Page 122

Perl says, “Tobi.”

Tobi looks up. Harok is lying still on the ground inside his own circle. He stares back at Perl, uncomprehending. “Tobi,” Perl says again. “This will free Harok.”

“What if it kills him?” Tobi says, weakly.

Harok opens his eyes and says in Ambolk. “Suskara, you must do this.”

“Do you swear that will hold,” Tobi says to Perl, gesturing to the circle around Harok. “The demon will not take Harok when we kill Atticul.”

Perl cannot lie. “I do not know,” he says.

“Suskara,” Harok says very firmly.

Tobi nods, pale faced and shaking, he walks over and thrusts Demonica into Atticul.

Kerik goes next with Iceheart. As he stabs Atticul with it, Perl thinks of all they had to do to retrieve that sword. For this. And how, even after all of that, this may not work.

Kerik steps back. Jemel pulls out his pearl handled dagger. He pauses a moment. Xan leans in, arms on Jemel’s shoulders and kisses his forehead. “Kill your God, Baraboo,” he says.

Jemel walks across the hall. The final prince. The last piece Perl has assembled. He stabs Atticul with the Blade of the Fifth and Atticul’s black eyes close. He slumps in the chains. It seems strangely like nothing at all.

They all stand around looking at each other.

Perl feels like he can hear their thoughts.

Is he dead?

Is Ur-Durik dead?

Then Harok starts convulsing more violently, shaking and thrashing on the floor inside his circle.

Tobi screams. He tries to reach for him but he cannot break through the ward. He shouts at Kerik and Perl, “Take this thing away.”

Kerik lifts a hand but Perl takes his wrist, stopping him. “Please. Not yet.”

Tobi looks at them. The desperation on his face turning to anger. “No,” he snaps out viciously. He shoves his hand through the ward, it breaks with a crackle. Tobi grimaces in pain, but does not stop. “If I am the Fool, let me be the Fool,” he says, throwing himself through the circle to embrace the convulsing Harok. Then his voice is soft, “Irgorye, Irgorye. Ereyek,” he says, tears falling as he speaks.

Kerik looks at Perl in surprise. “How…? How did he break my ward?”

“He is of the forest,” Perl says blankly. “He has fae blood and the will. There has always been magic in him.”

Perl’s words are swallowed by a huge booming sound. Ferra screams as a fizzing cloud of magic rises from Atticul. It swirls around above them.

Damon shouts at Lyr standing beside him just outside the ward, “Get back. Get away from me. Lyr please, get far away from me.”

Lyr nods and takes a step backwards. The cloud spirals around and around, then flickers. The sparking, fizzing sounds grow quieter. And then, quite suddenly the cloud is gone.

The hall is almost silent. Perl can hear breathing and Tobi’s soft sobs as he holds Harok. “Take the protections down,” Perl says quietly to Kerik.

Kerik slices the air with his hand, breaking Damon’s ward, then does the same to Umbert’s. Ferra races to embrace her shocked son. Lyr moves to touch Damon on the shoulder and Damon looks at him before drawing him into an embrace.

Harok opens his eyes.

“Is he in you? Is he back inside you?” Tobi whimpers in Ambolk.

“No,” Harok says. He touches his chest. “But he is not dead. The King of the Earth. He is…” Harok laughs. A strange eerie sound. “The Shard is…..” Harok’s eyes roll back.

“Irgorye!” Tobi shrieks.