Black Moon Draw

The Red Knight is pacing. He eyes his sister as if he wants to give her a piece of his mind and then halts. "You swear, witch, what you say is true? You spoke to a woman dead a thousand years?"

"I did." I'm starting to slide into a bout of self-pity and shake my head. Not about to let the misery take hold, I cross my arms and face him. The Shadow Knight spoke relatively well of his neighbor and appeared surprised by the thought he'd be betrayed by the man before me. "What's your story? You just dump all your allies whenever you think someone else is going to win a battle?"

"I do not just dump my allies," comes the sharp response. "I want the curse broken at all costs. The end of an era approaches; a thousand years have passed. I, too, believed the death of the Shadow Knight would end this fog and save our realm. After trying for many, many years to reason with him and others, I waited until the day before the era ends to decide his death is necessary."

He appears earnest, but he has every other time we've interacted. Rarely do our interactions end well.

"I don't believe a word you're saying," I snap, sorrow turning to fury. "The Shadow Knight has been betrayed by everyone he trusted. I, too, let him down, refused to help him when he asked, and left him to the fate only he was able to see so clearly. I'm a fool, but you're worse! You've known this was coming for a thousand years and chose to screw him over instead of saving your world!" My shoulders sag. "It doesn't matter. I can't help him. No one can."

I never should've left his side. At least then I could've used the medallion to help him. I can't imagine what he's going through right now facing the oncoming armies and knowing he failed after a thousand years.

I rack my memories for any clue the warrior queen might've given me about what to do now. No notes appear on my hand, and fear blooms within me.

There's nothing to guide me this time. The hole in my heart is growing, and I don't think a bout of self-confidence is going to help me save the Shadow Knight. I have the urge to hug him, wrap my arms around him and wait for the world to end together. It's not his fault his family was cursed, not his fault if he can't stop what's coming.

It's not fair. Even if - by some miracle - this really is fiction - it's still not fair.