“Fire!” Mouse charged. Taking it as a signal, Brittany and Clarita charged alongside him. The three of them raced under Eran and directly toward the jaws of the giant spider.

“No you won’t—” Eran’s eyes widened mid-sentence, and he jerked back.

As thick around as Mouse, a beam of light split the ear, hot enough to leave the air simmering. It slammed into the spider. The spider screamed and sagged backward, a trench cut in its side. Thick black blood spilled down its side and pooled into the springs.

“Clarita! We have to get it away form the springs!” Mouse said.

Clarita glanced at him. She ducked her head once, then threw herself into the air. Her massive body smashed into the spider. Injured and off-balance, it staggered and stumbled, spindly legs sliding on steamy stone. It fell backward, skittering for balance, and found it away from the springs, bulbous rear pressed against the back fence.

“Bastard!” Brittany threw her stone into the spider’s guts and leaped after it, splashed down in black blood, and rent a gash in its side. It shuddered, then shook her off. She flew into the springs with a splash and a gout of steam.

Clarita howled something that might have been “Brittany!”

“She’s fine, Clarita! Focus!” Mouse replied. He ducked low and slid over the stone, slicing at the spider’s legs. It realized too late his intentions as his sword cut through thin legs, and it fell heavily toward him. Mouse jabbed his sword upward at the soft backend as it crushed down on him. His sword sunk deep. The spider screeched and flinched away, and he slid out behind it, slammed into the rear wall, and jumped to his feet.

The spider shuddered and became small, human sized, then shivered again and took on human form. Shaking his shock of white bangs out of his eyes, Zalazar glared at him. “You again! Why do you stop us?”

“Because I oppose blight and stand against evil!” Mouse replied.

Zalazar jabbed his hand at Mouse. “You, one of the chosen!”

Brittany burst out of the spring and lunged at Zalazar’s back, sword bared. Clarita jumped at him from the other side, teeth bared.

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“No, wait—” Mouse started, reaching out. What do you mean by chosen? Why do you and Lilith both call me that?

Zalazar’s head flew into the sky. Clarita slammed into his body, carrying it into the spring. Mouse caught the head’s eyes, almost in slow motion. Zalazar smiled and closed his eyes.

Clarita splashed down after the body, submerging into the cloudy-gray spring, now tainted with Zalazar’s blood. She sat up and shook herself, spraying water all around.

Brittany laughed and punched the air. “Hell yeah!”

Overhead, Eran laughed, and laughed, and laughed. Gawain pounded at his head with her fists, and he grabbed her and threw her to the ground. She bounced, hopped to her feet, and glared up at him, yellow eyes narrowed in fury.

Something’s wrong. This isn’t right. “Clarita, get out!” Mouse shouted.

Clarita jumped out of the spring as Zalazar’s body dissolved. It turned pitch black and stained the water, spreading with every passing second. The spring, the sub-pools, then even the steam in the air—all turned black. The wind whipped stronger, whirling the tainted water into the air and spreading it into the sky.

Mouse drew a breath and coughed, the familiar ache of blight burning in his lungs. Fuck! It was a trap!

“Get out! Get out, everyone!” he screamed, running himself.

Brittany glanced at him and sprinted. Racing up behind her, Clarita snatched her up in her mouth and bounded out of the springs. As they passed, Gawain leaped up and caught ahold of Clarita’s tail, clinging on with all four limbs. The other princesses turned and ran, fleeing the building.

Mouse tripped and slid to the ground. He tried to climb up, but the floor suddenly became oil, frictionless. Desperate, he stared after the other princesses and stretched out a hand. Someone…

A flash of green as Leaa retreated, the last of the princesses to leave.

Mouse sagged down. Blight stirred in his chest, the darkness inside him calling out to the blight thick in the air. His eyes shuddered shut. Dammit. Is this it?

Motion in the building. He looked up, hopeful, forcing his eyes open.

Sabelyn smiled at him. Pushing her blonde hair behind her shoulder, she knelt and lifted the unconscious Felix. “My, oh my, Mouse. Your horrid plans have all collapsed on your own head. What a pitiful creature you are, truly.”

“Sabelyn—!” Mouse croaked. Darkness crowded in, blocking out the world.

“This is necessary. For the balance of the world, for the Barrier, for the world’s and my future, this is what I must do.” Sabelyn turned with a flick of her skirts and vanished, out into the light.

He reached out after her. For the Barrier? The world? What… how…?

The world faded out. Mouse collapsed.

Purple flesh. Warm arms. Soft hands, brushing his hair from his face. “With me, now.”

“Lilith?” Mouse murmured.

“Shhh.” A finger on his lips.

His eyes flickered shut again.