“Break the blood seal and see how it goes. Come on, you little bitch. Do it. You think I’m scared of you? Of him?”
“Say his fucking name!” Ruv bellowed.
I spat at him and watched the saliva slide down
the invisible barrier. “Fuck you. And fuck him. You want me to say his name? You think I won’t. Fine. You will fall, Ruv. Just like your mentor. You are nothing. Myrin is nothing.”
The floor shook beneath my feet, the floorboards rippling. I took a stumbling step back, hitting my bruised shoulder against the barrier. The room grew darker as the flames on the candles flickered before going out completely. The ceiling groaned, a large crack appearing right down the middle, dust and plaster sprinkling down. The crack stopped right before it reached the dragon’s blood.
Ruv took a step back. “He’s coming.”
The shadows began to gather along the floor. Soot and ash billowed from the fireplace, caught in a spiral as it swirled into the air. At first it was shapeless, a vortex spinning lazily. But then the shadows coalesced and there was a strange pull in the back of my head, muffled by the blood spell.
Sam, it whispered.
The vortex rose toward the ceiling, leaking shadows like liquid smoke.
And for a moment, that was all it was: a column of shadow-smoke swirling in the center of an abandoned home in the middle of the City of Lockes.
Then the shadows fell away.
And the darkest of all the wizards stood, a small smile on his face. He wore black robes shot with lines of red. His beard curled down against his chest. His eyes were sparkling.
“Sam,” Myrin said. “How lovely it is to see you again.”
Chapter 22: Sacrifice
AND BECAUSE I couldn’t not, I rolled my eyes. “Dude, that entrance was kind of weak. I mean, I get what you were going for, but honestly? I’ve seen better.” I felt like I was breaking apart, but I couldn’t let him see fear. I couldn’t let him see I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how we’d get out of this.
Myrin chuckled. “Have you now?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, dude. I mean, you get points for the shadow-smoke thing, but beyond that? Kind of disappointing. You had your lackey here shouting at me to say your name. Who does that? And did you seriously wait until I did say your name before you showed? Because if you did, that’s pretty fucking lame.”
“Oh, Sam. You are not what I expected you to be.”
“So you’ve said before. New material. Learn it.”
“I see you for what you are.”
“Oh?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “Are you going to psychoanalyze me? That’s neat.”
Myrin took a step toward me, and it took all I had not to take an answering step back, to stand my ground to show him I wasn’t afraid, even though my heart was splitting down the middle. Ryan was breathing, little raspy breaths, but he wouldn’t be for long. I had to get us out of here.
And if it meant killing both Myrin and Ruv, well.
That’s the way it was going to be.
“Your words, Sam,” Myrin said, coming to a stop right outside the circle of dragon’s blood. “They are your weapons. You wield them as a knight does a sword.”
“Is that right,” I said. “How interesting. Hey, here’s an idea. Break the circle and we’ll see just how strong my words are. What do you say?”
“You’re scared,” Myrin said. “You hide it, but it lurks in you, just along your edges. I can see it, Sam of Wilds. And you’re right to be afraid.”
I glared at him. “I’m not scared of you.”
“I do sense some truth in that. Honestly, I do. And it’s admirable. But I never said the fear was directed toward me.” He glanced toward the wall. “It would seem the Knight Commander is but a butterfly pinned to a board.”
He took a step toward Ryan.