Chapter 66
Chapter Sixty-Six
BELLAMY
W e’d done it. We’d managed to bring together all the leaders of the courts together as well as rally the boys of Neverland to come fight for us. Everyone had been here for five long days as we prepared for the final battle. It turned out my father hadn’t needed to use his shadow magic. Once I’d contacted Seraphina, she said we could count on the dragons to bring all the leaders to us, although she warned me the dragons would not fight this battle. They’d spent too long entrenched in wars with the elementals of the fire court and would not enter another war.
Three days after I’d spoken with the queen of the fire court, the dragons had come bearing all the rulers.
Three days of me trying to get into Khalasa’s mind, but she’d put up some impenetrable wall. I didn’t know where she was, when she was coming, and every time I tried to enter Kairoth’s mind, it was blank, which made me sick with worry.
Everyone stayed in the castle, Jerome, Wesley, and Goji working hard to accommodate all the new guests. The pixies wouldn’t fight with us, and I understood why. Every time they used their magic, it drained away their life force. Fighting the gods would take an immense amount of magic, could potentially kill off their entire species.
It was strange, but I’d never seen Wesley and Jerome happier. They finally got to populate the castle again, and even with the impending end of the world, they were in their element.
Wesley moved around the library where we currently all sat, carrying a tray with tartlets and mini pies. Jerome flitted from table to table, talking and laughing with his guests.
“These gods all have weaknesses,” Maverick was saying from next to me as I frantically knitted the sleeve of the final sweater.
Aron had insisted we bring Maverick and Emory here, two of the top historians on the continent, and I’d agreed. They’d been in the Wilds with Driscoll, and I knew they were both smart and passionate about history. If anyone could help me better understand Khalasa and her weaknesses, it would be them.
Across the room, Princess Gabrielle and her pirate lord stood with Leoni, talking in hushed tones. Queen Liliath and King Penn of the earth court sat at a table with Queen Poppy and King Lochlan of the sky court, books spread out between them all as they read. Queen Seraphina and her consort, Madden, stood on the balcony, one of the dragons standing by them.
In the courtyard below, yells and the clanging of swords rang out, the boys practicing their fighting skills. The pirate lord had been working with them all morning.
Driscoll had been right. They’d all eagerly come, ready to fight a battle against the gods. I could hardly believe all these people had been so willing to do this. To fight along with us. My swans rested by the window, sunlight streaming down onto them as they slept.
I’d hardly had a moment to breathe in the last five days, spending all my waking time visiting the leaders in their dreams, explaining the long, sordid situation to them. Not to mention caring for my father, getting him to use his shadow magic and bring all these people to us.
It had been a lot. Too much. I hadn’t had a moment to spare and finish that final sweater, and guilt gnawed at me now, at how I’d neglected my brothers while dealing with all of this. Now I was almost finished. So close to being done.
“Bellamy?” Emory asked, her white-blond brows drawing together. “Did you hear anything we just said?”
My gaze snapped to her ice-blue eyes. Maverick rubbed her neck gently, and the movement pricked at my heart, making me think about Kairoth, how he was currently imprisoned by Khalasa.
I shook my head. “Sorry. Distracted.” I pointed to the sweater.
Emory’s gaze softened. “You need to rest. We can talk more later. You look exhausted.”
Rest? We had no idea when Khalasa and the other gods would be arriving. I couldn’t rest knowing that they might appear at any moment. I couldn’t rest knowing that Kairoth was in danger. I couldn’t rest knowing these might be our final days alive. I looked at the swans. I couldn’t rest knowing I still needed to free my brothers.
I felt like I was being pulled in a hundred different directions, and I didn’t know which way to go. I needed to figure out a way into Khalasa’s mind. I needed to figure out her weaknesses. But my brothers needed me too. I hadn’t visited any of them in days. They’d probably deteriorated further by this point.
I shook my head. “What were you saying?” I signed to Maverick.
He stroked his jaw. “It’s just odd.” He lifted up my father’s journal entries. “Why the world suddenly began falling apart. He got that net. Who granted that to him? Who made that appear? Who is really in charge?”
He looked at Emory, who frowned at the question.
I had no idea. I hadn’t really thought about it.
“He got that net and then he did nothing with it,” Maverick said.
My temper flared at the implication, and he held up his hands.
“I’m not saying your father did anything wrong. Just that maybe he was supposed to take that net, take his power, and lead. But he didn’t. He tried to hide everything. To destroy the weapons. And then the continent slowly started destroying itself.”
I thought about what he was saying, but it all overwhelmed me.
A hand wrapped around my arm, firm and commanding. I looked up to see Aron standing over me.
“I’ll take care of her,” he told Emory and Maverick.
He lifted me to my feet and led me out onto the balcony. I brought the sweater with me, knitting as we walked.
Seraphina had climbed onto the dragon’s back, Madden behind her. “We’re going to scout out the area,” Seraphina said. “See if we can detect anyone coming.”
I nodded as the dragon flew off.
Aron turned to me. “You’re doing too much,” he said, then gestured to the library. “Look at everyone who’s here, who’s come. We’ve got our own army.”
“A very small one,” I signed.
“But an army nonetheless,” he said. “You’re not alone.”
I swallowed, my throat growing thick with tears. Everyone kept saying that, and I was actually starting to believe it.
“What’s going on?” Aron’s gaze searched my face. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m scared. I can’t get into Khalasa’s mind. I’m trying and trying, but I don’t know how. I’m supposed to be this powerful goddess’s daughter, and I can’t figure out how to defeat her. I feel like the entire world rests on my shoulders.”
Aron took hold of my shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. “You can do this, Bellamy. I’ve never met anyone in my life so determined as you. You’ve spent decades in silence, all so you could break a curse and save your brothers. I don’t know anyone else who could do something like that. You came to the shadow court because of a vision that told you the nettle weeds would be here. You’ve knitted seven sweaters even though it meant poisoning yourself and almost dying.”
Tears pricked my eyes at his words.
“I’m sorry,” I signed. It was time. It was time to apologize and if he wanted to end our friendship, then that was something I had to face. But I owed him this. “I’m sorry that I used you, that I manipulated your dreams to make you do what I wanted in the Wilds. I could’ve just asked for your help, and you would’ve given it to me. I know that now. But at the time, I thought the only way to get what I wanted was to do it myself. So I used my magic to come into your dreams, to make you go get the bolt for me because I couldn’t do it myself.”
Aron’s gaze softened. “It’s okay. You did what you thought you needed to do to save your brothers. I’m just glad you know now that I’m here for you. That all you have to do if you need something is ask.”
He put an arm around my shoulder.
“So you and Driscoll, huh?” I signed.
Aron smiled. “He’s not like anyone I’ve ever met.”
He definitely wasn’t.
“I’m happy for you.”
“And what about you?” Aron turned that assessing gaze onto me. “What about Kairoth?”
I crossed my arms and looked out over the horizon, the jungle spread out below the blue sky. “He makes me feel like I’m not alone,” I signed slowly. “Like as long as he’s alive, I’ll never be alone.”
Aron nudged me with his elbow. “I’m happy for you too.”
“They’re coming!” a voice called out in the distance. My head snapped toward the sound.
The dragon soared through the sky, flanked by other dragons, Seraphina and Madden riding the one closest to us.
“They’re coming!” Seraphina screamed from atop the dragon she rode as I knitted the final thread in place.
The balcony doors clicked open, the others beginning to emerge from the library.
Aron grabbed my hand and squeezed tight. We were out of time. The final battle had officially begun.