"The sun will always rise again, but it will never burn the same way twice."
— Eudokia the Oft-Abducted, Basilea of Nicae
The clouds churned, darkened, and then solidified, reshaping the world as the very fabric of reality bent. We stood once more at the battlefield outside Aine. Little had changed, and yet somehow, everything was different. A continuous torrent of grey struck the sky from the centre of the ritual. The heavens bled of colour as life itself drained from the air. Arcadia folded in on itself at the will of whichever fae monarch chose to manipulate it.
A deafening crash rippled outward.
A sound that shook the very ground beneath my feet.
The explosion echoed across the land.
Arcadia trembled.
A fragile barrier stood between us and the catastrophe beyond.
We stood in the eye of the storm.
And beyond it? Nothing. The world crumbled away. Arcadia withered as if the very essence of it had been erased. Only the hollowed out remnants of something once grand lingered.
The last remnants of desolation faded away.
The world expanded once more.
The wasteland vanished over the horizon.
I swallowed.
My breath was tight in my chest as my fury returned to me.
Why had Larat betrayed us? Or perhaps the better question was: why had I ever trusted him? No, too defeatest. I couldn't afford to distrust everyone. So, what had I missed? The prophecy had been twisted by Kairos, and now everything felt like it was slipping from my grasp. I had no time to waste on regret, but the weight of it threatened to drown me.
I'd trusted the Prince of Nightfall. But I'd been wrong.
I needed to focus. Focus. What did I have left to use? Nothing I could see. No tricks. No plans. Just the remnants of every attempt I'd made. But I wasn't done. Not yet.
I would not let Kairos win.
Not while my companions were still missing their souls.
Gold and silver rays cut through the darkened sky, pulling my thoughts back to the ritual site. The dregs of Summer's Sun coalesced before us. A tear-drop shape of silver light now replaced half the warmth. Cold, unfeeling. A mockery of what it had once been.
My fists tightened until my nails bit into my palms.
"Whoa. That's… a lot of desolation," Yvette scrambled backwards and yelped. "Okay, so maybe I didn't think this part through, but—hey!" she shifted guiltily from one foot to another. "This new Sun is fascinating! I mean, what can we do with that?"
Not the time.
"At least we can uphold one agreement," I muttered.
"Uphold it?" Yvette muttered. "You mean, hold it together with prayer alone?"
I darted forward, snatching the Sun within a reinforced barrier of Light. Both to prevent Yvette from experimenting with it and to stop anyone else. It hissed silver and gold as it fought against my interdiction. I forced it into submission. There was no room for failure. Not here. Not now.
A pit formed in my stomach as I examined my companions further.
Want to have their souls back.
I reached out and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
My grip was firm, but my hands trembled just slightly.
"Hey," I said softly. "Chin up, both of you. We'll get your souls back. Promise."
That's easy for you to say when you still have yours," Yvette crossed her arms tightly and scowled at the floor as she muttered. "Must be nice. Do you even know what it feels like not to? No, of course, you don't."
I stepped forward and enfolded both into a brief, tense hug.
"I know it doesn't sound reassuring, but I've pulled through worse odds than this," I consoled them.
"That does little to assuage my fears," Roland said.
I swallowed a lump of dread like curdled milk.
"Have faith," I said. "Just a bit longer."
An ominous crackle split the air above us and interrupted the moment.
I watched with anguish as a mask of false indifference pulled its way across both their faces.
"The tide waits for the sun to guide it," Roland said, pointing, "what strategy will see us to victory?"
I followed his finger. My stomach twisted.
The fae rulers were sizing each other up like predators circling their prey.
They stood at opposite ends of the field.
Waiting.
Just waiting.
Kairos lounged on his gilded throne in the shadow of the King of Winter. An infuriating grin crossed his face as his fingers drummed an irregular rhythm on the armrest. The same mocking, triumphant one that I'd come to loathe. My breath caught, and I fought the urge to lash out.
The Tyrant's army numbered stronger than I'd expected given the catastrophe. At least half remained behind Winter's lines, their survival insured by whatever force had twisted reality into this sandpit. I'd guess one of the fae monarchs had saved their hide.
"Don't know," I sighed.
What can we do? Think, Taylor. What's the first step here?
The first step was in theory simple: stop the erupting conflict. Depending on how well I'd read the fae courts, this wouldn't be as challenging as it seemed. Merging both courts resolved everything. Winter and Summer would both fall if they combined, Aine and Skade would both be protected, and the Sun would be defeated but triumphant. Now, how to make that happen?
"I thought you said the fae value freedom above everything?" Roland asked, subdued.
Hearing Roland speak without his usual theatricality stung.
It stung a lot.
The Queen of Summer glanced at Larat. Two mismatched eyes met my own as I stared his way. He stepped away from Ranger's fallen body with calm, deliberate, movements. The air was thick with tension. I could almost taste it.
Their nature. That was it. Larat hadn't looked surprised when the Tyrant had interjected. I refused to believe that he'd act against his own best interests. That meant a path through this mess still existed. I just had to find it. It also meant that he might not have backstabbed us.
"They do," my voice caught as I confirmed. "Walk with me, both of you."
It meant something if Larat wasn't opposed to us. It meant that Kairos had made a mistake. We only needed to shine a light through the stained-glass window to illuminate its shadow.
What could I use here?
I needed to think.
Sulia's death? I'd warned her that accumulating mistakes would kill her before she'd gone on to make another. If I counted that, whatever blunder she'd made to get captured by Kairos and her dying to the story of Icarus, then it had taken three to kill her.
I could use that.
"But-" Roland sputtered.
Claiming that all the agreements had been upheld might buy us a chance. Unfortunately, I doubted it would count as an outright win. Kairos still had more hymns in his dark book, waiting to murder any hope I prayed for. But it could stall. I needed time to dredge up another two mistakes. Could I present a convincing argument? Perhaps if I argued for the letter of the agreements rather than the spirit of it.
"I'll convince them that our agreements are upheld," I declared with an entire monastery's worth more conviction than I truly felt.
The first mistake was obvious: he'd cornered the hero. That was one. But I struggled to identify a second mistake. Betrayal was a strategy and not a misstep for Kairos. How about sending the Midnight Casket to the front? No, that was tactical too. Leaving it in the spire would've been a worse blunder. It'd mean I'd have gained both the Sun and an audience with the King of Winter. No, neither of those counted.
"Convince them?" Roland pressed. "You know that's no small thing, Taylor. You're banking on stories we barely know."
"I know," I sighed, "but we can't just give up."
How could I beat the Tyrant at his own game? We could only stall for so long before we reached a pivot. I didn't want to go into that fight blind. I required a weapon to use.
"What about-" Yvette spoke.
"I need you both to stall negotiations," I interrupted. "Pick stories, any stories, that strengthen our argument. Debate with the Tyrant while I find a crack in his armour."
"Fine," Roland and Yvette both agreed.
We stepped hand in hand past shattered walls, splintered wood, and blood-soaked earth. The battlefield was a grotesque wound stretching between Winter and Summer. The Queen stood beneath Aine's broken gates. The King stood distant and cold.
I raised my hand.
"Hold!" my voice cut through the still air as I barked.
The silence that followed stole the words from my mouth.
The Queen's eyes shifted.
Her attention flickered for the briefest moment from the King of Winter to me.
"The battle is far from over," she whispered. "The war is not yet won."
I stepped forward and proffered the fractured Sun towards her.
"The return of the Sun marks the completion of our pact," I announced.
"I see only half of Summer's radiance," the Queen said with a sceptical stare. "Tell me, what is it you truly offer as proof of our pact fulfilled?"
I'm so out of ideas. Think, Taylor.
I wanted to scream.
I only had terrible ideas left.
Better try and fail, then don't try at all.
"I promised the sun back," I urged her. "Never said how bright it'd shine."
"Oh dear, priestess," the Tyrant chuckled as he mocked. "Did you strike your head during our return? You're calling unsettled agreements settled now."
I gritted my teeth and spared a glance in his direction. Two stone gargoyles flanked either side of his gilded throne. The one on the right had a book balanced on its nose. I resolved not to consider that insanity any further and focused on my goal.
This was as good a chance as any to introduce my story.
"I warned Sulia that mistakes pile up like snow," I said through clenched teeth. "She didn't listen. You've seen where that led. Make sure it doesn't bury you too."
"Taylor!" Helike's insufferable monarch laid a palm on his chest and exclaimed.
The gargoyle's head swivelled towards Kairos.
The book fell off its nose, bounced off the dais, then landed with a dull thud in the snow.
"No, not you," the Tyrant tutted. "The other Taylor. Tragic blunder there," a crimson eye fell upon me, "but it was only a Book of All Things," Kairos shrugged. "Nothing of value was lost."
Did he really?… Of course he did. Why wouldn't he?
"Did you paint it's rear as well?" I muttered under my breath.
"Oh, not until I've seen yours," he said with a laugh. "Need to make sure it has the right verses."
I took a moment to steady my breath.
Could the Tyrant pull off another betrayal here? He'd backstabbed everyone except me, Roland and Yvette. It was possible — but unlikely — without compromising one of us. I'd keep my guard out for another betrayal nonetheless. I couldn't afford not to when dealing with this monster.
"Let's say the Tyrant had a tragic accident here," some of my ire bled through as I addressed Winter's monarch.
"And they say I'm the villain here," Kairos twirled his sceptre as he cackled. "Please, Taylor, whisper more poison into our ears."
Shut up, Kairos.
"My agreement with him, unfortunately, ensures his survival," stones crunched as the King of Winter commiserated, "until he departs Arcadia for a land beyond your reach. Winter abides by its spoken agreement… though it frays at the edges."
What an unexpected surprise.
Another flash of cold weariness buried itself in my chest.
I brushed it aside.
"My heart bleeds, truly. Just not too much," Kairos feigned a cough, "you know how fragile I am," he raised a quivering arm.
"I call for a truce," I ignored his theatrics as I prepared my ploy. "The duty of both sides are upheld by merging the courts."
"There is no precedent for that," the King of Winter said as a chill wind howled through the air.
"The prophecy is satisfied," I countered. "Every term upheld."
The story shifted as the Queen of Summer set her spear down against her will.
Her brow furrowed in thought.
It was macabre to watch.
"A claim has been made," she recited. "A prophecy has been invoked. But all claims require proof. What do you have to show?"
"Really?" Kairos dragged the word out. "Explain how to the rest of us. You see, I'm something of a rarity," he laughed. "I'm someone who actually kept all his deals."
"Not even the wind believes you," Yvette muttered.
"A unique spin on fidelity to one's bargains, wouldn't you agree?" the Prince of Nightfall said with enough sarcasm to drown in. "Winter does adore its loopholes."
"Larat is free," I argued. "The fae need only negotiate the duties of the new Court. I've kept my bargain."
I swallow hard. The words feel thin, but they were all I had. This gamble relied on the belief that Winter's monarch and Larat valued their freedom above everything else. They both had reason to turn on Kairos. His betrayals cut them as well. Switching sides fit both their nature and their goals. But for this to work, they had to trust in my nature. I required them to trust that I'd follow the spirit of the agreement, despite demanding the letter of it.
Please, Gods, let this work.
"The bargain is upheld," Winter's monarch said as he brushed a hand across his crown of thorns and grinned wickedly. "For now."
He didn't volunteer companions souls.
Not that I'd expected him to.
I'll see this agreement through.
"My bargain, too, is fulfilled." Larat taunted with a smile of his own.
A small spark of hope ignited in my chest. I sent a quiet prayer to the gods and did my best not to smile as the sparks in all three fae present pulsed a little brighter.
"That leaves you," I said.
"So be it," the Queen of Summer said, nodding with regal grace. "We will speak of terms in the shadow of Aine's gates. Let it be known: Summer does not shrink from its bargains."
The battle hadn't ended. This was only the first round.
Kairos's mask of calm cracked for a heartbeat.
A flicker of irritation flashed across his face before it slid once more behind his mocking façade.
My prison shattered as the sun floated free from its constraints and returned to its rightful owner.
I flinched.
Kairos clambered from his throne and exchanged a few quiet words with the general beside him. His gargoyles flanked him as he stepped off his platform and followed in the shadow of Winter's King. The general moved the dais towards Helike's army.
All seven of us drew closer to the gates of Aine.
"Miss me, princess?" Kairos pouted, feigning hurt. "Oh, come now, not even a greeting?" he groused.
I took a deep breath.
"Like the filth on my boots," Yvette spat back. "At least that scrapes off."
"I'll have your hand one day," the Tyrant winked at Yvette. "How about you, my trusty lieutenant?"
"Not one bit," Roland wiped his brow with a cloth and sighed.
"You know, my beloved comrades," the Tyrant drawled, "both of you could have your souls back. All it takes is siding with me."
They won't side with him. They won't. Trust that much.
"You think so little of me?" Roland's voice rose. "You really believe I'd sell my soul to you?"
"I'm not so stupid as to reclaim my soul only to trade it to someone else," Yvette snarled.
"A pity," Kairos sighed theatrically.
We reached the gates. There was an awkward silence, broken only by the Tyrants wit, as we waited for a round table and chairs to be brought forth. One that was worsened by the presence of Ranger's corpse beside us.
"What about the corpse?" I asked.
"Whoever's agreement prevails may claim it," ice crackled as the King of Winter replied.
The Queen of Summer sent him an assessing look, before giving a stiff nod.
All of us sat down. Roland, Yvette and myself on one side, with me sandwiched in the middle. Kairos sat opposite us, with a gargoyle flanking him on either side. The King of Winter and Larat sat on our left. The Queen of Summer sat on our right, with Ranger's corpse behind her.
An attendant brought forth a sheaf of papers and handed them to me.
I raised my eyebrows.
"What is this?" I inquired.
"The terms you seek are here," the Queen of Summer's voice rustled like dying leaves.
"A moment," I prevaricated. "My companions and I need to talk."
"You came all this way without a plan?" Kairos sneered and rapped the table.
"Delays are meaningless to me," the King of Winter lied. "The frost preserves time, even as the land decays beneath its stillness."
The Queen of Summer didn't reply, but the weight of her disapproval fell upon the tyrant.
He smiled at them both.
"That's rich coming from you, isn't it?" Yvette barked with a scowl. "All you ever do is break things, and leave the rest of us to pick up the pieces!"
"Heroes," Kairos said snidely. "The world bends over backward for fools with swords."
"Swords? We have no swords. Swords are for people without magic or miracles," Yvette protested. "Ma's the closest we have to one."
"Ah," Kairos mused while stroking at an imaginary beard, "so that's how Taylor got this far. I wonder which pointy end she sticks into people?"
Yvette reddened and glared at him.
"Beyond the veil of death lies a land of always plenty," a Gargoyle interjected, "which will only be open to the just."
Everyone stopped and stared.
"No, not you, Taylor," Kairos chided. "The other Taylor," His smile widened. "I'm teaching it hymns from the Book of All Things. I don't think anyone will be able to tell them apart."
I am not that bad.
An awkward silence stretched.
I quickly skimmed the documents in front of me, before handing them over to Roland and Yvette. I thought about the contents while they perused the text. It outlined a boundary for the fae. A boundary that kept them out of Creation but left them free to act within Arcadia. Segregation had no appeal to me. I wouldn't quibble over the details if they fae proposed it and were happy with it. It also allowed them to start whatever stories defined their court anew. Not true freedom, but better than what they had now. It was something.
Larat puffed lazily at his pipe.
Kairos swirled his wine glass and cavorted with a gargoyle.
Roland and Yvette whispered together.
"The ranks are set," Roland informed everyone, "let the field of negotiation decide the truth."
"Is delegating your new hobby?" Kairos teased. "What happened to pulling the strings yourself?"
"I trust them," I bit out my words.
A flicker of unease hinted behind the Tyrant's eyes before vanishing a moment later.
That's right, Kairos. We're all sitting at a negotiating table. This is my game now.
"Allow me the honour of studying those documents," the Prince of Nightfall interjected. "And if your light blinds me, priestess, rest assured that I will find my way through the dark."
Should I let him? Larat had sabotaged me enough times already. Handing him the notes for no good reason sounded terrible. But was anything to lose? He'd find any loopholes when the agreement passed, regardless of whether he reviewed them now or not. No, I didn't think there was a risk. I nodded to Roland and Yvette. They handed Larat the documents. He began to skim.
"The first duty of the Court Within the Stars is to uphold this past agreement," Roland stated.
"Uh uh uh," Kairos waved a finger in mock admonition. "That's not permitted, so long as it furthers the cause of Good."
"Oh, of course. They don't, do they?" Yvette shot back caustically. "Maybe you'd notice if you spent less time flirting with me and more time reading the damned agreements!"
The King of Winter steepled his fingers on the table and grinned.
"Oh, all right, princess," Kairos blew Yvette a kiss. "Just for you. But next time, bring flowers or something."
Yvette scowled and sputtered. Kairos made a show of snatching the papers out of Larat's hand. The Prince of Nightfall raised an amused eyebrow in response.
"The second duty of the Court Within the Stars," Roland continued, "is to ensure that any present pacts made now between mortals and fae need to further the cause of Good."
Kairos looked up from the document and tutted.
"That's unacceptable!" the child king looked up and tutted. "Violating my agreement of no Good allowed."
Come on. Give me something to work with.
"No, not the fae themselves," Roland said as he scratched at the lobe of his ear. "The pacts. It's the pacts that must further Good."
"Do you think the agreements write themselves?" the Tyrant drawled.
A flicker of heat radiated from the Queen of Summer as the spark inside her dimmed.
My mouth dried.
"The third duty is for the Court Within the Stars to guard against the chaos spread by the Court Beyond the Stars," Roland finished.
"No crusade?" the Tyrant whined. "What kind of heroes are you? Do try harder, will you?"
"Fine! Let's hear them!" Yvette snapped. "Show us what you're really planning."
"Flip the terms of this scrap of paper, for one," Kairos explained. "The second? All pacts must serve Evil. The third? That war you wanted. The Court Within the Stars against the Court Beyond the Stars."
I didn't know if a Fae Court could exist within Creation.
That wasn't enough for me to base my argument upon.
"Where's your glorious crusade for Evil?" Yvette twirled a lock of hair as she countered. "All that criticism, and there's nothing on your end."
My nails dug holes into my palms.
Don't encourage him, Yvette.
"Never fear," Kairos drawled as he rapped his sceptre on the table. "There's time aplenty to rectify that oversight."
"I am not prepared to accept such a perversion," the Queen of Summer said with a voice as sharp as a blade.
"Then don't just stand there! You should both listen to Taylor. She's trying," Yvette emphasized. "She's the one who can set you free. She's doing everything to help you, and the Tyrant? He'll betray you again as he has done before!"
Fire and frost crackled as the presence of both fae rulers intensified.
Yvette sputtered, then flinched.
What had I missed? The tale of seven and one was obviously significant, otherwise Larat wouldn't have told it. I knew some versions of it. Just not the one he'd called upon.
"Winter is barred from serving the light," Winter's King reminded us through the hissing of the wind. "It may not serve Good, only itself."
"Then change it! Twist the oath or whatever you need to do," Yvette huffed and pointed across the table, "he's no legend, and he does it all the time!"
"I'm afraid my wording was tighter than your grasp on time, dear," Kairos laughed.
I drummed my fingers on the table.
"Not possible," Yvette growled as she defended herself. "My interpretation of time was perfectly tight. It's a closed causal loop and everything happened exactly the way it had to!"
Yvette was correct. It had also evidently always succeeded here. Too many clues pointed to it. The Queen of Summer's spear had been mended by my Light before we'd been travelled back in time. The empty hourglass the two fae in the market traded back and forth for sand was also a hint in retrospect.
Are my troubles with Winter trying to imprison me my own fault? No, forget it, Taylor. Not helping.
Larat's gaze pierced me over the rim of his goblet of wine.
The corners of his lips tugged into a grin.
"Oh, he's still bound to my terms," the Tyrant asserted with a cheery smile. "Which brings us to the Queen of Summer. Ready to swear yourself to Evil?"
My chest tightened as the Queen hesitated.
Time teetered on the edge of a blade.
"A simple wish could resolve this," Larat drawled, "if only both sides would trust the blade."
The Queen of Summer's mouth paused half open.
My thoughts leaped from one idea to the next.
What did Larat imply?
A wish. My breath caught. That was something. Maybe nothing. Possibly everything. I forced my features still, even as my mind leapt ahead. Kairos? No, it wasn't about how he'd freed Larat. Couldn't be. How about the… it took effort not to react as I found the Tyrant's second mistake. It relied on trusting the Prince of Nightfall to have my back here, but right now? My companion's souls were still trapped, and I couldn't afford to turn my back on the opportunity.
"The Prince of Nightfall has thoughts," I stated. "Why not share them?"
The Queen of Summer closed her mouth.
Yvette's eyes narrowed.
Roland tilted his head.
Both watched me like I'd gone mad.
"Taylor," Kairos exclaimed mockingly. "Allowing the pieces their own voice now? How open-minded of you. So open-minded," he drawled, "that something should fall out."
"You made a wish," I shrugged. "You set the precedent."
Kairos's had incorrectly assumed there were only seven agreements active at present. He'd missed the eighth agreement. My negotiation with Larat. The promise to uphold the original offer that I'd given him. That wasn't the offer that Roland had made. I'd wished for three freedoms, then stated they would be worded by Roland.
Roland's wording had been elaborate.
My wording was loose.
Freedom to right past wrongs, freedom to mend present troubles, and freedom from this same prison in the future.
"I suppose there's more fun to be had with another player at this game," Kairos said as he scratched at his nose.
Larat had already promised to uphold the spirit of the first wish. The second wish could theoretically be used to use Larat as an arbitrator, but I wanted my story as impregnable as possible before I took the risk.
I needed to find one more mistake before I buried the Tyrant.
"Should we not honour the brightest claim first? That of the Queen of Summer. It would be rude not to," Larat paused and puffed at his pipe, "don't you think?"
It meant I could offer the Prince of Nightfall freedom with the third wish. I hadn't been the one to make an agreement with him. I'd made no wishes. Roland had. The table creaked as I gripped the edge tighter and did my best not to grin.
This fight isn't lost.
"This," Kairos wheezed, "from one of the fae? How did Evil fall so far?"
Could I accuse Kairos of trying to subvert the prophecy? He had been trying to prevent the formation of a new Court by establishing contradictory agreements. No. He could always pivot that argument and accuse me of the same. If I was using prophetic subversion as an argument, it needed to be grounded on a different term.
"It's what happens when you chew off your own foot," Larat replied.
"Careful, Kairos," the ice crackled as the King of Winter warned. "The snow beneath your feet is thin, and my patience thinner still."
"And then there is the second: a delightful little amalgam of Taylor's faith and Kairos's audacity," Larat continued. "A single court with split duties. Those from Summer extend blessings to virtue, while those from Winter ensures vice pays its price."
I inhaled slowly. I could live with that. It wasn't perfect. Perhaps it was too greedy to shape all bargains into blessings. Anyone desperate enough to step into Arcadia already knew the stakes. They could pay the cost.
"Still counts as helping Good, you know," the Tyrant mocked. "Is the ice too slippery for you, little fox?"
"No, it doesn't work like that," Yvette bristled as she spoke. "I've seen enough of the Light to know that it shines best when wielded with care. That's Summer's purpose. Winter does something else."
"The third duty," the Prince of Nightfall ignored the interruption, "is to shield Creation's fragile lattice from the chaos of the Court Beyond the Stars."
"Why shackle yourself to Arcadia at all?" the Tyrant cajoled. "I'm offering true freedom. The kind that lets you snatch whatever you want."
The sense of the story shifting was as subtle as a tide pulling away. I observed it in the behaviour of the fae. Both monarchs turned toward Kairos, their interest piqued against their will. My chest tightened. We couldn't walk back our offer. That would be handing the Tyrant a win. Which meant I had two choices. I either had to sweeten the deal or call in the eighth agreement without having a third mistake.
"You've lived it, haven't you?" Roland addressed the King of Winter. "The cost of the freedom Kairos promises. The endless compulsion to sow chaos, no matter the ruin it leaves behind. Is that truly a life you'd want again?"
"Chains?" The King of Winter scoffed. "The weight of these bindings would be as snowflakes compared to an avalanche. What I wear now is far heavier."
"Larat's proposal hews tighter in some ways than the alternatives to what binds us today," the Queen of Summer confirmed.
"There's no reason to settle for the scraps of the world when you could take the whole platter," the Tyrant cajoled.
"Does it?" Yvette countered. "He's twisting the rules, inverting agreements, and dragging you into Creation for no reason at all. Isn't that enough already?"
Inverting. All. The. Agreements.
The narrative tipped in our favour again. I ignored it. That wasn't my focus. I had my third mistake. Subjective, yes, but still a blunder. The King of Winter hadn't called it out yet—for reasons I could only guess—but he'd seize the opportunity to stab the Tyrant in the back.
Kairos would regret it.
"You've made three mistakes," I declared.
Kairos opened his mouth to argue.
I didn't let him.
"You've had your three monologues already," I snapped.
He spat some retort, sending gargoyles and red lightning flying my way. They didn't reach me. Both crumbled to dust. The fae monarchs — one or both — were making their opinions known.
I raised my index finger.
"Your past mistake?" My lips twitched into a faint, humorless smile. "Backing a hero into a corner. You should've known better."
I raised my middle finger.
"I didn't-" Kairos sputtered as snow buried his side of the table, the Tyrant's malevolent red eye glaring as he clawed his way free.
The King of Winter hummed with a smile on his face.
A smile that promised bloody murder to whoever stood in his way.
Careful, Taylor, it's not over yet.
"Your present mistake?" I continued. "Thinking there were only seven agreements. There are eight. The second term of my eighth is simple: resolve this conflict. Larat, it's time."
The Prince of Nightfall smiled.
Don't forget the monster that lurks behind that handsome face because for once we're on the same side.
"A pleasure to arbitrate," he purred.
I raised my ring finger.
"Your future mistake?" My tone hardened. "Attempting to subvert an unfulfilled prophecy. A single court that stands guard for that which is within against that which is without. Inverting the first agreement binds the Court Within the Stars to Creation, which means it's no longer able to fulfil its purpose."
"Frankly," Kairos sneered as he pushed snow away from his face, "they'd do the whole 'Within' part of their Court far better stuck in Creation. Don't you agree?"
That argument might hold water, except for logistics.
"Arcadia bends time and space," I countered. "Creation doesn't. The Court Within the Stars can't defend against a foe that crosses the world in moments."
Kairos opened his mouth again.
I didn't let him get in another word.
"No, this is my win," I emphasized with a slam of my fist into the table. "Mistakes have piled up. I'm owed this."
Tension bled out of me as I rolled my shoulders.
I grinned as I sensed the story shift.
"A bargain has been offered," the fae monarchs chorused. "A bargain has been struck. Three duties for a new fae court, as decreed by the Prince of Nightfall. May the joining of Summer and Winter stand guard against the chaos that is to come."
For a single heartbeat, everything crystallized. The fragments in my mind assembled into something clear and impossible. My Name lurched in one direction. My breath caught in my throat.
No.
Relief washed over me as the vision dissolved.
I hadn't crossed into something else.
Arcadia shifted and bent, reshaping itself as Winter and Summer became one. Frost kissed the emerald leaves, their edges shimmering as though carved from glass. The remnants of Summer's fire wove themselves through Winter's icy touch. Bridges of mist and rainbows arched above ebony fortresses wrapped in living vines. Stars flickered faintly behind Summer's gold and silver sun.
The monarchs stood unchanged: the glacier-faced elder and the serene youth. It wasn't a surprise. They didn't need to change. Their duties might differ, yet their strength came from a shared story.
I felt the presence of Winter's former monarch fall on me before I heard him speak. "Some learn not to reach too high."
He pulled a wooden dove with sapphire eyes out of nowhere, then proffered it towards me. The eyes dimmed. Roland and Yvette gasped, then smiled and relaxed as colour returned to their cheeks.
"You may keep this trinket," the King of Winter declared as he set the dove on the table before me, "as a gentle reminder of this entertaining diversion."
I'm not stupid enough to debate that wording.
"This weapon has no purpose in my hands now," the Queen of Summer said as she set her spear before me, "and so now it is yours."
I have no idea what I'll use either of these for.
"Reach too high?" Kairos scoffed as he finished freeing himself from the snow. "No such thing."
"Ah," the King of Winter mused with a sigh, "others reach higher still. Don't they, Kairos Theodosian? Run if you like. Your Court of Chaos will rise, and with it, the tide that drowns you. That tide will wear your name, for it is your blood that shall stain its waters."
"Run?" Kairos gasped. "Perish the thought. Carrying me is what slaves are for."
"The Tyrant's yoke is fragile, mortals. The Court Within the Stars offers you freedom from his chains," there was a thunderclap as the King of Winter directed his voice towards the Tyrant's camp, "Step forward, masterless slaves who would claim their freedom in full."
The ground rumbled beneath his feet as he spoke, fissures spreading through the frost. Kairos hesitated — just for a moment — but I caught it. A flicker of fear flashed in his eyes before arrogance reclaimed his face.
"Naughty, naughty," the Tyrant tutted, "our agreement prevents this kind of give and take."
"You misunderstand the intent, Kairos Theodosian," the clouds rumbled as the King of Winter replied. "I may not exact whatever toll pleases me from you or your troops, but those who depart your service are your servants no longer."
It was a pity that I couldn't take his life. A pity that he would escape justice this once. That pity was drowned out by the overwhelming satisfaction of having claimed almost every single prize that I wanted.
"Those who would cast aside the Tyrant's chain may find sanctuary under the light of our sun," the Queen of Summer's voice was a clarion call as she declared. "Step within the gates, and their sanctity will shield you. Any who would raise their hand to bar the way will find their lives burned to ash."
A faint smile tugged at my lips as one slave after another broke from the ranks and trudged towards us. Their faces bore the marks of suffering, but they moved nonetheless. Even the Tyrant's dais had been abandoned. Not as many as I'd hoped had lived, but better than none. I'd have nothing now but corpses and regret if I'd attacked him when we'd met.
"Oh, fine!" Kairos snarled like a cornered beast. "You may have this fleeting triumph. But mark my words, the stars will mourn your arrogance before the end!"
Now is my best chance to undermine his dying wish. It'll be hard to get a stronger story.
"That's right, Kairos. Run," I emphasized. "And you best wish that no one can bring you back when I kill you. Else I'll drag your corpse to the foot of the stairs to redemption, find someone to raise you, and haul you up. One. Step. At. A. Time."
The absurdity of my own threat almost made me laugh. Almost. Redemption for Kairos? That was a joke only the Gods Below could appreciate. I didn't even want to follow it through. But perhaps it was enough to sow doubt, enough to make him pause in the future before using his death as one final act of chaos. Kairos would find the thought of eternal penance under my watchful eye worse than anything else.
The Tyrant opened his mouth to retort.
His words turned into a sputter as a snowball smacked him square in the face.
The King of Winter is cutting away any weight Kairos has by turning him into a bad joke.
The corners of my lips twitched.
Kairos turned and stormed towards his army.
One ball of snow after another pelted him from behind.
Was this everything? No. As ugly as it felt, I needed to truly infuriate the villain. He was too dangerous to have him fixated on anyone else. I'd have to rub enough salt in the wound to make this all personal. He had to have a reason to come after me.
"You wanted applause?" I stood, plastered a false grin on my face and clapped mockingly. "Well, here it is."
I'd feel bad about this if you were anyone else, Kairos.
My cheeks coloured as somebody cleared their throat.
"A key that has always existed and will always exist, forged from the flames of Summer, and infused with the memories of Summer's victories from years long past, was promised," the Queen of Summer declared. "A key is yours to claim."
The Queen of Summer proffered a key towards me. One that hissed and spat flames. Triumph swelled within me as I seized it gingerly within a barrier.
"And here is a key that has always existed and will always exist, forged from the deepest frost of Winter, imbued with Winter's timeless recollections of present defeats," the King of Winter continued.
The King of Winter proffered another key towards me. An ominous mist slaked off the artefact. That key was placed in another barrier again.
I turned towards the Prince of Nightfall.
Another ghost vanished as a key made of Light manifested between my fingers. One that promised of a far off future, of a world that I wished to make.
A look halfway between anticipation and fear lay beneath his mismatched eyes.
"Three keys for three freedoms," I announced. "Larat, Prince of Nightfall, I offered you your freedom in exchange for a wish. Here it is. I wish for you to claim these three keys. Shatter the shackles of past victories. Break the chains of present defeats. Free yourself to shape the world to come."
The Prince of Nightfall smiled as he took each key from the palms of my hand.
"What a peculiar thing, to hold in one's grasp after an eternity of chains," he mused.
"Now," I said, "how about you uphold your side of the bargain?"
"And what of our other diversion?" the Prince of Nightfall joked.
I stiffened. He was joking about the bridal narrative. At least, I assumed he was joking. Still, it was best if I headed it off right away. Actually… maybe I could use this. Use one problem to address the other. It was unlikely he would succeed. And if he did actually succeed, it would be such a monumental win for me that I'd deal with the difficulty then.
"There is an immortal teller of tales," I exposited. "She's never died, but she craves it. Convince her to value her life above all else, or guide her to the grave. Fulfil this quest without harming anyone, and I'll entertain your request."
A look of fear crossed the Prince of Nightfall's face.
"Tell me," Larat insisted, "when did you acquire such a delicate hand at a game shaped by those who walked before your kind first drew breath? It's an impressive attempt, I'll grant you."
"I told you," I replied without missing a beat, "that when all was said and done, I would be good enough."
The Prince of Nightfall stilled.
I turned away and smiled.
I hadn't done the impossible.
Not yet.
But this was damn close to it.
