28. Roc
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ROC
They left you , the voice in his head says.
Why fight it any longer?
Give in.
Let me take on your responsibilities.
Let me do the hard work.
No , he thinks. They didn’t leave.
He can feel his edges fraying, his body shifting. Where once this was a power he wielded against his enemies, now it’s a power he seems to have forfeited.
The witch vibrates with excitement.
Let me devour them whole.
He’s trying to collect himself, but it’s like gathering sand through open fingers.
Devour them or kill them, either way, the outcome is the same.
He sees the Myth Maker nod, and the guard at Wendy’s side readjusts his grip on his blade.
He’s going to kill her.
He can’t have them, but he must save them.
“Wait,” he calls.
The truth doesn’t matter, he realizes. They’re better off without him. He’s a monster, after all, and monsters don’t get happy endings.
He can save them. Right now. Right here.
“I give in,” he says.
He can’t see the witch trapped inside of him, but he can feel her smile.
Finally .