The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania 3)

In one hand he held Letnia’s discarded cigar, the end glowing brightly.

In his other, he held Justin by the throat.

My vision tunneled, focusing on the fingers around the Prince’s neck, cataloging every indentation of skin, every shift of Feng’s thumb. My job, my one job above all others, was to keep the King and the Prince safe. It was the one lesson that had been stressed to me over and over again. The Castle Guard would lay down their lives for the Crown if the threat should call for it, but it was the Wizard’s job to lay waste to any threat to begin with.

I started forward, but Morgan put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing so tightly that it stung against the lightning-tree scar. I knew he didn’t mean to hurt me, but it parted the red sheen of rage that had fallen over my eyes.

Ryan stood next to me, bouncing on his feet slowly, hands up in front of him in fists, ready to move when signaled.

Letnia stood where she had before, jaw dropped, confusion on her face.

Mama looked more furious than I’d ever seen her.

And Randall?

Randall said, “You’re making a mistake.”

And he said it with such ease.

Feng laughed. “A miztake? I tink not. I tink you’ll find it iz you who iz miztaken, old wizzzard. Now, I know yer magic iz… large. But you zee dees tings on me? Dey are filled with a concoction of my own making. Quite… explosive. Dere would be nothing left of the Prince. Or any of you.”

“I’m totally going to save you,” I told Justin, hopefully to calm him down if he was freaking out. “You don’t even have to worry. I got you, dude.”

“Somehow, that’s not as comforting as you think it is,” Justin said through gritted teeth.

“You motherfucking cocksucker!” Mama bellowed at him, causing Feng to take a step back. “Are you fucking serious? I’m going to tear you apart piece by piece, and just when you’re gagging on your own blood, I’m going to rip your dick off and shove it down your throat!”

“Holy violence,” I whispered in awe. “That was graphic.”

“How did you think this was going to end?” Randall asked, as if he had all the time in the world. “What did you think you were going to accomplish here?”

Feng grinned. The gold teeth flashed. “Got you all in one room, didn’t I?”

“It’s a mothercracking trap,” Ryan growled, and I was so proud of him for controlling his language in this dire time. It was the mark of a true knight. I needed to fuck him nice and hard later if we made it out of this alive. Positive reinforcement and all that.

“Your key is gone?” Randall asked.

“Crumbled against da lock,” Feng agreed. “Not enough to open, but enough to crack. Myrin did da rest. Iz time for da Darks. Offers were made. Here iz how this will work. I leave with da Prince. Any move made and he will die before you blink.”

He began to edge his way toward the door.

“Feng,” Letnia said. “You are making a mistake. Do you not see the people in this room? In what world do you see yourself coming out alive at the end of this? And even if it was just Mama and myself, you had to have known we would destroy you.”

“Dere are tings far greater than I,” Feng said. “But he will reward me. And it will be glorious.”

“This is why the Darks gathered,” Morgan said. “Because you were supposed to bring the Prince? But you couldn’t have known we would bring him with us to Meridian City. How could you—”

“It was meant to be the boy wizard,” Feng said, shooting me a look. “Thought dere would be more time, but you asked about da keys already. This is improvising. A prince in da place of a wizard? Seems fair to me.”

“What did he want with Sam?” Ryan snapped at him as we turned with every step Feng took toward the door.

Feng shrugged. “Not my concern. Dis is as good as it gets. Prince, open da door.”

“Fuck your face,” Justin snarled.

“Maybe later,” Feng said. “If dere iz time.”

Justin struggled against him, but Feng squeezed his throat even harder, and I knew if we got out of all this, there’d be bruises in the shape of a handprint around his neck.