“What is?” I asked.
“My head hurts,” Squat Wizard said.
“People say that around me a lot,” I told Ryan. “Must be my magic or something.”
“Or something,” Ryan agreed. “Like all the talking.”
“Her Majesty, Queen Sass,” I announced to everyone in the room.
No one seemed to get the joke because they didn’t laugh.
“Tough crowd,” I muttered.
“I think they’re more concerned with imminent death,” Ryan said.
“Oh. Right. Well. Can’t have that.” I looked back at the Darks. “This has been fun. Maybe come back and see me some time? You guys seem nice.” I gave them the ol’ Look-How-Precious-Sam-Is big eyes and big smile at full blast. Ryan made a strange noise at my side, like he’d been punched in the stomach.
Squat Wizard smiled back and said, “Aww. You too, Sam. We’ll just get out of your hair and let you enjoy your evening. So sorry f
or interrupting. Remember—”
One of his Darks tugged on his shoulder and leaned over to whisper in his ear.
“What now?” Squat Wizard said. “Uh-huh. Uh-huh…. You don’t say…. We did what…? Uh-huh. Uh-huh…. Oh. Right.” He turned back and glared at me.
“Dammit,” I muttered. “I thought that would work.”
Ryan choked out a laugh. “I can’t believe it almost did. Has it ever?”
“Once? No. Four times.”
He sighed. “You have got to stop putting yourself in these situations.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll get right on that.”
“Sam of Wilds!” Squat Wizard shouted. “You took the life of Lartin the Dark Leaf. A fine, upstanding Dark wizard who loved long walks through the forest and the smell of vanilla-scented candles and eating pudding. You have taken his life, and now we shall take yours. And that of the knight since he has chosen to stand with you. Maybe even little Todd there.”
Morgan was going to kill me.
A flicker of green off to the side. Maybe some gold.
There was a reason I didn’t use my magic much out in public, something that he and I had agreed upon when he’d tested me shortly after finding me with the boys of stone. He didn’t want people knowing the extent of my power. Ryan hadn’t heard about the thief-chair thing because Morgan had gotten there first and changed them back. No one knew about it, and I was a bit foolish to have spoken of it. Because I was strong. Very strong.
Stronger than Morgan.
Stronger than the Darks.
In fact, Morgan thought I might have been the strongest wizard he’d ever heard of.
And that scared him.
And it scared me too.
It scared him because he was always worried about what people would try to do to me if they found out. There were always others out there that wanted nothing more than to harness all the power they could get their hands on.
It scared me because I was always worried about what I would do to people. I had turned a group of boys to stone with just a thought.
So we agreed to keep it quiet as much as we could. Until we knew more.