The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania 3)

“How do you know that?” Dimitri snarled, and I had to remind myself that even though the fairies were small, this was still their forest. The trees answered to them and no one else. I didn’t want to fight, because there was a chance we would lose.

“Something Randall said,” I told him. “In Meridian City. He said that the seal was supposed to have been safeguarded. He never said by who and I didn’t think to ask, given that Feng attempted to assassinate us shortly after.”

“I knew it was him,” Dimitri hissed as the fairies buzzed angrily. “The traitorous fool. How dare he come into my woods and betray us all. Does he still breathe?”

I shook my head slowly. “Burned. By his own bombs.”

Dimitri sighed, shoulders slumping. “We were the guardians. But we became… distracted. At our own revel

ry. Fairies are not that different from dragons in that we are consumed by thoughts of treasure. And the Dark Woods are full of treasure. My lust for gold and gems blinded me from my oath.”

“You were trying to warn me,” I said quietly as Ryan leaned against me, letting me know he was there. “In your own way, you were trying to warn me about what was hidden. You knew about the prophecy.”

Dimitri’s wings drooped. “The gods are… fickle, Sam of Wilds. They always have been. I had hoped it would be the same concerning you. I know that Randall and Morgan of Shadows wished for the same thing. That you would never have to know the weight of shadow.” He eyed my scars closely.

“It’s a small price to pay.”

“Being marked? Or being consumed?”

I shook my head. “He won’t. It won’t get that far.”

“Can you predict the future now too?”

“No. But I know what I’m capable of. And I’ve done what’s been asked of me so far. I have four dragons at my side. I just need the fifth. And I need you to show me the way.”

The fairies behind him began to fly up and surround Ryan and me, spinning in a slow, lazy circle. I felt the flutter of wings against my ear and cheek, my neck and shoulder. They didn’t speak, but I could feel the energy flowing within them, like a swarm of bees just underneath my skin.

Dimitri floated in front of me. “Men,” he whispered, shaking his head. “They bring nothing but death and destruction. Are you afraid, Sam of Wilds?”

Ryan put his hand in mine, squeezing tightly.

“I am,” I said. “But not of you. Not of the Great White. Not even of Myrin.”

“Then what are you afraid of?”

“That I won’t be able to do the right thing when the time comes.”

He flew forward and pressed his hand against my forehead. I tried to ignore the fact that his blue dick was swinging right in front of my eyes. Honestly. I knew the worst people. “You are right to be afraid,” he said as his people swirled around us. “I told you once that the Dark Woods were known to you and you to them. I can see it in your head that you’ve stood before a god. But he was made of nothing but stardust. How would you feel standing in front of a god made of flesh and bone?”

“You know where he is,” I whispered.

And the king of the Dark Woods fairies grinned, razor-sharp. “Oh yes. Because he has awoken. And he is expecting you.”

Chapter 18: The Great White

“SURE,” GARY muttered to himself. “Let’s keep going into the Dark Woods. Nothing creepy here. Oh, no worries about anything. So what if there’s no path left? And so what if we’re following someone who gets their point across by bad-touching? Nope! This sure wasn’t a bad idea at all. I mean, we’re only where pretty unicorns such as myself don’t go for very good reasons. Because of the dying.”

“There, there,” Tiggy said, and I looked back behind us in time to see him brushing his fingers over Gary’s mane. “Pretty Gary. My pretty Gary.”

“Damn right I’m pretty,” Gary snapped. “Even in the middle of a forest adventure that I want no part of, I am godsdamn gorgeous. It’s how I do. Give me more compliments so I feel better about everything.”

“I like your tail,” Kevin said. “Especially when it’s up in the air.”

“Dude,” I scolded the dragon. “Now is so not the time.”

“Just because you’re not getting compliments,” Gary said with a glare, “doesn’t mean you get to take away mine.”

“I like it when your tail is up in the air,” Ryan told me.