Black Moon Draw

"It takes some time." The warrior queen smiles. She doesn't seem discouraged or disappointed.

"You drank the Kool-Aid, didn't you?"

"Hindsight." She winks. "You see things differently through the rearview mirror than when you're in the middle of the road."

Ugh. This isn't going the way I want, even for a dream. "So what's the secret, if not a way home?"

"Every battle-witch for a thousand years has contributed part of her magic to that medallion, the Heart." Her gaze goes to my chest, where the worn necklace hangs. "Its power is beyond anything you can imagine. A thousand years of magic, all lying dormant."

"Is it going to electrocute me?" I ask, lifting it uncertainly from my chest.

"It can do much more than that. But as my successor, it's yours to control."

"A little birdy told me the Heart is what everyone's after. Ohhhhh now I get it." That's why the messengers are birds. The subtle cliché hits me, and I applaud LF for once instead of cursing her.

"It is. But it's not what you think."

"Care to explain?"

"The Shadow Knight is the last of his bloodline. If he dies, so does the magic. My curse did more than I intended. The medallion, the Heart, is all that keeps the fogs of Black Moon Draw from devouring their world. I condemned everyone, even those I was trying to avenge." Her voice grows soft.

"So if he dies, the magic dies, and their entire world goes with him. If the era ends, and he fails, their world ends."

She nods. "And if the Heart falls into the wrong hands, it, too, has the power to end their world." As she speaks she approaches and picks up the medallion off my chest. Her whole face lights up.

"Triple whammy. That's quite a curse."

She nods. Her eyes are filling with tears. They aren't sad ones - but happy tears, if the joy on her face is any indication.

"Why is it called a Heart?" I ask.

She swipes at her tears and lowers the medallion, stepping away. "'Twas the nickname my husband gave me. I was his heart, his love, his queen. This was fashioned as a wedding present. Magic molded this gem, but our love gave it power."

"Wow. That's insanely romantic," I murmur enviously. "And you used the magic to destroy the world. Kind of ironic, isn't it?"

She laughs. "That's why you're here! You can fix it."

I shift feet, not really liking where the conversation is headed. It sounds like she expects me to stay here instead of leaving like I want. "How?" I venture tentatively.