“It’s all right,” Seth said. “I’m here. I hear you.”
Did you imprison me? the presence asked angrily.
“No,” Seth said. “I’ve been looking for you.”
What took you so long? the presence asked.
“You weren’t easy to find,” Seth said.
Do I know you? the presence asked.
“You’re part of me,” Seth said. “You’re my memories. I lost you.”
I’m part of you? the presence asked. Don’t you mean you’re part of me?
“That too,” Seth said.
I have wings? the presence asked.
“Not when I lost you,” Seth said. “We have wings now.”
What should I do? the presence asked.
Seth spread his arms wide. “Come back to me. Become one with me again. It sounds weird but it will feel right. I saw a friend go through this.”
You do seem familiar, the presence said. We are one.
Seth felt the presence flow into him. His whole body tingled, especially in his chest, and his physical strength left him. He sat down hard, the Unforgiving Blade falling from his grasp to clatter against the floor.
Immediately Seth knew what had happened to his memories. He knew his memories had escaped the place where Humbuggle had first stored them, but then Humbuggle had recaptured the memories and kept them in a chest. The time spent in the chest blurred together but was consistently uncomfortable, frustrating, and scary.
He really was Seth Sorenson! Kendra really was his sister! He knew Knox and Tess and Newel and Doren! He remembered his parents and his grandparents! He remembered his old school and discovering Fablehaven and slaying Graulas! The more he thought, the more he found that all his memories were there. It was just a matter of catching up.
Wait. Did he really just abandon his sister on Beacon Hill, besieged by dragons? The deepening realization sickened him. To make matters worse, he had destroyed the weapon that would have given them the best chance for survival. He had known that cutting the Harp would leave them in a compromised position. But he hadn’t understood who he was risking. Kendra was likely fighting for her life at this very moment! What if she died because he left her behind? He could only hope that she might somehow survive with help from Merek and Raxtus.
He remembered Vanessa, and felt the terrible weight of her lost sight. He remembered his job as a co-caretaker of Wyrmroost. And he realized he had caused the fall of the sanctuary.
Biting his lower lip, Seth bowed his head. He had released the undead from the Blackwell. How could he have been so stupid! He had gotten Agad killed. He had enabled Celebrant’s escape. He had helped the Sphinx and Ronodin.
Suddenly Seth wished he could hide from his memories. Their weight was too much! In releasing Celebrant, he had destroyed the sanctuary he had sworn to protect. He had caused the fall of the other sanctuaries Celebrant had toppled.
Seth wasn’t sure he liked himself. His memories felt like enemies that he could not hold back, disproving anything good he had hoped about his identity.
“A lot to sort through?” Humbuggle asked.
Seth slumped forward and puked onto the marble floor. He could not control the sobs. He was a murderer!
“You may want to hurry,” Humbuggle said, rising. “They’re coming for you.”
With those words, Humbuggle snapped his fingers and vanished.
Seth stared blankly at the place where the demon dwarf had stood.
“You heard him,” Calvin said. “We have to get out of here!”
“Is that you, Calvin?” Seth asked.
“I’m still here,” Calvin said.
“Help me,” Seth whispered.
“Always,” Calvin assured him. “Though you have done the hardest stuff alone.”
“I destroyed the things I cared about most,” Seth said. “I’ve been my own worst enemy.”
“You didn’t know,” Calvin said. “Ronodin lied to you. He used you.”
“I let Graulas get free,” Seth said. “Before my memory loss. It got Coulter killed. And now I’ve done worse. I’ve sabotaged us all.”
“You parted ways with Ronodin,” Calvin said. “You figured that out on your own.”
“I need to get out of here,” Seth said. “I abandoned Kendra on a hill surrounded by dragons, in order to break some stupid stone and get my memories back. Careful what you wish for, Calvin. I earned these memories. People paid for them with their lives. They’re mine to own.”
“We still have a war to fight,” Calvin said. “And a curse to break.”
Seth squeezed his head between his hands. “Kendra will do better without me. How is anyone supposed to trust me? I don’t trust myself!”
Celebrant opened the door and entered, flanked by men and women bearing weapons. Seth assumed they were all dragons. He remained seated by his vomit.
“Where is the Wizenstone?” Celebrant asked.
“I destroyed it,” Seth said.
Celebrant nodded slowly. “So it would seem. You made a mess of things out there.” The Dragon King smiled. “The war is going well for us. I can live in a world without a Wizenstone, especially when that world also lacks the Harp of Ages.”
“Are you here to kill me?” Seth asked.
Celebrant shook his head. “No. Today I have a pledge to fulfill to the new Fairy King. You’re coming with me.”
Merek kept a tight hold of Kendra, strong hands compressing her upper arms, as the clang of the final string reverberated through her and across the earth and sky. Seth vanished, but the Harp remained, severed strings twisting and curling in unsightly directions.
“What happened?” Kendra asked. “Where did he go?”
“I’m not sure,” Merek said, releasing her arms. “I assumed Humbuggle would appear. Perhaps Seth was transported to him instead.”
“This was part of the Game?” Kendra asked.
“This was the end of the Game,” Merek said. “By cutting the strings of the Harp of Ages with the Unforgiving Blade, Seth just won the Wizenstone.”
“This was about a prize?” Kendra shook her head. “If he tries to claim the Wizenstone, he’ll be killed.”
“Seth knows the basics,” Merek said. “He’ll be smart about it. Meanwhile, we have a situation.”
The dragons that the Harp had put to sleep were waking and rising. The avatars climbing the hill looked
