I stand amongst the rubble. Amongst the piles of corpses. And I make my way back to the tent. Back to what's left anyway.
There, on the hill, I find him.
He lies with his face in the mud, his body black and charred. Still. Lifeless.
Gently, I turn him over. His silver hair has burned away, but his face remains. Oh, Levi…
He did cruel things, but right now, all I can remember is the little boy who stood up for his brother, who defended his inventions while others called them silly. For a while, I stay there, back in the Silver Gardens, back when it was just me and Levi, playing together with a new toy I made. That is how I will always remember him. Happy. Innocent. Before the world turned him into a monster.
I kiss his forehead.
And then I go to find father.
It's time he paid for what he did.
PART VI
—Fenris Vane—
The Midnight Star fights the Darkness, and I fight Niam. It should be easy. He's injured, his shoulder torn open and raw. He has a sword, some random one he found one the ground, nothing special. But…
Something is wrong.
Every time Arianna and the creature clash, I feel a thud in my mind, like a hammer trying to break open my skull. Images flash before my mind. Images I've tried to forget.
The Grey Mountain.
Me climbing to the peak.
A storm.
I seek shelter in a cave.
And then…
Then I see something new.
This didn't happen… this couldn't happen…
I see Marasphyr in the cave. Together we wait out the storm. We grow close. She promises to help me slay the Grey Beast.
Together, we travel higher up. We face the creature. A giant thing of black bones. It tears into me.
I almost die.
I see something. A vision. A vision of my mother. She is Fae. I am Fae.
I awaken. Stronger than before.
I leap through the sky and slay the beast with one blow.
Then Marasphyr sees me for what I am. She guesses at my past. I learn about the lies. The secrets. I was always Fae. The vampires killed my mother.
I want revenge. I need it. I keep my new revelations secret from my brothers as I plan. Together, Marasphyr and I start a rebellion. One other joins our ranks.
A traveler.
Tavian Gray.
Something… something pierces my belly. The memories fade, only for a moment, and I see Niam before me, smiling. His sword sticks out of my gut. I don't feel the pain. I'm already fading, back into my memories.
"I told you brother," says Niam. "This time, you submit."
He drives the blade deeper into my belly.
Now pain grips me.
Blood pours from my mouth.
I'm dying, I realize. But…
I've died before.
Once, I awoke to Asher, and he told me the truth. He told me I was a Druid. But I had died before. When I died on Grey Mountain, I awoke knowing I was Fae. But somehow, I forgot.
Time to remember.
I fall back and fade into the abyss once more.
***
I walk on a land with no earth and sky.
Baron at my side.
He nudges me forward.
I already know what I will see.
Before me, my mother.
Her hair long and wild.
Her voice a soft melody.
She stands aside.
And then I see him.
Father?
No. It's not my father I see.
It's me. I wear a green cloak, my ears are long. And in my hand, I hold a pale blue sword. A moonlight blade.
I was…
I am…
The Moonlight Prince.
***
I do not know how long I sleep before I wake. But it seems not long. Niam walks away, toward Arianna and the creature. He will join the battle, he will help the Darkness win.
I try to stand, to help, but I feel woozy, tired. My vision spins.
Someone emerges from the shadows. I know her. Marasphyr.
"What are you doing here—"
"Shh," she says, putting a finger to her lips, her voice smooth and light. "I felt it too. The breaking of the curse. It weakens every time Arianna hurts the beast."
I try to make sense of her words. "Curse? What curse?"
"You don't remember yet? You don't remember what we did?" She starts to pace, shadow drifting behind her. It moves unnaturally, following her steps. Something familiar, this.
"Very well, Fenris, I will tell you," she says, sitting down by my side. "I've wished to tell you for a long time."
"What do you mean?"
She looks at me. Her eyes dark pools, something sinister swirling within them. "You believe you met me at the Black Lotus. But this is not true. We met before. On Grey Mountain."
"Yes," I say, the memories returning. "You helped me fight the beast."
She smiles. "Yes. I did. And we fell in love. That I am certain of." She pauses. "During the battle, you almost died. When you awoke, you… you were Fae. You were always Fae. You didn't understand at first, but slowly you gained information. A clever question there, an observation here. You realized what had happened. You learned of Avakiri. And you wanted revenge. For your people. For all Fae. You wanted them free.
"So you contacted me. Together we began a rebellion, drawing Outlanders to our cause, even some of the Four Tribes. Our greatest asset was Tavian Gray. An ancient Fae, older than the Unraveling. Many trusted him, admired him, and he recruited them. Soon, we had an army. A small one, but an army.
"We fought a war of attrition. Attacking a caravan here. A shipment there. You kept your true identity secret from the Fae, always covering your face to all but me and Tavian, and you kept your revelations secret from your brothers. That way, you could still be Prince of War, could still attend the council meetings. You gathered information on defenses, resources, and you used it to our advantage.