The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania 3)

“Oh good. I like you still too.”

“Of course you do.”

“Sassy,” I said fondly, pushing his face away.

Ryan hadn’t sheathed his sword, but he did hold his free hand out to me. I grimaced as I took a step forward, the pain bright and heavy now. I was tired and cranky and happy all at the same time. I wanted nothing more than to find the nearest bed and curl into Ryan and possibly not move for the foreseeable future. I thought that sounded like the best and most practical idea I’d ever come up with.

I took Ryan’s hand, callused and rough and oh-so familiar. I felt more settled than I had in weeks, knowing he was here. I didn’t want to let him out of my sight again.

Wizard, a voice whispered in my head.

We can feel your bonds, another voice said, smooth and sweet.

I stared up at the dragons.

They stared down at me.

They were there again in my head, but it didn’t feel as malevolent as it had before. I wondered then at their supposed plan, at their tests they felt the need to put me through. Hadn’t Zero done the same? Oh sure, he’d positioned it as playing, but in the end, hadn’t it been a test of wills? His versus my own. The dragon versus the wizard and his friends. In the end, we had all stood against him. He’d snapped and snarled, but he’d collapsed soon after and had turned back into the emo dragon.

But why.

I can hear your questions

I can hear your dreams

You are jumbled

You are confused

But then, you are human, after all

Such a conflicting mixture you all are

Even the wizards cannot escape the entrapment of human fallacies

Ryan’s hand tightened in mine, and I knew he was feeling something—as was probably Kevin—but I didn’t think he could make out their words like I could. I didn’t know if he ever would. A cornerstone was a treasured thing, but it wasn’t necessarily powerful. He was connected to the dragons through me. I didn’t think it was possible for him to do it on his own.

We have answers, though few they may be

And we will give them to you

But first

We must show you what we are

So that you may see us as we have seen you

You have such power within you

But it’s unwieldy

Unrestrained

It has the potential to consume you

Your cornerstone will help you

But he cannot do it on his own