Chapter 10. A Meeting of Future and Past

The blizzard raged on, a howling, wailing spirit of a dying Talmoria. The lost land seemed to be breathing its final breaths, yet through the dense, white sheet of snow was a mountain of glittering gems, burning like a sea of eyes, staring out from the Valley of Caves, marking new life among the ashes of yesterday. Shawn grabbed the saddlehorn and sat up straight. The lights were coming from Torch-Wings as they built new homes inside Mount Ven. Stone freckles that had been empty before were now doorways of foggy glass, each a different color. The night was peppered in sparks and glowing dust as Torch-Wings buzzed one way then another, all across the valley, everywhere Shawn put his eyes.

“They’re here!” Fitzel squealed. “They’ve already started building the new city!”

Manie smiled at Fitzel’s excitement. In the forest around where they were traveling, strung up by threads of silver glass, were hundreds of tiny glass buildings just like the ones in Musoni. The peace and beauty was spreading south as fast as it had been destroyed. A glittering rainbow of light shone down from the snowy forest, illuminating Shawn and Manie’s path with a circus of dancing color. Fitzel laughed as she zipped from trunk to trunk, staring up in wonder.

“I wonder what Jarod will think about our plan?” Shawn asked.

“Maybe he’ll be surprised,” Manie said darkly.

“Surprised in a good way?”

“I hope so,” Manie said. “It seems like a good plan. Or at least the best we’re going to get.”

“It’s insanity is what it is,” Silvan said from the lead horse as he rocked from side to side with his animal’s steps. His voice wrestled over crunching snow with every word he spoke.

“I guess we'll see what Jarod says,” Manie said back.

“You leave Jarod to me. I’ll tell him what Jango wants. You two just get some rest before our journey begins. You’ll need it if we're really going south.”

“Why are you so skeptical?” Manie asked. “If we succeed at this, it’ll mean a cure to the Gray Death. Do I have to explain what that would mean?”

Silvan stayed silent for a long while, letting her question hang in the frozen air like a smoky breath. “If we succeed. I’m only skeptical because I know what your father is capable of. He won’t be happy if he finds out what we’re up to.”

“He’s not a monster,” Manie said. “He’s a person, just like everyone else. A person who’s made mistakes.”

“Aren’t we all,” Silvan said.

“Maybe he’s sorry for what he did,” Shawn suggested.

“Sorry? It was because of King Dukemot that Duncan nearly destroyed the Torch-Wings and hung you. Do you forgive him for that? Sorry is not what he is.”

Manie drew her eyes across the frozen forest. White breaths escaped her lips.

“It doesn’t make him a bad man–just like that,” Shawn said, snapping his fingers. “We have to decide for ourselves once we meet him. He should be given a chance to explain himself.”

“Maybe Silvan’s right,” Manie said. “I don’t think I really know anymore. When I ask myself what kind of a person would try to destroy the Torch-Wings, I can only come up with one answer: an evil person. There’s no way to be sure about anything.”

“It’s never that simple,” Silvan said. “Sometimes we make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean we should blindly trust your father, either.”

Manie turned her eyes from the forest and back onto Silvan. “Have you ever made a mistake?”

“Many,” Silvan replied, as falling snowflakes sparkled blue around him, shimmering in the light from his eyes. “And I’ve tried for my entire life to make them right. But sometimes you never can. Which is why it’s better to not make mistakes in the first place.”

The forest broke into snow flattened by hooves and boots. Silvan veered off towards the frosty cliffs, breaking through the long fingers of blue moonlight reaching between the trees. There was a scattering of tents and campfire’s marking the way like a trail of foggy, orange smears dotting the night, each less bright than the one before as snow and mist swallowed the valley whole.

I wish I could take a picture, Shawn thought, reaching for his pocket as he remembered his phone. I bet I’d get a thousand likes.

At the twisting end of the path was the entrance to the Protectors’ headquarters. A group of ten soldiers in blue, wool coats were standing guard there, sheltered beneath an overhang of broken rock. A horseshoe of snow had built up along the edge of a fire where the guards were boiling a tin of water. Nearby a soldier was dumping snow out of his boots. This place was as close to home as Shawn was like to get, now that his own was gone forever. It doesn’t seem so bad.

“Looks like our army has grown,” Manie said. “Maybe we can bring them with us when we go south.”

“It seems so,” Silvan said, his tone souring. “But not all problems can be solved with an army, or a bolt of lightning.”

“I know,” Manie said, sounding annoyed. “It was said in jest. I’m the one who suggested we sneak into Denegear, remember?”

Fitzel and a group of Torch-Wing men shot past Manie, a spray of glowing dust painting the air in their trail. Laughter dimmed away as they disappeared into the lights of the forest.

“I’m aware,” Silvan said. “Still, you must be careful about which path you choose to take, else your decisions might one day decide who you become. If you think this army gets us any closer to solving the Gray Death, you’re greatly mistaken. This army does nothing to help our cause.”

Manie cocked her head. “I’m beginning to think that instead of sneaking into the city we should just knock down the front gates and kill every man, woman and child we see on our path to burn the king’s manion to ashes. Then we’ll just sift through the destruction and find the cure to the Gray Death the old fashioned way.”

Silvan twisted back to give Manie a sharp glance. “You sound more like your mother every day.”

Manie turned the red beams in her eyes onto Silvan. “You have no idea what my mother was like.”

“Maybe not, but I know enough to remember who you used to be, and this isn’t her.”

“Who are you to judge me?” Manie asked, her voice dark and low. “I saved the Torch-Wings from extinction.”

“That you did. Don’t waste it.” Silvan finished and said nothing more as he rode his horse to the hitching posts set up inside the mouth of a shallow cave. A few Protectors were smoking pipes near the entrance, eyes sparkling blue. They all separately raised their arms to greet Shawn, Manie and Silvan as they came in from the snow. Silvan was the first to dismount his horse and Shawn and Manie did so after. The moment Manie’s feet hit the ground, Silvan shoved his reins in her face. “Tie him up, warlord.”

“That’s Princess Manie to you, sir.”

Silvan smiled. “Very cute. But I’m not a knight. Now tie up our horses while I go convince Jarod that this suicidal plan of yours is a good idea.”

“And you’re lucky I’m not my mother, because if I was, I’d probably order one of my guards to cut your tongue out for speaking to me that way.”

Silvan leaned at Manie and said, “You don’t have any guards.”

Manie snatched the leather straps from Silvan’s hand. “Quit breathing in my face, your breath smells like dog piss.”

Silvan leaned back and stepped away, leaving for the entrance to the cavern. “I’ll see you both at dinner. Try to stay out of trouble until then, if you can manage it.”

“Pretty easy to accomplish without a third wheel dragging us down,” Manie called after, “We never needed your help in the first place.” The blizzard was so loud it didn’t seem like Silvan heard her. Manie grunted. “Aghh! He thinks he knows everything, and he’s just some stupid Protector!” Manie turned to Shawn. “I’m not like my mother. He’s wrong about me.”

“I know you aren’t like Agatha, Manie,” Shawn said. “You were going to give up your life to save the Torch-Wings. Silvan doesn’t mean what he’s saying, he’s just afraid. I am, too. This is a lot different than when we saved the Torch-Wings.”

“I’m scared, also! It’s my old home we’re going to be sneaking around. But just because we’re afraid doesn’t mean we can start accusing each other of things that aren’t true.”

The horses nickered and stepped away from Manie, one shaking off snow that had built on its mane. Manie grabbed her forehead and released a white breath that turned red as it floated into the light of her eyes. “Lets just tie up the stupid horses and get to dinner. I’m starving after eating Jango's disgusting stews for the last week. You’d think after all that time on his own he’d have come across someone who could cook.”

“Sounds good, I’m hungry, too,” Shawn said.

Manie tied up Silvan’s horse while Shawn fastened the other two to a tree that was clear of the weather. He rubbed the horse’s neck as he left, then stopped when he got to Manie. He put his hand on her cold fingers and squeezed, making her look into his eyes. “It’ll be alright, Manie. I promise. Remember what I told you before? When we’re together, everything always ends up alright.”

That seemed to calm her. “Maybe you’re right. We do always seem to find a way.”

“And we’ll find a way this time, too,” Shawn said. “We just have to stay calm and focus on the goal.”

Manie let heavy breaths sink in and out of her chest. “What if one of us doesn’t make it back? It would be my fault. Going into Denengear was my idea.”

“A lot more people will die if we do nothing,” Shawn said. “We can’t just sit back and hope someone solves this problem for us.”

“But I’ve never seen their faces. How can their lives be worth more?”

“It’s not about whose life is worth more,” Shawn said. “All life is important. But we can use the Crystals, and you can get us inside Denengear. That’s what makes us different. We have the choice to make a difference. They don’t.”

“Do we really have a choice, though? If we’re the only ones who can make things better, then it's like we don’t have a choice at all.”

“I know what you mean,” Shawn said. “Maybe that’s just it: maybe we can’t control fate. Maybe we just have to accept what we’re given and enjoy the ride like we're on a roller coaster.”

“What’s a roller coaster?” Manie asked.

“It’s like an, uh… It’s like a wagon that can only travel one road, and the people who ride it are there for fun. It goes really fast and makes lots of sharp turns and twists and things like that.”

“So, almost like nothing we do matters,” Manie said. “Is that what you mean? Just enjoy the ride. That sounds nice. Makes me feel safe–like nothing we do can ever go wrong. Or at least if it does go wrong it wasn’t because we did something wrong, it was just because it was supposed to happen that way.”

“That’s how I like to think about it. Like, when my dad died, I used to think it was unfair that everyone else got to have a dad and I didn’t. But then I realized one day that maybe it was just supposed to happen. It wasn’t anything anyone did wrong, it just happened. And after that his death didn’t hurt as much anymore.”

Manie stared at Shawn with eyes like shadows. “Shawn, what happened to your father wasn’t fate. My mother killed him because he could control Mikhail’s Crystal. He’s dead because I ran away from home and lost the Crystal in your world.”

Shawn felt a stab in his heart as he remembered. “Yeah... Sometimes I forget. It’s hard to just change all those memories I grew up with. I still can’t believe it’s true. My Grandfather, too. I wonder if we’ll ever really know why she killed them...”

Manie grabbed Shawn’s hands. “I’m sorry, Shawn. You’ve lost as much as anyone. Maybe even more. I won’t be satisfied until my mother pays for what she’s done to you. Everything she’s ever touched has been destroyed.”

Shawn shook his head. “If she does come back, please don’t get hurt over me. None of that is your fault. You’re the only home I have left. I don’t want to lose you, too.”

“You’ll never lose me, Shawn. I promise.” Her eyes twisted up as she stared at him, wordless, until she broke the silence by saying, “You’re all I have left, too.”

A warm wave flooded into Shawn’s heart. He smiled, and Manie did the same. Shawn leaned out and kissed her, then said, “I love you, Manie.”

“I love you, too, Shawn.” She hugged him under the arms and pulled him close against her chest.

She and Shawn turned back to look at the newly forming Torch-Wing city across the edge of Mount Ven. The snowflakes glittered in thousands of different colors as Torch-Wings darted between them, building glass houses and raising trees in bursts of smoke and branches and laughter.

“If we can save them, we can find a cure,” Manie said. “We can erase the darkness that’s fallen on Talmoria.”

“I know we can,” Shawn said as Manie took his hand. “Ever since I first met you, I’ve felt like I could do anything. We’re a lot stronger together.”

Manie smiled as the cold breeze carried her hair away from her cheeks, as if her scalp had turned to red flame.

They stood and watched the Torch-Wings for a little while more. Their beauty was always enough to make Shawn pause, especially now that he knew they weren’t on the verge of extinction. And Manie had always loved them, ever since she was a young child. He was glad to be here for this, even after all he’d lost.

“Well, let’s get out of the cold,” Manie said. “I think my fingers are almost frostbitten.”

***

Manie and Shawn entered the cavern between a row of flaming torches. The red rocks glistened in the reflection of the fire as it danced across pools of melted snow and trails of wet bootprints. There just inside the entrance was a guard barracks where a group of men were posted. One of them was Baren.

“Ahh, Shawn, Manie: Silvan wants to speak with you,” Baren said. “He wants you to wait in the Crack of Light. Asked me to tell you if I saw you first.”

“In the what?” Manie asked.

“It’s what we’ve taken to calling the massive cavern there in the back halls. They should be serving up dinner as we speak. Lucky for you they’ll be roasting boar tonight. You’ll be in there feasting and I’ll be out here counting snowflakes til the sun comes up.”

“That’s noble of you. I’ll bring some dinner out to you when we’re done,” Manie said.

“Ahh, don’t worry yourself on it. I’ve already had my fill of garlic and cheese. Don’t think I could eat another bite if I tried. But you two go on, enjoy it. From what I heard, you had quite the adventure in Market-Town. I think you’ve earned a bit of rest.”

“Thanks Baren,” Shawn said. “Do you know which way we go to find the Crack of Light?”

“Oh, yes. Not too difficult. Go past me and take the passage to the right. Follow it into the next chamber and then the first turn to your left will take you where you want to go.”

“Thanks again,” Shawn nodded. “Don’t let your toes freeze off.”

Baren laughed. “I’ll try not to!”

Shawn and Manie went around the spikes and wooden walls towards the darkness that bent away into blue light. They found a passage of stone that twisted into spots of darkness between torches burning with blue fire. Shawn and Manie followed the path until it brought them to another chamber with three passages.

“Baren said left, right?” Manie asked.

“Yeah, left,” Shawn said.

Shawn and Manie entered the passage and followed it around a snaking pathway that bent back and forth through the rock. Finally they came around a bend and the cavern opened away into a great stadium of stone, reaching miles back into the darkness. Down the center of the roof was a great crack that reached from one end of the chamber to the other, letting moonlight and snow trickle in and build a white stripe across the rocky floors and dozens of little rivers.

The cave was jagged with stalactites hanging down and stalagmites pointing up, like they’d wandered into the mouth of some titanic creature. The Torch-Wings were here too, painting the darkness with colorful light. Between the daggers of rock were glass shelters made in intricate shapes to twist and bend up the structures of stone, forming wide walkways and paths of glazed mineral that shined and sparkled as much as the creatures who walked them.

Down near the front of the chamber was a gathering of Protector tents, their shadows dancing across the walls, lit and painted orange by the fire beneath a roasting boar. A large group of people in blue and silver armor were gathered there, at least sixty strong. Tables were set, covered in breads and cheeses and wines, and people were dancing to a few women playing flutes and harps. Laughter and conversation echoed across the cave.

“Look, there’s Gale,” Manie said, pointing. She was by the fire watching as the women finished their song and took a bow to a round of applause and whistles. “Let’s tell her we’re back.”

The last time Shawn had seen a party this big was during the witch festival back in his hometown. He and Manie descended a twisting path of loose stones, creating a clattering avalanche of rocks as they came down, echoing across the walls of the stadium like screaming glass. They came down into the Protector camp and towards the party brewing in the center. Manie raised her arms as she went to Gale and announced, “We have returned!”

Gale twisted back and smiled as a round of cheers and whistles erupted from the table. “Manie, Shawn! I’m glad to see you're alright. Silvan told me everyone made it back unharmed but I’m not sure if I really believed him until now. You were gone for much longer than we expected.”

“Yeah, it was quite the unexpected adventure. But it was worth it in the end. We found the Man of the Marsh.”

“You found the Man of the Marsh?” One of the men at the table asked. “Well go on, show us his head!”

“No head this time,” Manie declared.

“Silvan told me you found something big but he didn’t say what,” Gale interrupted. “Was that creep really experimenting on people?”

“I don’t know, maybe.” Manie looked around to see who might be listening. She flicked her neck and led Gale away from the group. “We should probably keep this quiet for now,” she whispered, “but we might have found a way to cure the Gray Death.”

Gale’s eyebrows came together. “Really?”

“Yes, but it’s going to be dangerous. Really dangerous.”

“Why?” Gale asked. “What does it involve?”

“I have to go home.”

“Home? To Denengear?”

“That’s right,” Manie said. “Back where I started from.”

“You’re right, that does sound really dangerous. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Gale, Manie, Shawn,” a man with a gray beard draped across his chest called. “We’re about to cut the hog. Come and join us.”

“We’ll be there before you can blink!” Gale said. She turned back to Manie. “What did you learn from him?”

“We learned that we don’t have much time before my mother returns and ruins everything we’ve ever done–so we have to do whatever we can to stop the Gray Death before she comes back. I’m sure Jarod and Silvan will tell you more later.”

Gale let out a slow breath. “That’s a lot to take in. If the cure is in Denengear, going back there does seem like our best option.”

“Thanks for saying so,” Manie said. “It was sort of my idea.”

“It’s a great plan,” Shawn said. “Now let’s keep our voices down before someone hears us!”

“Don’t have a fit,” Manie said.

“Shawn’s right,” Gale said. “We can talk more later, after Jarod’s decided what he wants to do. Dinner’s waiting for us. Let’s just try and have a nice meal together.”

Gale led Shawn and Manie to an empty table and sat down. The Protector with the large beard cut a wide flank of meat off the boar’s side and slapped it onto a platter. “Oohh, that’ll be a thick one! Make sure one of our biggest and strongest heroes gets that slice.” He did the same a few more times before letting the serving girl bring the meat to a table. The first group erupted into hungry cheers as she approached.

Baren came into the Crack of Light from the path Shawn and Manie had entered from and quickly spotted their table. He descended the pathway and raised his arms. “We could turn a Torch-Wing into a meat-eater with the smell coming out of that tunnel.”

“I thought you were guarding the entrance,” Manie said.

Barren waved his arm. “Bah, there’s enough soldiers out there to take over a small city if they had to, we’ll be fine. Besides, we’ve got the heroes of the Beacons with us tonight! Can’t imagine a safer place in Talmoria than right here at this table.” Barren sat down next to Manie, making her scoot over to make room on the bench.

“That’s very noble of you,” she said.

“I decided I’m too hungry for noble.” Barren turned to Shawn. “So what was it like in the Sour Marshes? I’ve always heard spooky stories about that place.”

“It was a lot worse than spooky,” Manie said. “There’s a Ketcher’s nest out there. They were turning people into trees.”

“Well that sounds terrifying.”

“Yeah, we found this tree that was broken down the middle from a lightning strike,” Shawn said, “and there were like these people inside the trunk all fused into the bark, and their faces looked like they’d stretched as the tree grew.”

“I’ll have nightmares for weeks,” Baren said. “Glad I asked.”

“We need to send someone out there to destroy those creatures before they kill more travelers,” Gale said.

“Well I can tell you this,” Baren said, “it won’t be me going out there.”

Gale looked at him like she’d smelled a barrel of rotten fish. “How did you become a Protector, Baren?”

“Yeah, I’d like to know myself,” Manie said.

“Funny story. There was this old man who fell and broke his leg running from a Sunlion. It was quite terrifying.”

“So you saved his life?” Gale asked.

Baren turned towards her. “What? No, I was miles away at the time. Didn’t even see it happen. I got the blue fire in my eyes the day I gave him a foot massage.”

Gale’s face twisted up. “A foot massage?”

“That’s right. He’d been complaining all day about how bad his foot was bothering him, so I told him I’d give him a hand. Well, two hands. I’ll never forget that stench. Sometimes I still feel the crust and toe fungus sliding between my fingers. After that, his foot stopped paining him.”

Manie looked like she was going to vomit. “That’s disgusting.”

Barren shrugged. “Well, you asked.”

“What’s been going on here?” Shawn asked. “We saw the Torch-Wings outside.”

“They arrived about five days ago,” Gale said. “They’ve been in a rush to build their new city. Delta called it Sentansi, I believe.”

“Delta’s here?” Manie asked.

“She was,” Gale said. “She went back to Musoni. She wanted to speak to you before she left, but she never got the chance.”

“”Why would she want to talk to me?”

“You are their queen,” Gale said, smiling.

“I’m not their queen yet,” Manie said. “First I have to prick myself with the Rose.”

“Still haven’t made the commitment?”

“It’s too early for me to be their queen,” Manie said. “I hardly know anything about them.”

“That kind of mindset is what makes you the perfect person to be their queen,” Gale said. “But I’m sure you’ll find your moment.”

“I’d be glad to have you as my queen,” Baren said.

“I still find it hard to believe that Milly chose me at all. Her people almost went extinct because of what I did, and she wanted me to lead them.”

“Maybe because she knew you tried to save them,” Shawn said.

“Maybe,” Manie said.

Slices of Boar came to the table presented on a silver platter. The Serving girl set the meat down with a smile and said, “Enjoy your feast, heroes of the Beacons.” She winked at Shawn before she retreated. Shawn was getting used to hearing people call him a hero, but the way the serving girl said it seemed odd.

“You remind me of Jarod,” Gale said to Manie. “You have a good heart. You know the difference between right and wrong, and you hold yourself accountable to those values as much as you do anyone else. That’s what Talmoria needs. Good, strong people to guide it into tomorrow.”

The courage in Manie’s eyes melted away. “You really think that? Even after I’ve made so many mistakes?”

“I trust your mistakes more than my accomplishments. If we could all be like you the world would be a much better place. I also would be proud to call someone like you my queen.”

“Thank you,” Manie said, her eyes drooping to the table. “I don’t really know what to think about that, really. I never wanted to be the queen of anything.”

Gale smiled. She seemed impressed by what she saw in Manie’s eyes. “Your welcome,” she said, spearing a piece of boar with her fork. She brought it onto her plate along with a section of cheese and hunk of bread.

“I’m trying to imagine you in a crown,” Baren said, looking at Manie. “With all that red hair, I think gold would suit you well.”

Manie laughed. “If I ever get a crown, I’ll be sure to make you one of my Queen's Guard. They’ll call you, The Jolly Knight.”

Baron stood up and dropped to one knee beside Manie, taking a deep bow. “I hereby swear fealty to the Red, Crystal Queen–true heir to Talmoria’s throne, Protector of Blue Flame, breaker of Beacons and Queen of the Torch-Wings.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Arise, Sir Jolly Knight, hero of the Queen's Guard,” Manie ordered with a wide smile. “I have a first command for you.”

Baren looked up with a grin. “And what would that be, my red Queen?”

Manie leaned down and whispered. “Go and guard the entrance to the cave like Jarod asked you to.”

Baren waved his arm at her and quickly stood up. “Ah, you sour flower. Shawn, you never told me the princess was such a bucket of water.”

“Hey, it’s not like I invited her to any of my high school parties.”

Manie gave Shawn a harsh glance.

“Well we wouldn’t be able to have any parties at all without her, so I’d say we lucked out.” Barren backed away from the table. “I’m going to follow my gracious queen’s demand and return to my post as she says. Just wanted to stop in and see how you were getting along. Enjoy the feast.” He knocked on the table with both hands.

And with that Baren left, allowing Shawn, Manie and Gale to have the table to themselves. Shawn piled his plate with food until it was almost tumbling off, his mouth watering as the smoky aroma of juices swirled up his nose. He took a pitcher from the table and filled his cup, noticing the liquid inside was red wine. “Is there anything else to drink?”

Gale lifted a water pouch from her belt and handed it to Shawn. “We can trade.”

Shawn gave Gale the cup of wine as Manie poured herself a cup from the same pitcher, not hesitating to drink. She coughed after a couple of swallows. “What is this, vinegar?”

Gale chuckled. “”I’m sure it’s nothing like what your father had back in the capitol.”

“I think I’ve had enough.” Manie served herself a slice of boar and took a large mouthful, chewing heavily until the meat was broken down and swallowed. She took a bite of tomato and cheese next while Shawn bit off a chunk of bread to go with his boar.

“This is great,” Shawn said between bites. “Much better than Jango’s stew.”

“Anything is better than Jango’s stew,” Manie said.

“Who’s Jango?” Gale asked.

“The Man of the Marsh,” Shawn said. “He gave us food and horses before we left.”

“Jango: the acquaintance of King Mikhail? The one who helped create the Protectors?”

“The very same one,” Manie said before she filled her mouth with boar. “He’s the one hiding out down there in the swamps. I’m sure Silvan will explain later. He seems intent on speaking to Jarod before the rest of us.”

“I'm sure he will. Jarod has a good heart; he’ll see through any tricks Silvan has hidden up his sleeves,” Gale said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, he seems pretty good at keeping secrets,” Shawn added between bites.

Gale’s eyes shimmered like twinkling stars. “Jarod’s sharper than you think… I owe him a lot.”

“Owe him what?” Shawn asked.

“My life, I guess. Would you like to hear the story of how we met? It’s not the happiest tale, but it will answer your question.”

“If you want to tell us,” Manie said. “I’ve always wondered how the three of you came across each other.”

Gale smiled. “Well, Jarod found me... When I was thirteen, I woke one morning to see eyes in a mirror that weren’t my own. Instead, I saw a blue flame–a blue flame I couldn’t extinguish. When I showed my parents the flame, they were afraid. Very soon after, we left our home.”

“Leave? Why?” Manie asked.

“Because the Royal Army was hunting down any Protectors they could find, and those taken away were never seen again.”

“I never knew that,” Manie said, her voice high and hollow. “I always thought the Protectors just disappeared.”

“They didn’t disappear on their own,” Gale said.

Manie looked down into her cup of wine, then back up to Gale.

“We left in the night and tried to reach the Bay of Bricks,” Gale continued. “My father said that a ship was waiting for us there, hired to take us somewhere far away, to a place without war. My father told me stories the whole journey about how beautiful it would be. It was the happiest I’d ever seen him. He took us through burned forests and destroyed cities in a wagon loaded with all our possessions, using secret routes and roads only he and my uncle knew. But the Royal Army caught us before we reached the bay.

“They found us in a charcoal forest of burned trees. We hadn’t seen another living soul in days, not a crow, or coyote or hare, but the moment my father saw a wagon coming up the road after us, he knew… He told me to hide in the ashes of the trees until the men were gone.” The more Gale spoke, the deeper her smile sank. “I crawled into a hollow log that was buried in moss from the rain. From there I could see our wagon through a crack in the wood, but no one could see me.”

Shawn finished a drink of water and set the pouch down.

“The soldiers knew who we were right away. At first it was like a game to them. They asked my father where he was from, where he worked. When my dad gave them false answers, they laughed… They asked where I was, and my father told them he didn’t have a daughter, so they stuck a sword in his belly. When my mother ran to help him, they stabbed her, too. As my parents lay dying at their feet, they asked my father again where he’d hidden me…and he refused to tell them.”

“He lied to save you…” Manie’s voice was as thin and cold as the stars.

“Some men enjoy cruelty. People like that become monsters. Instead of killing my parents, they waited. The soldiers stood over my parents and watched as they bled to death at their feet. And so did I. The last thing my mother and father ever did was take each other's hands and cry out their love for me. And I covered my mouth and cried back, and whispered how much I loved them.” Gale looked lost in her memories, in her anger.

“Once my parents were dead, the soldiers slaughtered the horses and set our wagon aflame. They left after that. They didn’t even try to find me, they left me out there to die on my own. I stayed in the log for as long as I could, and when the sun came out, I went to my parents…and cried. I didn’t know what to do. First I tried to bury them, but the ground beneath the ash was too hard. I couldn’t leave them, so I just stayed, and when the animals came to eat the corpses, I fought them back.

Manie gasped and covered her mouth. Shawn could see tears in Manie’s eyes, but not Gale’s. Her eyes burned with nothing but anger and disappointment.

“I would have died out there with them. I was alone, with no food, no water, no one in the world to help me. And that’s when Jarod came. He’d heard about me, too. He wanted to find the Protector girl with the blue fire in her eyes. When I first saw him, I thought he’d been sent by the soldiers to kill me, but when I saw his eyes…I knew I was safe. Jarod helped me bury my parents, then took me to his home in Shor Wood, far away from the dreams of a land beyond the sea. He kept me safe, and cared for me like a father would, or a brother. He treated me like family. And then he taught me how to use a bow.”

Gale’s eyes swiveled between Shawn and Manie’s. “Four years after the night in the forest, we tracked down those three men from the Royal Army, and I got my revenge. They were in Weaterton, on patrol. Jarod lured the soldiers into an empty alley where I waited with an arrow drawn. The first I killed fast. The second and third–I took slowly. The man who stabbed my mother died crying out for his own, and the man who killed my father was made to watch him bleed. ‘Do you remember the Protector girl you lost in the dead forest? The one whose parents you killed?’ I asked him. ‘I’m here.’ And then I ended his wretched life.” Gale smiled, her eyes like sharpened knives.

Shawn had to remind himself to breathe. The laughter in the background seemed like a wall of separation from reality.

“That night, I slept like a baby for the first time in half a decade. I’d brought the memory of my parents some peace.” Gale's cheeks were glowing with joy, but then her smile quickly fell. “I wonder how many Protector children died before we broke the Royal Army at the Beacons? How many lives were ruined before we stepped in?” Her eyes hovered on Manie’s like cold steel. “If Jarod hadn’t found me that day, I’d have died out there in that forest. He saved my life, but he also gave me purpose. Before that day, I was nothing. But after…” Gale looked into Shawn’s eyes, then Manie’s. “He made me into something strong.”

“There you are,” a strong voice said from behind, intruding on their feast once again. Shawn turned back, and this time he saw Jarod and Silvan coming towards their table looking like proud fathers. “I’m glad to see you're unharmed,” Jarod said. “I hear you found what you were looking for out in the marshes. You did well. Very well.”

“Hi Jarod,” Manie said, glaring at Silvan. “I guess Silvan gave you the short version of the truth.”

“Hello to you, too, Manie,” Jarod said, “and Shawn. Yes, I suppose he did give me the short version. Which is why I’m here. Would you three come along so we can have a small discussion?”

Silvan raised a brow and looked at Shawn and Manie expectantly.

“Gladly,” Manie said with a long sigh.

***

Two doors made of painted clay stood behind the spears and shields of armed guards. Dark swirling blue paint extended out from the center of the door, over the hinges and onto the walls, showing a siphon of blue stars and glowing cities swirling down a drain of darkness. The vortex of color swallowed the cave, making the pathway feel like a march down a tunnel of space and time, galaxies and sparks on all sides.

When he got to the end, the guards stood aside and pushed the doors open, making the tunnel of colors split down the middle, breaking the illusion. Inside was a candlelit room carved out from the stones of the mountain. Scrolls and maps were set everywhere across the tables, along with measuring devices and glass lenses, everything framed by rivers of melted wax.

“I’ve taken this room as my own,” Jarod said. “I believe the Protectors of old used to plan their moves here, so I’ve decided to do the same.”

“It’s good to keep up tradition,” Silvan said. “It’s what makes us who we are.”

There was a stone table in the center of the room that rose up out of the yellow rock, like it had been there since time began: flat on top and jagged with edges across its width. Jarod approached the table and stared intently at a map unrolled across its surface. His eyes were on Denengear.

“Silvan, close the doors behind you.”

Silvan pulled the doors together with a rough grind of stone. “As you command.”

Jarod looked up at Shawn and Manie, then Gale, biting his tongue on the words he meant to speak. “The mission is a go. We’re going into Denengear.”

There was a visible gasp on everyone’s faces, even if their mouths didn’t make a sound–especially Manie.

“The plan will be simple: get inside the king’s mansion, find the cure to the Gray Death, and get out before anyone realizes what we’re up to. Not a drop of blood needs to be spilled if we remain careful.”

Gale grabbed a chair and sat down. Manie stared at the map, her eyes locked to the mountainous ring of teeth in the South.

“Sounds so easy when you say it like that,” Shawn said, letting out a breath. There was a time when he would have told Spencer that doing something like this was insanity. A death sentence. Now he was the insane one with the death wish.

“It will be–if we do this correctly,” Jarod said. “Silvan and I have worked out a way to get inside without drawing attention. Thanks to his connections in the Royal Army, we can place two volunteers inside the city as guards. They can look around the mansion and get a feel for the situation in the capitol before we send anyone else inside.”

“Connections in the Royal Army?” Manie repeated. “Doesn’t that seem a little suspicious?”

“Not everyone in your father’s army is blind to Talmoria’s future. Some of them want to help.”

“Who are the volunteers?” Gale asked.

“One of them will be Silvan. I was hoping the other would be you.”

“Are you sure I’m ready for something like that?” Gale asked. “I’ve never really been much of one for sneaking around.”

“You’re smarter than you think, Gale. I know you can do this. We need you inside if we’re going to succeed.”

Gale let out a breath. “And once Silvan and I find out it's safe?”

“Once we have confirmation that the situation down south is stable enough for us to proceed, we move to the next stage of our plan.” Jarod reached behind his back and dropped a pair of handcuffs onto the table in front of Manie.

Manie looked at Jarod, then to the restraints. “What are you suggesting?” she asked, her voice soft and sharp at the same time.

“You go in as a prisoner. Shawn and some Protectors escort you inside the city and collect on the gold reward your father placed on your head seven decades ago.”

“You can’t be serious,” Manie said breathlessly. “How do you know my father won’t just order his guards to kill me the moment he sees me?”

“You’re a princess. He’s a king. Your father will want to speak to you, not murder you. Now that your sister is gone, you are the only living heir to the throne. I think it’s safe to say your life will not be in danger.”

Manie took a deep breath and held it in.

“While your father is distracted by the reunion, Silvan and Gale will find it much easier to get to Shawn and escort him out of Dukemot’s clutches, so that he can help with the search for your mother’s lab. It will be quicker with three.”

“And what about me? Am I supposed to just…distract my father while the rest of you sneak around his mansion?”

“That’s the part you have to play,” Jarod said. “We all have our unique strengths and weaknesses. There’s not a single other person alive who can fill that role.”

“I’m beginning to think Silvan’s was right before,” Manie said. “This plan is insane.”

Silvan crossed his arms and shook his head, showing a false smile. “I told you so.”

“It might be,” Jarod allowed, looking back at Silvan then ahead to Manie. “But if we can do this, if we can find a cure, then we might actually free our island from the darkness that’s been cast across it for as long as I can remember. We’ll never know how many lives we’ll save if we succeed, but I can tell you how many we’ll lose if we don’t: all of them.” Jarod leaned up from the table and looked around. “It won’t be easy for anyone. But it is necessary. In case you get into trouble, our army will stand ready to storm the capitol and get you out–but I truly hope it doesn’t come to that, because we wouldn’t stand a chance against Dukemot’s strength in open battle. They outnumber us by at least fifty to one, even now. If we want to end this, we can’t afford a single mistake. But we also can’t afford to wait.”

“It’s a good plan,” Silvan announced. “If we really can find this cure, it won’t be long before the Protectors' names are on peoples’ lips, and the Royal Army is just a fading memory.”

“The people of Talmoria deserve better,” Jarod said. “This is the change we all need. When Protectors can go back to protecting, instead of fighting, we’ll know we’ve succeeded. I’ve never known a world like that…but when I see it in my dreams…it feels real.”

“It will be real one day,” Silvan said. “And you’ll make it real. I hope for that more than anything.”

“We’ll make it real,” Gale said. “We can make sure that never again will someone have to experience the terrible things we’ve all seen. The loss, the death, the despair. Things can be better. And we’ll be the one’s to show it to them.”

Shawn wasn't certain of that, but if it was possible, they had to try. He’d come too far to give up now. “If we don’t do this, who will?”

“Maybe no one,” Manie answered. “The choice belongs to us, just like Milly always said. We do control the future. Fate decided we were the ones to do this when it brought us all together. Now we just have to take the first step.” she grabbed Shawn’s hand and squeezed, sending a buzz of feeling up his veins.

“I don’t know if I believe in fate,” Jarod said. “But I do believe that we can make a difference if we try. Maybe you’re right, maybe we are the only ones who can do this; but that doesn’t matter now. If we give up, everyone in Talmoria will die. That’s why we have to keep fighting.”

A parchment unrolled between Jarod’s hands, showing a detailed map of Denengear’s layout. “Look here.”

Shawn noticed an underground network of tunnels stretching beneath outlines of thousands of buildings crowding a web of streets. Near the front of the city was a wide gate, which Jarod put his finger on.

“Once you have the cure, you must get a message to me as soon as you can. I and the rest of the Protectors will come for you. We’ll meet here, at the front of the city; when we arrive, be ready for war.”

“War?” Manie asked. “I thought this was going to be quick and easy? No blood spilled?” She sounded afraid.

“It’s more complicated than that. There have been reports from the South that your father’s army has grown stronger since the Battle for the Beacons. They may be broken now, but our king is rebuilding his strength. He means to wipe us out. The longer we wait, the harder this victory will be to claim. We have to strike the king’s metal while the steel is still molten. Once we begin this operation, two, maybe three weeks is how long we have. That’s when Jango’s vaccine stops working.”

Gale let out a quick sigh. “Two weeks. Okay.”

“We can’t waste this chance,” Jarod said, looking into everyone’s eyes. “We can’t let any more people die. Allow Dukemot to regain his strength and I can promise you he won't stop with the extinction of the Torch-Wings. All of Talmoria will be under his control. We cannot let that happen. Look at where his leadership brought us the first time.”

Manie looked hurt by the words. “He’s still my father.”

“I won’t forget,” Jarod said. “Once we take the capitol, your father will face justice. But I won’t allow him to be killed. We must send a new message to future generations: that we can forgive our enemies. That we weren’t just barbarians with blue flames in our eyes.”

“That seems a wise idea,” Gale said.

“We’re in this together,” Jarod said. “This future won’t be built by any single set of hands. No single mind should guide it. We will decide together what will happen, all of us who live here on the island. The world we make will be better than Dukemot’s.”

Shawn looked at the blue flames shining in most everyone’s eyes around him. It wasn’t power that drove them on, it was longing. Longing for a better world. They would be the knife that cut through the dark if no one else would. And Shawn knew that he was now one of them. His home was lost, too. But maybe he could make a new one if he couldn’t find a way back to his own. “I’m with you,” Shawn said. “Sounds like a place I could fight for.”

“So could I,” Manie said.

“Then we fight,” Jarod said. “And we fight hard. We show the people who want to destroy this world that we’re just as strong as they are. No, stronger. That’s why this fight is worth it, because we have a responsibility to make people know that there are good men and women out there–who will fight to bring the world back into balance. That’s who we are as Protectors. That’s what this blue fire in our eyes means.”

Gale stood and approached the table. She looked at Manie and Shawn, then Jarod. “When do we begin?”

Jarod frowned and nodded, looking ferociously proud. “As soon as I can arrange transport.”

“Then there’s nothing left to say. We’re going back to Denengear.” Gale smiled at Manie. “Together.”

Shivers raced through Shawn’s body. His blood was coursing with excitement and courage. Something inside him had changed since he’d come to this world beyond the doors, that was sure now. There was a time and place where he would have run home. There was a time and place where he never would have come to Talmoria at all. But not this time. Maybe his fear really had turned to courage. Maybe he was stronger than he’d been before.

Jarod looked at Silvan and raised a brow. Silvan took a few slow steps towards the table, shaking his head as he let out a breath. “One teenager now guides the steps of us all. I hope this world you want to make really is as good as you say, Jarod, because as of this moment…you’ve also convinced me.” Silvan placed a hand on Gale and Shawn’s shoulders. “I’m with you until the end–one way or another.”

It was like the floor had soared away beneath Shawn’s feet, pushing his head high into the clouds.

“Then we have everyone we need,” Jarod said. “I’ll send Jango the materials he needs to make the vaccine. After that, we can begin. I’ll find you when it’s time. For now, get some rest. You won’t have long.”

“Thank you, Jarod,” Gale said as she turned. Shawn grabbed Manie’s hand and followed her to the door, Silvan just behind.

“The Protectors are coming to save Talmoria,” Jarod said as they left. “I hope the world is ready.”

***

Moonlight sparkled and shimmered over the snow like a field of glass shards. Shawn and Manie went out into the forest. They were surrounded by a blanket of color lighting the mist on all sides. Manie put out her arms and spun, staring up at the Torch-Wings as they flew over her, shedding rivers of sparkling dust. She felt the warmth of their light pouring into her skin, soothing her mind. The cold washed in after and bit her skin with icy teeth.

“All the mistakes I’ve made in my life–I know that saving the Torch-Wings isn’t one of them.”

“How many mistakes have you really made?” Shawn asked. “We all screw up sometimes.”

“I’ve screwed up a lot more than some people,” Manie said, letting her arms hang down to her sides.

“If this is what you call screwing up, then keep doing it,” Shawn told her. “Looks like we’re doing great.”

Manie rolled her eyes. “You remind me of my sister sometimes.”

“Ouch,” Shawn said. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”

“Not at all. My sister was a good person–in her own way. I looked up to her when I was little.”

“Do you usually look up to people who try to kill you?”

“Not usually.”

“It’s weird to think it's been seventy years since that happened. Weird to think you even died. Talmoria’s a strange place.”

“It is,” Manie agreed, the memory washing over her like a blanket of poison. “Everything I knew is gone.”

“Not me,” Shawn said, taking Manie’s hand. “I’m here with you.”

Manie smiled. She could scarcely imagine a world without Shawn in it. The idea that he’d come from a different universe altogether still amazed her as much as it had when they’d first met. He was as unique to Talmoria as the Crystals were. “I love you, Shawn. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I love you too, Manie. I don’t know what I’d do without you, either.”

They leaned together and kissed as a rain of yellow and red dust fell from the Torch-Wings above and sparkled around them. As their lips came apart, the red and blue light from the fire in their eyes mingled into one, creating a purple glow.

Manie turned and saw lines of color and lights sparkling through the snow. A group of Torch-Wings hovering in two rows came up through the center of the Valley of Caves and into Sentansi. Between them was a line of Enwin wearing white gowns, long green vines growing and hanging out of their shoulders, dragging lines through the snow like spider legs. They seemed to glow in the night like ivory candles, eyes as black as space. At their lead was a single green Torch-Wing: Delta. She guided the group into the center of the new city, to a large gathering of glass houses and short trees. Once they stopped, Delta flew to Shawn and Manie.

“My queen,” Delta said as she approached. “I’m glad to see you.”

“You too, Delta,” Manie said as she turned from Shawn. “What are the Enwin doing here?”

“We’ve come to give this new forest its first birth. I wanted to tell you before I left, but you hadn’t returned yet from your journey. Two Torch-Wings have fallen in love. They’d like to plant their seed in Sentansi. We wish for you to join us.”

“I’d be honored,” Manie said, trying to sound like a queen. Now that Milly was gone, she was all they had, even if she still hadn’t pricked herself with the Rose of Resurrection. “Can Shawn come?”

“His presence would be most welcome,” Delta said with a bow. “Follow me.”

Delta hovered across the snow, shedding a trail of green sparks in the wake of the green fire in her wings. When they arrived at the group of Enwin, each of the women slowly dropped to one knee, and the Torch-Wings bowed their heads.

Manie felt a quaking fire in her heart. She bowed back at them and said, “Welcome to Sentansi.”

The Enwin rose, each standing at least a foot taller than Manie. Their skin, no matter what color it was, looked perfect, like they each had been carved from marble. The darkness in their eyes reflected every color that danced and sparked across the city, outlined by a look of hope. They began to hum a high tune, a song of joy and life that struck Manie so deeply she had to fight not to cry.

“Hello, Queen Manie,” one of the Torch-Wings said as they flew up to touch her hands. Each of the Torch-Wings took their turn, all sixteen of them. “My Queen,” an orange one said, whose skin glowed like hot metal.

“Your beauty is unmatched,” said a raven haired Torch-Wing with gray skin and feathers. Another Torch-Wing, whose body seemed made of water, sparkled with a white light that shimmered in the colors of the rainbow through her translucent skin. She came up to Manie and touched the top of her hand, leaving a trail of cold water on Manie’s knuckle. She looked up, though she had no eyes, no mouth, no nose–just a watery silhouette–then she flew off and rejoined the others.

Manie felt dizzied by the emotions surging through her. To them, she would never be a pawn. To them, she was a queen. “Where are the parents,” Manie asked in a low voice. Delta waved and opened her arms and two Torch-Wings came fourth. They glowed blue and gold, and over their shoulders hung long tails of threaded seeds, reaching out in the wind as they flew.

“How does this work,” Shawn whispered. “What are we supposed to do?”

“The Endowas tree only grows if the seed is planted by two Torch-Wings that have fallen in love,” Manie told him. “If the love is true, the seed sprouts. If not–it withers and dies.”

The Torch-Wings presented Manie with a necklace of seeds that was only big enough to fit her wrist. “My name is Thendeer. It’s a great honor to have you here, my queen,” the father said, his wings shimmering gold as the fire inside them burned. He had blonde hair on his head and beard.

“Thank you for the gift Thendeer, but the honor is mine.” Manie bowed.

Thendeer smiled. He went with Delta to a spot in the snow at the edge of the forest where he and the other Torch-Wing dug a hole. First they hit snow, then ash, then dirt deeper down. The parents stood back and looked into each other's eyes, holding hands. “Reynea, you are the light of my shadow,” said the father, “and I know our love is true.”

“Thendeer, you are the courage in my trees. And I know our love is true,” said the Torch-Wing named Reynea. “I will not do this alone.”

“I will not do this alone,” said Thendeer back to her.

Reynea pulled the seed from a pouch hanging at her side. It had a crack going down the middle, which the little Torch-Wing traced with her thumb. “I know our love is true,” she said as looked into Thendeer’s eyes. He smiled and grabbed the other side of the seed. The Enwin began to hum and sing with more energy, each time their lips parting to reveal rows of needle sharp teeth. They slowly encircled the Torch-Wings gathered around the seed, joining hands and slowly rotating as they sang.

Delta went to her knees in the snow before the hole. “It’s time to begin,” she whispered.

Reynea and Thendeer together planted the seed deep within the earth. Using their hands, they pushed the mound of dirt and ash back into the hole, letting it gently crumble over the seed like a loose blanket.

“Take each other’s hands,” Delta instructed, “and place the other on the ground.” Reynea and Thendeer obeyed. When they touched the dirt, tendrils of light reached into the Earth like glowing veins. The circle of Torch-Wings around them broke into gasps.

“Tonight,” Delta began, “two Torch-Wings have come together in the new city of Sentansi, joined in love, to birth a shepherd of creation. The cycle of life begins with a seed–a vessel to deliver us into this world–when that world is at peace with its own creation. Because of Queen Milly’s sacrifice, and Queen Manie’s love, our world was saved. Here another world shall be born, within a creature of life and love.”

Delta raised her hands and a burst of green sparks exploded around her. The cloud of emerald dust swarmed together like a sea of fireflies and dove down into the dirt. The Torch-Wings around Reynea and Thendeer raised their arms with her, exploding into clouds of light and sparkling dust that sank down into the earth. Manie’s breath escaped her lungs.

“Life be born on this night,” Delta shouted. “Snow and ash and earth, come alive and breathe the air, taste the water, and feel the bark of the trees. Bring us your beauty and make it grow.”

An explosion of blue and gold erupted from Reynea and Thendeer, streaming down into the ground. As the last spark burrowed in, the ground beneath their hands bulged up and lifted the snow. A gasp rocked through Manie’s heart.

“It’s working,” Shawn said.

The dirt rumbled and rose, then a tiny sapling poked its head through the dirt blanket. Within seconds the stem was growing taller, stretching, leaves reaching out into the night. The stem became a trunk that grew and bulged and shed bark across the snow. The neck of the tree was now too wide and thick to grow taller, so it bent back and coiled in on itself. The tip curled down into a swirl that ended with a red fruit growing at what was the tip of the tree, like it was holding an apple within its grasp. The red apple grew larger and plumper until it hung low, fat and ripe, making the bark stretch down. The red apple was now a pod as big as a pumpkin, hanging just high enough not to scrape the ground. The tree’s growth suddenly slowed, and, without warning, the pod split open and spilled out a mess of yellow slime across the snow.

Within the pool of fruity gore was a tiny creature: a Torch-Wing. Reynea and Thendeer fell to the snow and grabbed their daughter, cheering in excitement and happiness, crying as they saw her eyes.

“Shawn, she's alive.” Tears blurred Manie’s vision as she said it.

“Their love was true.” Shawn said in a low voice as he took Manie’s hand.

The light of the baby Torch-Wing was purer, brighter, cleaner–like colored silk. It was like a star being born, a harbinger of life and peace. The little creature was a miracle for Talmoria.

“You have a daughter,” Delta declared to the parents as she stood and hovered off the ground. “Do you know what you’ll name her?”

“Aetheasia,” Rheynea announced.

“Welcome to Sentansi, Aethesia,” Delta told the little Torch-Wing. “You are the first.”

The Enwin let down their arms and continued to hum a high song, filling the forest with wordless songs of peace and life. Reynea and Thendeer took their daughter and hovered off into the Valley of Caves to find their new home, followed by the group of Torch-Wings who’d come to watch.

Delta turned back to Shawn and Manie. “The birthing ritual is complete. Sentansi has its first child. For the first time since the fires began, the darkness is rolling away.”

“I’m glad I could make things better,” Manie replied, fighting back the sorrow that was climbing her throat. She turned towards the trees and saw Torch-Wings come out of the burnt part of the forest where there was nothing but charcoal spears rising from the snow. They were carrying stone figures of other Torch-Wings: those that hadn’t been able to escape Duncan’s flames. In the distance, a pair of Torch-Wings who had frozen together were unburied by a few others. They were locked in a last embrace, a final display of love before they plunged into the unknown.

“They will be taken to the Shores of Eternity outside Musoni to join the others,” Delta said.

“There’s no way to help them?” Shawn asked.

“No,” Delta said. “Death is their end, as it is for all of us.”

Manie crossed her arms over her chest, resting her hands on her shoulders. "This city only exists because of what happened that night in Sarratania.”

“I know.” Shawn shook his head. “It’s like a dream. It almost doesn’t feel real.”

“We'll always be together…won't we?” Manie asked, thinking of the dead Torch-Wings and their final embrace.

Shawn slid Manie’s hands off her shoulders and held her fingers. He looked down at her knuckles, then up into her eyes. “That’s what I wanted that night on top of the tower more than everything else… So, I hope so.”

Manie pulled Shawn towards her. “You’re the thing I wanted more than everything else.” She kissed him. “I’d rather die again than do this alone.”

Delta smiled as she hovered there beside them. “I’m going to check in on the new family. Thank you again for being here, Queen Manie. I hope to see you again soon.” She twisted off into the forest, leaving a falling trail of glowing, green dust in her wake.

As Delta left, Shawn kissed Manie, turning her as they danced with each other below a falling cloud of glowing sparks and dust, released from the hundreds of Torch-Wings singing and dancing above them. They were celebrating the arrival of their newest sister, mingling together like a hovering ocean of fireflies sparking in every color imaginable.

"Woah, you two," Fitzel screamed from nearby. "Are you two looking to plant your own Birth Tree, now?" She giggled from the edge of the caves that were glowing red and green.

“Maybe we are,” Manie shouted back, making Fitzel and Shawn blush.

A golden-winged Torch-Wing swooped up from the forest, leaving a sparkling trail. He came up to Fitzel and took her hands.

“Trayor?” Fitzel exclaimed. “I thought you were in Musoni?”

“I came to see you. When Delta told me you were in Sentansi, I came at once. I’ve decided I want to be your seed bearer, Fitzel,” Trayor said. “Your fire is the warmest love I’ve ever felt.”

“No Birth Tree will ever grow from my love, Trayor,” Fitzel told him. “My seed is dead. No matter what anyone does, one day I’m going to die, but you’ll still live forever. You should find someone else.”

Trayor looked pained. “Then I want to be with you until that day comes. Wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

Fitzel grabbed his hands as a tear sparkled and fell from her eye. “Oh, Trayor.” He hugged her, and together they spun over the forest of glass houses and burning ember dust, shedding a trail of orange and gold sparks like a roaring volcano.

“Come on,” Manie said, turning back to Shawn. “I bet we could get a good view of the stars from up there.” She grabbed Shawn’s hands and led him up the snowy hill, boots crunching with every step. They were surrounded on all sides by glass houses and little pockets in the caves that were filled with light and life. As they came to the top of the hill, Manie found a large rock reaching out over the forest and valley, covered in a soft blanket of snow.

“We’re really high up,” Shawn said.

“That’s sort of the point.”

“Why? What are we doing up here?” Shawn asked, sounding scared. “After Sarratania, I think I’ve had enough of heights. That, and the time your mom tried to kill me.”

“You should feel lucky she’s only tried to kill you once,” Manie complained, remembering her encounter with the Grizzly Wolf. “I want to look at the stars. Want to look with me?”

“I guess. As long as you promise not to push me off the edge.”

“No way, that’s the fun part.” Manie pushed Shawn then grabbed him when he gasped.

“Not funny,” Shawn said as Manie laughed.

“That’s a lot funner than I thought it would be. No wonder my mom likes to push people off cliffs.” Manie went to the middle of the rock and laid down in the snow, stretching out her arms and legs. “Come sit with me.”

Shawn went and sat beside her.

“See that one up there?” Manie pointed at a smear of red and white stars. “That’s called the Crabman Galaxy.”

“Oh wow, and I thought Darina’s Ladle’s were bad,” Shawn said.

“Tell me what they’re called in your universe again?” Manie knew, but she wanted to hear him say it.

“The Dippers.”

“The Dippers,” Manie repeated, chuckling. “Such a great name. Really inspires wonder and excitement.”

“Dippers, Ladles–who cares. I’ve got you: the prettiest girl in Talmoria."

Manie laughed and blushed. "Jeez, compliment me any more and I might just start to think you like me."

“I compliment you all the time, what are you talking about?”

“I'm a princess, you’re supposed to do it extra.” Manie grabbed Shawn’s arm and put it under her neck like a pillow. “Do you remember the last time we looked up at the stars together? Under that tree? Life was so simple back then."

"It seemed that way," Shawn agreed. "It felt like nothing could go wrong."

"Now it feels like nothing can go right," Manie corrected. "Even if we do find a cure for the Gray Death, I’m still going to lose my father one day."

“Jarod said they wouldn’t kill him.”

“I wouldn’t let him if he tried–that’s not what I meant. He’s old, Shawn. Even I’m surprised to hear that he might be alive.”

The silence took hold as wind blew icy white clouds across the black ocean flooded with stars above them. "Do you remember that story you told me the night under the tree?” Shawn asked. “About how that king guy realized the only way he could make the evil witch Darina go away and stop killing his people was to sacrifice himself?"

"Yeah," Manie replied. "I think about that story a lot..."

"It reminds me of you," Shawn said. "You've sacrificed more than anyone. You’re like a living, breathing hero from a story.”

It was a nice thought, but Manie could never think of herself as the hero. “Or maybe I'm the witch who needs to be driven off and locked away… I killed my own sister. I lost my blue flame.”

“That’s in the past, Manie. You have to forget about Veronica. She clearly never cared about you. No one could ever blame you for what happened.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Manie said, remembering her sister’s guiding voice. “You've sacrificed as much as I have, Shawn. You're the real hero. I'd be dead without you." Manie snuggled her cheek against Shawn’s shoulder, happy that he was just real and there with her. He was the only thing from her past that hadn’t disappeared too. The only one who really cared.

"Thanks, Manie." He leaned his cheek against the top of her head.

“One way or another, we’ll be putting an end to my past soon. We’ve come so far, but we still have a long way to go before Talmoria is safe from the Gray Death and we can go home.”

“We’ll get there one day,” Shawn said. “I know we will.”

“If you say so,” Manie mumbled into Shawn’s shoulder.

Across the landscape below was a smear of hazy white, dotted by specks of flame coiling and biting the black clouds above. Millions had died already. Now, only tens of thousands were left. If they didn’t find a way to cure the Gray Death soon, there wouldn’t be anyone left to save at all. But like Shawn said, one day they’d get there. Hopefully, he was right.