I threw my whole weight against the barrier again and again and again.
Ruv clucked his tongue. “Truly a waste.” He shook his head and turned away from Ryan back toward me. “You might as well save your strength, Sam. You’re going to need it.”
Again and again and again.
He turned his attention away from me.
“Leave us,” Ruv told Caleb. “The time has almost come. Do not return to the castle, as they will soon know something is amiss. Wait for my word.”
“I want to watch what happens to Sam—”
“Leave us,” Ruv hissed. “I will not tell you again. He approaches, and he will not be pleased if you are still here.”
Caleb’s eyes widened a little at that. He looked as if he was going to argue but must have thought better of it. His mouth thinned, and he nodded tightly. He glanced at me again before he too left the house, leaving me and Ruv and Ryan.
The only sounds were the dripping of blood on the floor and the grunts I made when I slammed my shoulder into the barrier, knowing it wouldn’t give but not caring.
“You know,” Ruv said finally, “in the end, I do feel somewhat responsible for what happened here.”
I ignored him.
“I told him that I could get to you, that if he just gave me a chance, I could do what was needed. You would choose me as your cornerstone, and I would eventually drag you away from the light and into the dark. I knew of Ryan Foxheart. Everyone in Verania did. But I figured once you tasted my magic with yours, you’d see. I regret that it didn’t work out like I had planned. I didn’t try hard enough. I went along with Vadoma, and I went along with you after that dragon in the desert. I thought you would just see me, see how I helped you, see how good I was, and in the end, you’d just… I don’t know.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “So yes, Sam. I do blame myself partly for this. And if he hadn’t failed right after I did, I do believe I wouldn’t be standing here. Because again, there’s just something about you that causes people to doubt what you’re capable of. You are stronger than you appear.” He shook his head ruefully. “We won’t be making that mistake again.”
“What do you want from me?” I said, trying to push through the haze that had covered my eyes.
“Oh, it’s not about what I want. I don’t know that it’s ever been. It’s about what he wants.”
“How could you? How could you do any of this?”
“Black and white, Sam. That’s all you see. There is so much more in between. Becoming a Dark wizard isn’t the scary story you’ve heard all your life. Morgan and Randall are so absolute in their magic that they leave room for no alternatives. No interpretation. Magic can go both ways, Sam. You know that. You showed me that in the desert. With the sand mermaids. And with him in the water. Do you really think you could have done that with both feet firmly planted in the light? No, Sam. Of course not. Part of you is in shadow. Morgan knows this. Randall knows this. Why do you think they’ve kept so much from you?”
“I will never be like you.”
His smile took on a melancholic curve. “I suspected as much. And so did he, I think. He gave you a choice once, and you threw it back in his face. He made his mistake then, by acting too hasty, trying to consume your magic before it was time. Even the best of us can act without thinking.”
“The both of you can go fuck yourself.”
“Yes, I suppose you think we can. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. You have lost, Sam. There’s no talking your way out of this one, no using your magic to escape impossible odds. Verania will fall, and from the ashes, the age of the Darks will be born, and he will rule over us all.”
I laughed bitterly. “You really think Morgan and Randall will let that happen? Kill me. Fine. Go ahead. But they will never let him win. This is just one battle, and you are in a war, and I promise you, I will find a way, either in this life or the next, to make you pay for what you’ve done.”
“Ah, Morgan and Randall. Even after everything, you still have faith in them. It’s a remarkable thing.” He stepped closer to the barrier. “Misplaced, but admirable. Do you know where my faith lies, Sam of Wilds?”
“Go to hell.”
“In him.”
“You will lose.”
“You know of whom I speak.”
“You will lose.”
“His name, Sam. Say his name.”
“Villains never win. You may have gotten this far, but we all know how the stories end.”
“Now, Sam. Say it. Say his name.”