Willow stomped his feet and huffed. “Look, I can't stop you two from going, but Badger might be forgetting something. Wyvern’s goons will try to kill him if they find out he has a warning power.”
“That might not be true,” I protested.
“I'll eat my scarf if it's not.”
I glared. “Let me see if I understand. You think I might be in danger, and your solution is that I stay behind, alone, in the Valley, where most of my family lives? Why would I put that on them?”
His face fell.
“And” I continued, “the City is full of people to blend in with, not to mention hundreds of Warriors. I’ll probably be safer there than anywhere else.”
Willow’s shoulders drooped in defeat.
“I've already made up my mind,” I said. “I'm going too.”
“Agh! Fine!” He threw his hands in the air, then pointed a scolding finger at each of us. “But staying with me is only ever going to get you into more trouble, don't forget that.”
“What else is new?” Sharp raised a polished pink finger. “Now quiet everyone, someone else is coming.”
Sure enough, after a few seconds passed we heard the hinges of the closet door. Pyrite walked around the corner, a drab silhouette in his long grey cloak. Back in his right mind, he looked healthier and more clear-headed, apart from the increased paranoia that caused him to constantly check his surroundings. Ivory accompanied him, wearing a simple dress of sunset orange, perfectly matching the color she radiated with Charm.
“Is Badger here?” asked Pyrite.
“You found me,” I said. “Is everything alright?”
Ivory’s eyes sparkled. “Everything is fine, and you all look wonderful! Since you’re leaving the Deep Dark tomorrow, we were wondering if we could have a few minutes of your time. There’s something you need to see.”
Willow gave me a pointed glance, reminding me to ask about the secret book. I took a deep breath. Whatever it was, I doubt it would surprise me.
I followed them to the empty throne room. Inside, I felt nothing but death. On the night of the coronation ritual, Ivory carved her own name directly over the scar left by Melodia, and when the God Tree glowed in acceptance, no doubt remained about her right to be king. From her perspective, she held the responsibility for what happened to Glass. The power of Charm prevented her from hiding this guilt from any of us.
“You could have your name there one day,” she said, almost too quiet for me to hear. “If I ever lose my way, you can push me out.”
The very idea sent a rush of anxiety through my chest. “I don't ever want to make a bid for the throne. I want to be a doctor.”
Pyrite's eyes glowed a gentle shade of green. He put a hand to his chest, grasping at something invisible. “Your friend would be proud to hear that,” he whispered. He’d never met Glass before the night in the throne room, but he’d been there at the end. Did the Sapphire Clan feel it too? Were they aware of the pain they left behind in their wake?
I sat on the stairs of the dais. “Do you have any news on where they escaped?”
Ivory observed the throne with wistful uncertainty. “Melodia left the border, that’s all I know. The rest of the Sapphire Clan accepts the choice of the God Tree as Divine law, so they will no longer endorse her. We suspect she’s gathering more allies before confronting the Kingdom of the Wind. My cousin won't so easily give up her hatred.”
A silence followed. Not for the first time, I was overcome by the feeling of another presence in the room. “What did you want to show me?”
Pyrite cleared his throat. “You see, I held Obsidian’s soul before he died. He spoke to me.”
I’d been so broken about the death of Glass, I forgot Sharp wasn’t the only one to lose a father that night. Obsidian may have been prepared for his fate, but the last five years had been a tragedy of abuse and control. His death was overshadowed.
“What did he say?” I asked, trying to be delicate.
“He had something to tell you,” Pyrite put a hand on my shoulder, and I felt a love there I hadn’t when we had first met. He was free now, no longer a slave. “He wanted to wait here before he passed on.”
I scanned the eerie room. “He's here? In the Unseen?”
“Yes,” Pyrite confirmed, “and he wants to talk to you specifically.”
I didn't know if I was ready to talk to another ghost. I could still hear the knife cutting wood. I could still smell the lightning-burned flesh.
“I’m…afraid,” I confessed. “Last time…it felt like I saw something forbidden. Something beyond me.”
I felt like a little kid, as Ivory knelt by my side. Maybe I was a kid, even though the last month had aged me. “Listen, Badger,” she said. “To be in the Pantheon is to change how you feel about your role in this world. When you said you wanted to be a doctor, your eyes were ablaze. This is not beyond you.”
I knew that look. Sharp's face when she was fighting. “Really?”
Pyrite confirmed this with a solid nod. “Even without Reaper, you are humble and kind. The waves of your destiny are washing over you, and you can only sink or swim.”
I forced a smile. “Alright…I’ll see him.”
The two absconded to leave us alone. I took a deep breath and returned to the Unseen for the first time since the coup. I expected Obsidian to be sitting on the throne, but instead he was leaning on the doorframe. Like Glass, this illuminated form of the king was different from the withered old man I’d first met. His features were like Pyrite’s, but stronger and younger, and with much longer hair. A humble robe touched the ground, and half the number of rings hung from his ear.
“Hello grandson.” His raspy voice was replaced with something warmer. “I’m glad to see you.”
“Obsidian…er…your Highness,” I muttered with an awkward bow.
“Oh please. I'm not king anymore.”
“Right,” I said, shaking that expectation away. “I was told you wanted to speak to me?”
He beckoned. “Follow me a while.”
