Once again I floated, weightless, into the inky darkness of the void, although this time at least I could breathe. Pinpricks of light appeared, one after the other, until I realized they were stars.
Look below, Theht’s voice said.
I did as she said and found Earth spinning beneath my feet. From this distance I could see weather patterns crisscrossing the planet—puffy white clouds that formed spirals and flickered with occasional lightning bursts. As the world spun, the clouds cleared and a landform came into view. I focused on the exposed expanse of desert that seemed to stretch in all directions, and before I knew it, I was no longer floating but standing on the sand.
Although it was night, I had no trouble seeing the world around me. The stars were just as bright here as they had been when I was floating. Sand dunes created by the wind currents rose and fell in all directions, though the air was so still I felt I could hear the faint groan of the planet as it rotated around the sun. I marveled at the beauty of life that surrounded me here in the desert, from the tiniest insects to the snakes and cougars. Farther on—from the plains and jungles where elephants and lions called home, to the whales in the sea—I felt life surrounding me in each direction I turned.
Here, Theht said, is where you will fulfill the prophecy. Look.
A flash of blinding light cut across the sky—a meteor—close to our planet, yet somehow I knew we were safe from its impact.
I watched myself reach toward the meteor, my arm moving without thought, my magic building inside me just as it had when I’d killed the bloodthorn. Uncontrolled, my magic released. The magic connected with the meteor, altering its trajectory until it spun straight for Earth. Dread filled me as the ball of light descended on our planet.
The world ignited in a blinding white fire as the celestial body exploded on impact.
And I was responsible.
I had done it. Somewhere deep inside me, I felt reality sink in. The prophecy was true. It was no longer a matter of if, but when. My magic had already acted on its own accord several times—to save Kull, to kill the bloodthorn. The events were already set in motion.
I would destroy the world.
I am the Deathbringer.
Chapter 29
Pain exploded in my chest as I awoke on the cavern floor. Time passed, although I wasn’t sure how long. I tried to move but found my body unresponsive. I couldn’t even turn my head to look away from the gory scene of the dead bloodthorn smeared over the floor.
Theht hovered over me, her thoughts intruding on mine. I got the feeling she was testing me, learning about me, remembering each cell and brainwave so she could exploit it later. More than anything, I wanted to shut her out, but I had no power whatsoever to do so.
With our minds connected, communicating with her came easily, and although I couldn’t physically speak, I wondered if she could hear my thoughts.
Are you going to kill me? I asked.
No. You are too valuable. Rest now.
Sleepiness numbed my mind, but I fought back, forming a plan even as I lay immobile, no way to fight or use my magic.
I brought my gaze to the portal that stretched across the back wall. The gentle hum of magic vibrated from the wall and through the floor, calming me and giving me peace. Tendrils of light streamed across its surface, like nobbinflies dancing over water. There is always light, I reminded myself. Even in the darkest hour, there is always light.
Theht continued probing my mind. She found locked memories there and tried to access them, but they were hard for her to understand. Most of them were happier memories—my childhood spent in the dragon forest, the few times my father visited and brought me a gift from the elven lands, my time spent with Kull.
Part of the trouble was her own fault. I got the feeling she had difficulty comprehending compassion and love. So, I let her continue to try and grasp the memories while I gazed upon her soul at the same time.
Immediately, my heart seized with pain. Her memories were so horrific I knew I would go insane if I spent any time there. I pulled away, breathless, trying to erase the images from my mind.
Theht, still unable to take a physical form, hovered closer to me.
You have blocked some of your memories from me. Why?
I did not block them. They are simply too intimate for you to understand. Love usually is.
You will release them to me.
I cannot.
Release them to me or you will suffer.
I had already suffered—I’d been suffering for so long—and it was because of the love I had lost. I focused on my heartache—that raw, unrelenting agony—gathered every emotion, every tear, every ounce of pain I’d suffered, and shoved it in her face.
It had no effect on her. Pain was what she was most familiar with. Theht could give me pain a million times over, and I would never come close to what she’d experienced.
She reached for me. Her hands had gained substance and were covered in orange scales and tipped in curved black nails. She rested her hand atop my chest, and my world exploded.
So much pain. Blinding. Can’t breathe. Make it stop!
My hands cramped, forming claws. The searing pain crept up my spine and then out through every nerve ending in my body. When the fire reached my head, I screamed, my back arching.
Make it stop. Please, stop! Please!
Release your memories.
I can’t!
I dug inside my mind, trying to force every memory out as fast as possible, but it was no use. She would never understand.
The world blurred. Tears moistened my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I tasted their
