I’ve unleashed a monster, and failed to complete my destiny. Cas died for nothing.

  The first thing the king does is lift the sultan from the floor and hold him by the throat. I find Treowe, who has escaped the jaws of the cat, but lost a lot of blood. Sasha wraps torn pieces of her tunic around the wound.

  “You never bowed to my rule,” the king says to the sultan, whose legs dangle in the air.

  “The Haedalands are glad to bow to your rule,” the sultan croaks. “Whatever you want, we can get it for you… gold, jewels, whatever you need. You are the king.”

  The king laughs as he tosses the sultan away, and I am forced to turn away when I hear the bones in his body snap like twigs. The sultan collapses like a broken toy.

  “Don’t give up,” Treowe says. “Yer can still beat him.”

  The king turns towards me, and I see the Ember Stone shine in the lantern light of the throne room. I climb onto my feet. Sasha stands with me. She takes my left hand and I feel the power of her amulet run through me.

  “We will face him together,” she says.

  “I’m going to take great pleasure in this,” says the black-eyed king. The palace rumbles beneath his feet as he steps towards us. He grows with every step, his arms and legs stretching, his torso expanding.

  We hold our ground. The amulet glows, and the power builds between us. When the king tries to swipe us with his large paw, the amulet lets out protective light, forcing the king back.

  “What is this?” he roars. “What is this sorcery? You cannot defeat me!”

  But the power glows strong from the amulet, and we push him back. The king roars, still trying to swing at us with his knife.

  “He cannot harness its power,” I whisper. “It has made him physically stronger, but he cannot use magic.”

  Sasha nods.

  The king retreats, also aware that he cannot win against us in a fair fight. On swift feet, he flees the room through the side door. I glance back at Treowe, and he indicates for us to follow the king. Sasha pulls me across the throne room and we chase the king through the door and into a new hallway. The king runs at speed, but his heavy feet cause the palace to shake. He opens a door and rips it from its hinges. When he flings it at me, we use the protection of the amulet to block the blow.

  The king hurries up a spiral staircase. We are far behind now, unable to match his inhuman speed. I need to try and slow him, so I summon a small tornado to meet him in his path as we climb the stairs. Sasha never lets go of my hand. We are one.

  There’s a roar as the king fights against the tornado, and we manage to close the gap between him and us. The king rushes down another hallway, and its then that I realise he knows exactly where he is going. He has chosen this route. He isn’t just running from us, he is leading us somewhere.

  We follow him into a large bedroom on the front side of the palace. Sasha grips hold of my hand, our connecting palms sweaty with fear. The king faces us, and now I see the extent of the Ember Stone’s power. His face is disfigured, contorted into something akin to a man mixed with a beast. He grins at us with sharp teeth, and his eyes flash black in the darkness of night.

  “You cannot hurt us,” I say, taking small steps forward with Sasha at my side. “Our powers block yours.”

  He laughs. “Who says I came up here to hurt you?”

  He backs away from us, smashing his way through a window and disappearing onto the balcony terrace outside. Sasha glances at me, worry in her eyes. We dash forward, climbing through the broken window and out onto the balcony. That’s when we see the king fall backwards from the balcony. We rush to the balustrades to see him fall. How can this be? Why would the king destroy himself in such a way? And then I see the brass wings below. A great, mechanical bird rises from the depths with the king sitting on its neck. He laughs at us from above as the bird flies him away. I can only watch with my jaw hanging open in shock. In a mere moment, the Ember Stone is lost to us.

  Chapter Thirty-Five – The Last Battle

  “What do we do now?” Sasha stares at me with bulging eyes.

  My toes kiss the edge of the broken balcony. I rip my gaze from Sasha, and lean forward to watch the king fly away on his mechanical bird. Then, I glance up at the sky. The night is clear, and there is barely a breeze. Nothing stops the king from getting away from us.

  Unless…

  I concentrate on all of my powers,
willing the great magic of the Ancients to come to me. I concentrate on changing the weather. I have done this before, I can do it again. In front of my very eyes, the clouds gather, deep and dark; filled with rumbling authority. I dig deeper, and a blustering wind howls through the city. Below us, the buildings burn, the screams of the townsfolk echoes in the air.

  “Do you trust me?” I say.

  Sasha’s eyes fill with tears. “You are my sister, and my one true friend. I would trust you to the end of this world and back again.”

  I squeeze her hand. “I’m sorry for almost killing you when we first met.”

  “I forgave you long ago.” She smiles with great warmth.

  I draw in a long breath and attempt to steady my pounding heart. The ice cold power of the Ember Stone may have left me, but I still have the warmth of my good friend and I am able to draw strength from her amulet. Sasha’s hair blows back in the wind as I wait for the right moment. What I am about to do will either kill us, or save us all, and I am not sure which is most likely.

  Blood thuds in my ears. The wind howls as it strengthens. Clouds knit overhead.

  Women scream below.

  It’s now or never.

  “Do you trust me?” I say again.

  Sasha nods.

  “Then jump.”

  “What?”

  “Now!”

  There is panic in her eyes, but she does it. We jump together, sinking fast towards the ground. I concentrate on the wind. I grit my teeth until my jaw aches, thinking, focussing, using the powers granted to me to win this war. My destiny is to win this war and set these lands free. I have to believe I can do it.

  And then the wind catches us. We’re nestled into it and lifted, as though the hands of the Gods are righting us once again.

  “What’s happening?” Sasha shouts over the wind.

  I laugh. Despite everything—the war with the king, the suffering of innocent people below—I can’t help but laugh. We’re flying, and without any mechanical bird or contraption. We are walking on the wind, held up by the power of the Ancients.

  “I called on wind to take us to the king,” I tell her.

  As we fly through the air, watching the streets of Jakani descend into chaos, birds cluster around us, hooking their claws into our clothes, and helping us rise high over buildings and trees. We are weightless. We are magical comets soaring through the night sky.

  “Look!” Sasha points towards the gold swooping creature ahead.

  I close my eyes. “I ask this of you only once. Let us travel faster. Wind, I need you at your full strength. I need you to get us to the king.”

  Both the wind and the birds respond to my request.

  “Don’t wear out your powers, Mae,” Sasha warns.

  But there is little more I can do. We will need to use everything we have; the amulet, my craft, and Sasha’s friendship will all be tested once we come face to face with the king.

  “Lightning, strike!” I command.

  There is a rumble of thunder that almost shakes us out of the sky, and then a bolt of lightning pulses through the air, hitting the mechanical bird up ahead. I see the bird rear back before it falls to one side. The king topples from his perch and plunges down towards the ground below. We are miles north of Jakani, not far from the Haedalands border. The king falls down onto the sand, rolling down the steep dunes, until landing lifelessly with his body broken and twisted.

  “We did it!” Sasha shouts with enthusiasm.

  But I shake my head. It cannot be that easy.

  “Lower us,” I command.

  The wind eases, and the birds lower us gently onto our feet. The king remains lifeless, with the Ember Stone around his twisted neck.

  “He’s dead,” Sasha says. “He has to be. Look, his neck is broken.”

  I want to believe her, but I have been tricked before. I take a step forward. If I can reach the Ember Stone…

  The king rises onto his feet, but by now he is barely the king at all. His fine armour is broken, hanging loosely from his body. His arms and legs crack and creak as his bones mend. His neck snaps up straight with a sickening crunch, but the king simply shakes out his hair, barely noticing. His face is by far the most monstrous. Bruised and torn from the fall, his skin hangs open, seeping blood. In the midst of such blood are his tiny black eyes, so cold and inhuman.

  “Is this how you wanted your immortality?” I say. “You never realised it came with a price, did you? You didn’t expect to be turned into a monster.”

  The king stares down at his broken, twisted hand. The bones mend, but they mend all wrong, so that he appears arthritic and old.

  “No,” he whispers.

  “Now!” I call to Sasha.

  She grips my hand harder and the power from the amulet bursts forth, lighting the sky with bright, white light. The force hits the king squarely in the chest making him stagger back. But the blow does not kill him, and he pushes forward against the white glow.

  “He’s getting closer,” Sasha warns. “He’s breaking through.”

  The power from the amulet tears at him, shedding him of his armour, and burning his flesh. The king screams in agony as his flesh burns and heals over and over.

  “We’re draining,” Sasha cries. “I can’t hold it much longer.”

  We’re not strong enough. With each step, the king manages to break through the power of the amulet. I send a silent prayer to the Ancients and the elemental Gods. We need all the help we can get.

  Our birds respond—attacking the king—pecking his face, his arms, his body. He flails his arms and reels away. With the help of the birds we can keep the power of the amulet going for longer, but we need more. Sasha’s eyes begin to close as I feel her grip on my hand fade. As I am about to consider letting her go and facing the king alone, there is a touch on my right shoulder.

  I turn to see a beautiful face smiling at me. It is the first time I have seen her clothed, and she is magnificent in her armour.

  “Avery,” I whisper.

  “I am here, child,” she says.

  Her power flows through me, heating the blood in my veins. The energy reignites something in me, and I can do little more than allow it to happen.

  My mind turns back to Allerton’s words so long ago. You are the conduit to all magic. The craft flows through you.

  And so I let it flow. I channel this incredible power, and an amazing sense of peace washes over me.

  A wall of flame emits from the amulet.

  “No!” the king screams. He raises his arms in front of his face to block the energy from the amulet. “No!” He pushes his arms forward, blasting us with the last of his power. We’re forced back a step, and Sasha’s hand almost loses touch with mine.

  Avery’s grip strengthens against my shoulder as I pull Sasha closer to me. There’s a thinning of air around us, and now I know the king has lost his strength. I am the conduit, and all I need to do is open myself once more. I let the power flow, and it hits the king with all its might, burning through him. As the king screams, the flames turn him slowly to ashes, burning him up bit by bit. His body gradually disintegrates, and the scent of burning, rotten flesh floats up into the night sky. I have to turn away from the sight. My stomach churns. When I turn back, he is little more than a pile of burned clothes and bones.

  I let out a shocked breath.

  It’s over. It’s finally over. But the power we had to use was so intense that Sasha collapses to the sand. I drop to my knees and wrap my arms around her.

  “Sasha?” I whisper.

  I heart twists with pain as I shake my friend. Her skin is cold and hard to touch. It’s almost as though she is turning to stone.

  “Avery, help me. What’s happening?” Tears spring into my eyes.

  Avery places a hand on Sasha’s shoulder.

  I shake my head. This cannot happen; I cannot lose her. “Do something!”

  She removes her hand an
d frowns. “She is not gone yet. But only you can save her, craft-born.”

  I put my hands on Sasha’s face, close my eyes, and imbue her with my healing powers. Beneath the layers of sand, I draw upon the power of the Ancients once more. Warmth spreads through my arms as the ground responds, and a soft sigh resonates through my ears. I am not alone, and for the first time, I realise I never will be alone. I will always have the power of those who have left this world. I am always connected to them through my powers. As my healing gift begins to drain me of energy, there is the soft scent of the forest and musk, and I am strengthened once more. Avery was right. I truly am gifted, and I have never felt more at peace.

  Sasha coughs as I withdraw my trembling hands from her face. When I open my eyes, I gasp in shock.

  “Sasha your hair!”

  “What about it?” She lifts a strand and examines it. “You turned my hair white! What were you thinking, Mae?”

  I can’t help but laugh. “I was saving your life, thank you very much.”

  Avery clears her throat, pulling me back to reality. I climb to my feet, weak and shaky, but undefeated. “How can I thank you?”

  She smiles. “It is us who thank you. You have prevented a great darkness from descending onto the world, and you have fulfilled most of your destiny.”

  My mouth hangs open. “Most?”

  Avery’s eyes twinkle. “Yes, craft-born. Now you must rule the world you have saved. You are its protector. You alone can stop darkness from returning.”

  A sadness hangs over me. I can only think of Cas, and how he should be with me at this moment. His presence would help me face up to what I must become in order to do what is right.

  Avery cups my face with her hands. “Mae, do not worry. I have seen your future and there is happiness within it. We chose you because you have the strength to succeed, and we never doubted you for a moment.”

  “Who is ‘we’?” I ask. “The Gods?”

  Avery only winks. “Perhaps. All I can say is that I have come a long way to help you, my child. I have moved through other worlds to fight by your side. After I made the mistake of losing the Ember Stone, I knew I would have to help.” Her eyes move across to the pile of ashes. I had almost forgotten all about it, but there lays the black diamond amongst the remains of the king. “The story about me isn’t quite true. I did reign as queen in Jakani, and yes, I fell in love with a northern prince. But when he betrayed me, I did not throw myself from the palace. I went on living, and I bore him a daughter. I had to trade the Ember Stone to the Sihrans to survive.” She rolls her eyes. “After they almost destroyed the city searching for it. I had to leave Jakani and travel to the Waerg Woods, where I raised my daughter. That is where the craft-born and the Borgans began their relationship with each other. It all started in the Waerg Woods.”