“Aaah,” he growled. “Deathbringer.” He surprised me by laughing. “So you have heard?”
“Yes, but I have no idea what it means. It’s a prophecy, right?”
“It is a prophecy that speaks of you.”
“What?” I asked, shocked. “Why did you never tell me?”
“Because once a prophecy has been uttered, it will, sooner or later, be fulfilled. Whether you act on it or not, whether you know of it or not, a prophecy can never be frustrated.”
“But the prophecy says that I’ll destroy the world! Didn’t you think that was important to mention?”
He glanced back at me, golden eyes shining with specks of green and yellow. “Do not trouble yourself with prophecy, child. You are mine. You are loved. Your soul is pure, and your intentions have never been anything but honorable. If the world is to be destroyed by your hand, then I will die a noble death, knowing that you did everything in your power to save mankind before it happened. Do not trouble yourself with old sayings. Prophecy or not, your spirit will always remain true. I have never worried over your heart.”
I mulled over his words. He was right, of course. Would I ever willingly destroy the world? The answer was no. It would always be no. I wasn’t sure I could ever quit worrying about it, but at least I knew the truth.
“Thanks for believing in me,” I said. “That means a lot.”
He gave me a gentle smile. “Then I shall fly you home. The dragons are expecting you. Charl has prepared a meal as usual. I hope you are hungry.”
I couldn’t admit that I’d lost my appetite and would probably never find it again, but I gave him my best smile and waved him on. As he flapped his wings, my thoughts turned to the man I’d left behind. When Fan’twar leapt off the ground and soared into the sky, I couldn’t help but look back at Danegeld. The castle’s stones gleamed with a reddening glow as the sun drenched its towers.
My heart felt dead. I would never be the same without him. When Kull had left, he had taken my spirit with him.
Turning away from the castle, the view of the snowcapped, pink-and-lavender mountains made my heart feel lighter. Even in my worst hour, somehow I managed to find beauty, and someday, I knew I would discover joy again.
I’d never expected my life to be perfect. I could only hope that, once in a while, I would find happiness. And hopefully, more often than not.
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Bloodthorn
“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” –C.S. Lewis
Chapter 1
I don’t believe in true love. Months ago, a man pledged his undying loyalty to me, only to break my heart a week and a half later. I will never fall in love again. Call me weak. Call me stupid. But I could never survive another heartbreak.
My heart may be broken, but it has not grown bitter. I will always believe in honor, truth, virtue, and the goodness of humankind. But love? Love is too fickle. Besides, I have better ways to spend my time than moping over what could have been.
The October air brought relief from Houston’s summer heat, for which I was grateful—it was the only thing helping me keep my cool as Mr. Duncan spat in my face.
“You’re a hack, that’s what you are. I’m going straight to security to complain. I’ll put you out of business. You hear me? I’ll put this whole operation out of business.” The wide brim of his cowboy hat shaded his bloodshot eyes, somehow making him look more menacing.
I’d dealt with skeptics before and usually had them calmed down by now, but Mr. Duncan refused to be reasoned with. I couldn’t understand why he was so stirred up. A moment ago, I’d been chatting with his wife, but after she’d tipped me ten bucks for a therapy session, Mr. Duncan had lost it.
“You’ll go to jail, where all you frauds belong—”
“Duane,” his wife said behind him, “leave her alone. She helped me. Can’t you see that?”
“She tricked you. Claimed she was some kind of psychic hoodoo. Gave you a hogwash fairy story and made you believe it. Took our money. And I won’t have it. I work hard to earn a living, and I’ll be darned if some woman takes all my hard-earned cash away from me.”
He turned to me, his cheeks so red I was surprised they didn’t catch fire.
“Hacks like you make it hard for us ordinary folks to live a normal life.”
A crowd had gathered. Usually, Ren Fest attendees gathered around a comedy act or a food cart, but now they were delighting in watching my humiliation. I should’ve put my boot out to collect donations. I’d need it for bail money after I killed Mr. Duncan.
I stood in my rented booth behind a table showcasing the tools of my trade—my mirror case and its five figurines, a dragon, elf, Wult, pixie, and goblin. The table was all that stood between Mr. Duncan and me, and I was glad it separated us. Otherwise, I was fairly certain he would have already strangled me.
Mr. Duncan leaned forward. “You’ll get what’s coming to you. I’m heading down to management right now to complain about your shop. I’ll have you out of here by tomorrow. Mark my words. You won’t work here a day longer if I’ve got anything to do with it.” He shoved the table before storming away, knocking my mirror case and all the figurines off the table and into the mud.
I’d been through a lot lately, and my mirror case was one of my only possessions that made me feel normal. My throat constricted as I
