I shuddered to think what he could do with that sort of power. For Geth to destroy the Everblossom meant it was a threat to him, and it meant the flower of pure magic could stop him still.
“You must travel to Earth Kingdom, young one, while you still can, before the magic fades completely. The crossing will be dangerous… with the weakened magic.”
“Will it be possible for me to cross? It sent Mochazon into the past by two weeks. What if it sends me to the Middle Ages?”
“I do not think you need to worry. You still have the ability to use magic from both worlds. Rely on Earth magic, and you will be safe.”
I didn’t share his confidence. My magical powers came from both worlds. Relying on only one type of magic wouldn’t be easy—if it were even possible.
Fan’twar groaned. I wanted so badly to make him better. I couldn’t stand seeing him that way.
“Do not worry about me,” he said. A small smile creased his lips. “I will heal soon enough, and then my wit will return, and you will find me exasperating once again and wish I’d been ill for a little longer.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I never found you exasperating.”
“Really?” He cracked one eye open. “Then I am not trying hard enough, am I?”
“Fan’twar,” I squeezed his neck, “please take care while I’m gone.”
He nodded.
“Is my mirror case still in my room?” I asked.
“You will find it where you left it. Use it tonight under the first rays of moonlight, when the magic is strongest. But be wary—Geth searches for the magical bloom. He will not rest until it is destroyed, and he will not hesitate to kill you.”
His words made my pulse quicken. I’d always known Geth was brutal, but with the realization of his magical powers, he seemed almost unstoppable. Even the sky king’s magic couldn’t compete with a Spellweaver. “Can he be defeated?” I asked.
Fan’twar didn’t answer right away, which frightened me. “He cannot be stopped by traditional means.”
“Then it’s impossible?”
“No. It is not impossible, but defeating him will come at a price. The tide of our world is changing. When one phase ends, a new one begins. I have ruled for a very long time. Soon, my time will end and another’s will begin, for this is the way of things. The flow of time takes me away to a new existence. I will not…”
“Fan’twar?” What was he saying? Did he expect to die soon? No. It couldn’t be true. He couldn’t die. Not now. Not while there was still so much to be done. But with his eyes closed and his breathing labored, I wasn’t sure how much time he had left. I ran my fingers along his neck, trying to remember every detail while I still could.
“Fan’twar,” I repeated more quietly, “Uli spoke of a silver light and mirror-white sand. Do you know what she referred to?”
“Yes. You must search…” His voice was barely loud enough to hear. “…in the libraries. You will find your knowledge there.”
“Can’t you just tell me?”
He moved his head away and tucked it beside his wing. I wasn’t sure if he heard me. “Over the sea of a thousand faces,” he said. The cadence of his voice was rhythmic, almost as if he spoke a lullaby. “Let the silver light show the way. The bud will only blossom under the stars of the mirror-white sand. Only there will it be safe. Only then can our world be saved. Only then… will I live.”
Chapter 7
I stood in my old bedroom and packed my things, trying to think of anything but Fan’twar. Kull and Rolf had stayed behind to talk with the sky king. It was better that way. I needed some time to be alone and process my thoughts. Despite his powers, the sky king was mortal. I needed to realize that.
A chill breeze gusted through the open window, making the Styrofoam plates and empty picture frames rattle on my walls. The dragons had decorated my room as best as they could. They’d found discarded items from Earth and fastened them to the stone. At the time, I’d felt proud of their decorating choices. I’d felt more human. But now I had to laugh at the rows of frayed running shoes and busted plastic cups.
Sitting at my old desk, I held a wooden bowl filled with Charl’s stew, the smooth-grained wood warm between my hands. I took a small bite, and the rich, salty flavor tasted perfect, exactly as I remembered it. Funny how a thing like taste could bring back so many memories. I wished I could have eaten in the company of dragons, but Charl had retired to her chambers early, saying she needed rest. She hadn’t told me directly, but she was suffering. After finishing the stew, I set the bowl aside to pack my things.
I placed a stack of books in my pack. I’d combed through Fan’twar’s library, trying to find anything having to do with the stars of mirror-white sand. Uli and Fan’twar had both mentioned it, but neither had given me any further explanation. I’d found three books that looked promising. Ancient Isles of Faythander, Dragon Hoards of the Lost Islands, and A History of Faythander’s Lost Civilizations. I’d studied all three books in the past, but it had been so long ago that my memory had grown rusty. I recited Fan’twar and Uli’s words in my mind as I packed the books.
Over the sea of a thousand faces, let the silver light show the way. The bud will only blossom under the stars of the mirror-white sand.
If the place was in Faythander, then “over the sea” meant the place would be on an island, and Faythander only had one major ocean. But I’d never heard the Rheic Sea called the sea of a thousand faces,
