Someone grabbed me.

  "Cairn. Kid. Kid!"

  I came to with fists swinging, clawing wildly at the hands that gripped me, Thoth's human visage still vivid in my mind. When did this even happen? Where was I? I slipped beneath my attacker's arms and threw myself against the door, throwing it open to—

  Trees. And not just any trees. The thick green canopy of the Everwood hung heavy in all directions. A hand grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and threw me back in.

  It took a moment for the panic to truly set in. Uncle Luther's concerned face stared down at me. He'd wrestled me down and pinned my wrists against the seat cushions. There was a sense of movement and the occasional bump. A carriage. I was in a carriage.

  The carriage.

  No.

  "It was a dream. Damn." Luther held me firm, brow furrowing in concern. "Relax for gods' sake, what's got you so spooked—"

  NO.

  I sent a surge of mana down the inscriptions on my legs, and slammed my foot against Luther's chest. It did less than nothing, because of course, the inscriptions were gone. My uncle looked more puzzled than pained.

  NO NO NO NO NO—

  A wave of air mana slammed through my boot, sending Luther flying across the carriage, hitting the back panel hard enough to tip the whole thing forward, windows shattering on either side. He yelped in pain and braced against the wall, eyes wide as saucers. "The hells—"

  Before he could finish, I snatched the hilt of my sword. My shitty toothpick of a blade that had gems but lacked common sense.

  The simple motion of draw, brandish, and press to throat was perilously slow, driven by weak muscles and the loose grip of small hands, more than enough time for my uncle, a trained soldier, to realize what I was doing.

  He reacted quickly, fear of the sudden magic immediately banished as he threw himself at me, trying to pin me again and wrest away the sword. "Stop it! Are you insane?!"

  A gout of violet flame, so hot it singed my eyebrows, leapt from my palm and split the space between us, blowing a burning hole in the carriage ceiling. Luther kept his distance, head pressed against the back wall, afraid, but still stubbornly clinging to the tiny blunt blade of my worthless sword, clamping down tightly with his gauntlet, refusing to release.

  "Give it." I growled. "Or the next one won't miss."

  "Do as you will." Even as Luther shook, he held firm.

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  DAMN IT.

  I released the hilt and leapt from the carriage, my weak heart pounding staccato in my ears, and hit the ground in a roll.

  Luther didn't miss a beat. I heard his armor clank as he hit the ground behind me, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Halt the convoy! Restrain the prince! Don't let him get away!"

  Every armored head in the convoy turned my way. Luckily they were slow, and weren't expecting much from the King's spoiled heir. I beelined to the nearest rider, already aching legs carrying me as fast as they could manage, and fired another gout of flame in front of the horse's long muzzle.

  Unharmed but terrified, it reared back with a scream, and the rider clung to it for dear life, any other concern forgotten.

  I leapt up, past the horse, chaining three aegis in escalating height, snatching the man's hunting knife from its sheath and landing hard, knee cracking into my ribcage. Breath escaped me in a ragged gasp, every inhale a struggled wheeze as I staggered, putting every inch of distance I could manage between me and the closest soldier.

  I can't. I can't do it all over again. I can't lose them all. Not again.

  Flagrant use of magic had made acquiring a weapon easier. The downside was, every tired soldier who'd been slow to respond to the call to intercept some bratty noble child had roused at the sight. They encircled me quickly, pounding hooves of cavalry forming a perfect flank, while infantry pressed forward, shields raised, strong hands at the ready.

  I pressed the hunting knife to my neck, and the advance stopped. They looked around at each other, unsure what to do.

  "Kid. Kid." Luther pushed through the circle, face dark with anxiety. He held his hands out in front of him, as one might calm a horse. "What you saw today was horrible. There's no arguing that."

  "This isn't about you." I called, panic fading enough to feel a degree of guilt. "It isn't your fault."

  "Then…" He took a step forward.

  "Don't come any closer." The steel bit into my neck, and I felt a rivulet of blood trickle down.

  Luther stopped, frozen in his path, unsure of what to do.

  But I heard the men behind me draw closer. When I turned to face them, the others did the same. They'd be upon me soon. The window of opportunity was closing.

  I turned my head skyward.

  Vibrant blue shone down on me. After an endless sea of gray, it was beautiful.

  If there's anyone out there. Anyone at all. This is my sacrament. Witness it and know that I did everything I could. Everything that was asked of me. I beg you. Don't let this be the end. Please.

  "No!" Luther screamed.

  But it was too late. The knife flashed. Unarmored, there was no lack of targets. I hit them all in the span of seconds, and by the time I returned to my throat, my mind was already fading, barely enough strength left in me for the final cut. But I made it just the same.

  Someone snatched the knife from my hand.

  It didn't matter.

  I fell backward slowly, barely feeling the impact, the dirt road soft beneath me. The world went fuzzy and cold, everything fading to the dull throb of my slowing heart.

  Somewhere, far away, there was a cry of alarm. Steel clashed with steel, the din so faraway and faint it barely mattered.

  Smoke rose overhead, and a handful of growing orange fires from the convoy dulled the growing chill in my chest.

  I lay there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the darkness to take me. Everything blurred, grew harder to define, the canopy of trees widening like tendrils. After an eon, or maybe no time at all, a gilded eye hovered above me, lowering down, as a blurry silhouette crouched at my side.

  There was a green glow descending from above.

  And just before it reached me, everything went black.

  Again.

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