They blinked back at me, ever watchful and silent.
“I’m a little lost,” I told them. “Maybe more than I think I am. I don’t…. I knew my place. I knew what was expected of me. Do this, Sam. Learn this, Sam. I’m going to monologue at your face after I’ve captured you for some stupid reason, Sam. There was good. And there was evil. And nothing in between. I am a good guy. I know I am. And I try to do what’s right. Always. Even if it hurts.” I sighed. “Why does this all feel so wrong, then?”
The stars didn’t respond, of course. They never really did, at least not that I could hear.
I found David’s Dragon, the cluster of stars to the north. I watched it for a long time. It didn’t move as it had for Vadoma, if it ever did at all. I didn’t know if what I’d seen was even real.
But still.
I said, “I’ll do this. For you. But you have to do something in return for me.”
A breeze blew across my face, warm even in the cool night.
It was probably nothing.
I said, “Make me mortal. When all is said and done. I will protect my King, this one and the next. I will protect my kingdom. I will do all that you ask, but I want a mortal life for my happy ending. This is my wish.”
“Sam.”
I squawked quite loudly and fell over, sure the star dragon was right behind me and was going to eat my brains and—
“Godsdammit,” I growled as I looked up at Ryan standing above me. “Don’t do that! You can’t sneak up on me because I make weird noises!”
He cocked an eyebrow at me. “As opposed to any of the other times you make weird noises?”
“You think you’re funny, but you’re not funny.”
“Kind of funny.”
“Kind of stupid. With your face.”
He held a hand out toward me, and I allowed myself to be pulled back up to a sitting position. I glared at him until he moved behind me, sinking down and pulling me between his legs until I lay against his chest, his chin near my shoulder.
“Is that better?” he asked quietly.
“No. You jerk.” It was a billion times better.
“Good,” he said, because he could see right through me. “What were you saying?”
“Huh?”
“You were talking when I was coming up here. What were you saying?”
I stiffened, and I knew he could feel it. “Wizarding… things?”
He chuckled near my ear. “Really. You don’t sound too sure about it.”
“I’m sure,” I insisted. “You don’t even know how sure I am.”
“Sam.”
“I hate it when you use that tone of voice.”
“Nah. You love it. Like you love everything else about me.”
“Wow. You really are sure of yourself.”
“Yeah, I guess I am.”