Enter.
But what did it mean? How could I use it?
The pixie’s spear was still clutched in my hands. My palms grew sweaty as I realized what I had to do. Nothing could penetrate the vexon’s hide. Not fire, not weapons, not even my own magic had pierced the hide. But what of a stronger magic?
“Enter!” I shouted as I hurled the spear for the beast’s broad chest. The metal tip glowed bright blue as it sliced through the monster’s hide and pierced the creature’s heart. The monster bellowed with fury.
It flailed and then fell from the sky. As it spiraled downward, it lashed its massive tail into Mochazon. The impact was strong enough to knock the wind from his lungs. He gasped for air as I slipped from his arms.
Terror made my thoughts become a blur. The world spun so fast I couldn’t make sense of anything. Panic overwhelmed me. How could I die now? I’d come so close.
I could think of only one thing as I fell.
Jeremiah, forgive me.
Chapter 36
I screamed as I tumbled through the air with the wind loud in my ears. I had nothing left. My mother’s magic had gone into killing the beast.
I tried drawing magic from the ring once again but found it powerless. The ground drew nearer, so close I saw the monsters’ and pixies’ bodies heaped in piles of gray dust.
Arms encircled me. I opened my eyes to see Uli’s broad grin dance in my vision.
“Uli!” I gasped.
We flew up so fast the world became a blend of bright colors. I wasn’t dead, I reminded myself.
“You save me. I save you. This is the way of things,” she said with pride in her voice.
I slumped in her arms, feeling spent. The wind brushed past my face. I remembered thinking how good it felt to be alive right before I blacked out.
I awoke to the rich smell of sautéed onions and seared meat. Uli squatted by a fire in a stone hearth, stirring a thick broth inside a cauldron. I rose onto my elbows and felt the soft weave of a grass mat beneath me. Woven vines formed a canopy over our heads. Tiny beams of sunlight drifted through the gaps, forming a dappled pattern on the rug-strewn floor.
“You’re awake!” Uli said.
I rubbed my forehead, feeling a fog in my brain that made my temples hurt. “Ouch.”
She crumpled some dried herbs and tossed them into the soup. “You use too much magic. Dangerous.”
“How would you know about magic?”
She smiled, though this time it looked less feral. “Would you like my soup?”
I wondered why she’d dodged my question, but the temptation of food pushed the thought from my mind. “Yes, I would love some.”
She scooped two ladlefuls of soup into a bowl and handed the broth to me. I took it. The smooth wood turned warm in my hands. Taking a small sip, I felt the heat seep into my belly. It tasted better than it smelled, and I took another sip, realizing the fight had taken more from me than my magic.
Uli raised an eyebrow as she sipped her own soup. “You like it?”
I nodded. Taking another drink, I felt the fog in my head start to disappear. “Where are we?” I asked her, my voice hoarse.
“This is my home.”
“You live here by yourself?”
She nodded.
Of the little I’d learned of pixies, I knew they preferred to live in large family groups. I’d never heard of a pixie living alone. It wasn’t always a matter of keeping up strong family ties, it was also a matter of practicality. While the Ever Root was huge, it still had a finite amount of space.
“Where is your family?”
“My parents dwell in the innermost part of the tree. Away from me. As is their wish.” She took another sip, her eyes not meeting mine. I decided to change the subject.
“Thank you for saving my life. I owe you.”
“You freed me from that cage. You do not owe me.” She leaned forward. “You have special gifts with magic. I did not realize it when I first saw you. But now I know. You are the Deathbringer.”
Deathbringer? I’d heard that name before. What did it mean?
“I am to be your guide,” she told me, her voice solemn.
I stared at her, confused. “My guide?”
“To the tree,” she clarified.
I almost dropped my bowl. “You will take me there?”
She nodded.
“But I thought it was forbidden.”
“It is. But the king has seen your magic. He has granted me permission to be your guide to the tree.”
I almost couldn’t believe it. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yes. I went to the inner tree myself and spoke with him. I made him understand. He was angry at first, believing you brought those beasts into our lands. But then he decided your punishment. He will let the tree decide your fate. Many brave warriors have died seeking the tree’s magic. If the tree should take your life, or take your mind, then that shall be your punishment.”
“I see.” I wasn’t sure how to react. Part of me felt grateful. Another part of me wished I’d never come here. I took another sip, wondering why Uli had suddenly decided to be my guide. “Uli, what does Deathbringer mean?”
She raised an eyebrow. “You do not know?”
I shook my head.
“It is a legend among our people, and others as well. The first Dragonlord prophesied of her coming nearly thirteen hundred years ago. How do you not know of this? It speaks of you!”
I crossed my arms. “First, if it’s as important as you say, then I would have heard about it. The sky king is my father, after all. Second, you can’t be certain that it speaks of me.”
She leaned forward. “‘Marked by death from the beginning—she will come in flame
