Chapter 22
Vienne
W hat in the fuck just happened?
We stand on the hillside, both of us gaping at the place where the behemoth used to be. Far below us, the pair of warriors who took it down lower their hands, and the woman collapses in the troll’s arms.
Suddenly, the world in front of me swims. Everything turns blurry, and I feel my legs give out from under me. Then my vision goes black.
Just as abruptly as I passed out, I wake again. I sit up, squinting against the bright glow of purple magic in the otherwise dark room. Graz is beside me, groaning as he opens his eyes. The mattress must have disappeared while we were asleep and now we’re lying on the hard stone floor. I quickly grab my clothes and pull them on so I’m not so cold.
What was that? Graz asks as he rolls over, squinting at me. You were there, too.
It was another one of those visions. I try to remember everything that happened before we fell asleep. I tried to use magic to get out of our tomb, but nothing happened.
Perhaps the vision was its response to us. Maybe, to escape this place, we need to be like that troll and that human we saw.
The legend of Riggamora, I say thoughtfully. It’s clear to me that what we saw was the same moment as the illustration in the book: when trollkin and humans worked together to destroy the last great worm, the greatest of them all. That’s what that was. The end of Riggamora.
But he didn’t disappear, like the book said. In our vision, he survived the obliteration of his body. He lived , though only in spirit. He threatened to obtain a mortal form, and then...
The legend of what? Graz asks, also gathering up his clothes.
It’s a very old story. We saw carvings of it, too, in the last ruin.
He strokes his chin. You’re right. But... why did we see that? We know why we saw the last one. His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me across the floor until I’m against his side. But why this one?
I think the magic is trying to show us something. It is odd, to think of it like that—as its own entity, perhaps with its own thoughts and intentions. We got the wish we made. We just didn’t get it how we expected.
So, what, we blast a beam of magic together through the ceiling? Graz asks skeptically.
I think for a few long moments. We can’t force our way out, or we risk collapsing the whole place with us inside it. But maybe it’s simpler than that.
I stand up and observe the carvings on the wall around us. They are standard fare now, lots of faces staring into one another’s eyes in human-trollkin pairs. There are so many of them, though, not just one. My brow furrows as I trace the progression around the room.
I think... I’m hesitant to say the words, because it’s just a guess. I think that once upon a time, there were many couples like us.
Graz lifts his head, listening.
Remember what Riggamora said? ‘I will use you to destroy yourselves.’ He was right. Once upon a time, we got along. But somehow, between then and now, our civilizations have done nothing but fight.
He nods. As long as our written record has existed.
But it wasn’t always that way. I think Riggamora has done what he promised.
I can’t explain it, but why else would our civilizations have forgotten how we once lived side-by-side? I look down into the glowing pool, baffled by its existence. Graz peers over my shoulder.
Perhaps he’s still out there . Right now.
I shudder at the thought, but it’s possible. Is it also possible that all this war, all this death, is because of one entity?
He was defeated once. I reach up and clasp Graz’s hand in mine. Together, that woman and that troll took him down.
Together, and with the help of magic.
I reach into the pool, lifting out a handful of the glowing purple substance. Graz extends his palm, too, cupping it underneath mine. In our hands, the magic glows brighter, then brighter still.
What if we made a wish together? Graz says, his front to my back so I can feel all of him. Is that what it’s trying to tell us?
Maybe he’s right, and the key to all of this is that we have to work as one, the same way those two in the vision did.
All right. No harm in trying. What should we wish for?
Freedom? Graz suggests.
I nod. Straightforward enough.
I close my eyes and lean back, and we hold out our hands together. I imprint my desire as clearly as possible. Let us be free.
The magic glows even brighter, blinding me. Then it bursts, showering us in purple sparks.
Overhead, the stone rumbles as it begins to move.
* * *
Graz
I hold onto Vienne as our rock tomb shakes under our feet. Then, our escape passage is revealed again.
Ladder. I quickly scoop up some more magic and wish for what I need. Overhead, a familiar face appears.
“You’re alive!” Gusak says with surprise.
“We’re coming out.” I set the ladder against the wall, and I climb up first so I can protect Vienne, whatever Gusak decides to do to her. I hope he won’t try to punish her for earlier, because I won’t stand for it, and I don’t want to face off against my boss.
When I get to the top, I help Vienne climb the rest of the way up, and I wrap an arm around her. Agna has her weapon in hand, already aiming it. Vienne reaches for her gun, but I stop her.
We don’t need to fight, I tell her firmly. She shoots each of the other trollkin in the room a deadly glare, but releases the gun she took from Kal'zan. He doesn’t look pleased about it, but he doesn’t attempt to get it back, either.
“What did you find down there?” Gusak asks me. He quirks a brow at Vienne. “You two were rather loud.”
Ugh, he heard all that?
“The legends about magic are true,” is all I can say by way of explanation. “It’s a long story.”
Gusak takes one last look over the edge, at the pool of magic far below, and I hope we aren’t going to come to conflict over it. I would be forced to defend what’s mine.
“Do we have to worry about your mate blowing up the mountain?” Gusak asks, sarcasm in his voice. He shoots Vienne a scathing look.
Do you still want it destroyed? I ask, peering down at her. It is dangerous, you’re right. But it’s also ? —
I can see the value, Vienne interrupts. Now that we know Riggamora is still out in the world, what if he has to be defeated again?
I nod slowly. There is always that possibility. Though we may not be the ones to do it.
Vienne sighs. This isn’t what I came here to do, she says sadly. But I think Mom will understand. Who knows if we’ll need that power again someday.
I nod in agreement.
Let’s seal it, she says. Lock it away, so no one can stumble across it by accident.
That’s what we’ll be: the guardians of this power. We’ll hide it until it’s needed again, if we can get Gusak to agree.
I flash her a smile as I pull her into my arms. My wise woman, I say, resting my forehead against hers.
“All right, all right,” Gusak says with an impatient groan.
“We’re leaving it here.” I give him a firm look, daring him to challenge me. “We’re going to seal it away, so no one can stumble across it.”
Gusak scowls. “That wasn’t in my plan, bookworm.”
“I don’t care what was in your plan. Are you going to shoot us to get what you want?” I pull Vienne closer, ready to put myself between the two of them. “Magic wasn’t meant for you. It was meant to protect us—all of us—should we need it.”
Gusak studies me for a long, silent moment, then rocks back on his heels.
“We should get out of here,” he says to Agna and Kal'zan. “We don’t want to risk direct exposure and get sick, too.”
They both nod in agreement, and head out the tunnel the way we came in, leaving Vienne and I standing over the chasm in the floor. I sigh with relief, glad that it won’t come to blows with my boss.
We’re clear, I tell Vienne. With a nod, she finds her pack and reaches in, withdrawing a water skin. When she opens the lid, bright purple light streams out.
You’ve had that with you the whole time? I ask, marveling. No wonder your boss got as sick as he did.
She glances down at it. Oh. Really? A smirk crosses her face as she spills some into her hand. I hold mine out, too, and she pours me a few drops. We hold our hands together.
Seal this place away, she says, and we both tip our palms to spill it onto the ground. Only allow in others like us, who seek this power to protect the world from future threats.
Both droplets hit the stone floor with a sizzle, then vanish.
We had better go, I tell her. As if to emphasize my point, the stone all around us begins shaking.
We rush together to the tunnel that will lead us out. I hope the mountain will give us a moment to escape before it does whatever it’s going to do.
Finally, we’re in the fresh air again. There, Gusak, Agna and Kal'zan stand on the ledge, but all of them have their hands raised in the air.
“What’s going on?” I ask as we emerge.
Gusak shakes his head. “You’re a little late.”
* * *
Vienne
Fuck. It’s Raiden.
I thought I could shake him off like a flea, but here he is again—and he’s the one with the gun. His arm is shaking wildly, and if he decided to let off a shot, who knows who or what he’d hit with it?
The mountain is rumbling, and now, smoke pours out of the top. It’s a volcano, just like I thought. And it’s going to blow. We have to get out of here, and fast.
I don’t think, I just do.
I lunge at Raiden, and he instantly fires his weapon. The bullet strikes me in the thigh, spattering blood. Pain blows through my body, but it’s too late.
Vienne! Graz heads toward me, but I need to keep him safe. I need to keep him away from Raiden. I slam into my idiot ex with my shoulder aimed at his diaphragm, and instantly, he crumples forward.
“Bitch!” Raiden shouts, shooting his gun again, but this time the bullet hits the stone cliff face next to us. He stumbles back, closer to the edge of the staircase.
“Yep,” I answer, struggling to keep standing on my injured leg.
So once more, I throw my weight into the bastard, and he finally loses his footing. He reaches toward me with one hand, probably hoping to grab onto me and prevent what’s about to happen, but I manage to stumble back out of the way.
He grasps at air, and with nothing to keep him from falling, he topples backward right off the steps.
Raiden screams as he falls. Graz catches me before I can slip down the stairs to my own death, holding me firm in his arms as Raiden disappears. His tortured howl fills the air, but then it fades.
We don’t even hear him hit the bottom.
Gasping, I finally collapse, the pain in my thigh too much to bear. Graz crouches over me, his expression beyond worry.
Fuck, your leg, he says, examining my wound with horror. You’re bleeding everywhere.
But the mountain is still rumbling, the smoke pouring out of the top growing thicker and thicker around us.
We have to go. Now! I manage to get to my feet, even though putting any pressure at all on my leg fills my whole body with flaming agony. Graz wraps his arm around me, and suddenly, the other big orc—Gusak—appears on my other side. He slings my arm over his shoulder, and the two of them manage to take the weight off my leg.
Together, we move down the steps as fast as we can. The big troll leads the way, the orc woman bringing up the rear as we navigate our way down, all while the mountain shakes under our feet.
That’s when I look up, and see the lava starting to pour down the side.
Go! I tell Graz. Go, go!
All of us hurry our pace, though I know I’m slowing everyone down. We don’t even have time to try to use magic to help us. All we can do is run.
Ledge after ledge, we race the slowly flowing lava down the mountainside. Belatedly, I think maybe we should have waited until we got out safely to seal this place off.
Too late now.
Then, at last, we reach the bottom. We made it. We’re going to live, if we can just get away from this volcano fast enough. But we won’t get very far if Gusak and Graz have to carry me the entire way.
I make them set me down, then gesture at my pack. Graz—the magic. Get it out.
Obediently, Graz pulls the water skin out of my pack, opens the lid, and pours some of the purple fluid into his hand. Gusak takes a cautious step back as Graz closes his eyes, then tilts his palm, dripping the magic onto my thigh.
At first, nothing happens, and I wonder if perhaps we’ve reached the limit of what it can do. Then, suddenly, my whole body is filled with burning, excruciating pain.
I cry out, crumpling forward to protect my wound.
Fuck, what did I do? Graz holds me as I moan.
My very flesh starts moving under my hands, and I wonder what Graz has done. Oh, it hurts worse than anything I’ve ever experienced. The wound seizes, and then suddenly...
The bullet is ejected. It shoots out of my thigh, covered in blood, and tumbles off the edge of the cliffside. Then the flesh starts to bind together again, until all that’s left is a reddened patch of scarred skin.
We both stare at it, and then at each other. The other trollkin let out sounds of awe and appreciation, while Graz smiles.
Amazing, he says, helping me up to my feet. The pain is gone now, but we still have a long way to go before we’re safe.