Black Moon Draw

He grabs my arms. "You cannot help him, witch. Now we wait and see if we acted in enough time."

I rest my hands on Atreyu's chest, praying for a miracle. If ever there was a time to be a magical being or for LF to intervene, it's now.

"Naia!" the squire all but shouts.

"Boy!" the Red Knight jerks. "You do not use the name of -"

The castle begins to shake, from the stone foundation beneath us to the wooden rafters to the walls.

The Red Knight steadies me and we both look up and around. "It's collapsing," he assesses.

"Because he's dead," I whisper. "Because he was the only one who could face the curse."

"'Tis the magic of the Heart that must face the curse," the squire says, careening in our direction.

"'Tis gone," the Red Knight snaps.

"Nay, sire. I read it in the scrolls. The magic remains. I can see it."

I lift my eyes.

The squire is looking right at me.

The Red Knight glances from him to me and then back, staring. "Naia, you're glowing."

"What?"

The rafters begin to moan under the strain of holding up the stone roofing during an earthquake.

"What do you know of what was supposed to happen after he defeated the realm?" The Red Knight snatches my arms. "Quickly!"

"I . . . he was supposed to face the curse. It's somewhere in this castle."

He drags me to my feet. "Take me there."

My gaze goes to the Shadow Knight.

"Naia, if you have the key to saving us, you have the key to saving him. Take us there!"

A protest dies in my throat. Since entering the castle, I've been guided by magic that didn't belong to the Shadow Knight, magic that helped me the way the Heart did.

My hands and arms are radiating purple light, the way my medallion did.

The ground pitches and I smack into the squire. The impact snaps me out of the daze I'm in long enough for me to realize we're all about to die, if we don't take a chance and find the room the Shadow Knight spoke of.

I can save him. I must save him. We're all doomed anyway. I can die wallowing in misery the way I have my entire life or find the courage to fight, like he did.

I have every reason in the world to fight. With a final look at the Shadow Knight, I gather my wits and turn towards the exit.

The squire takes my hand and pulls me into the hallway. We share a sad smile, battle buddies until the very last moment.