The house of Kyba of Canis was a spectacle to behold. If one could call it a house. The construct on the face of the snowy mountain consisted of walls, a roof, doors, and windows, to be sure. Solid wood, stone, and glass formed into a sprawling, beautiful domicile. But beyond that, it was nothing that Micah and Charlotte had ever seen before.

  Kyba led them through wide oak doors into a spacious living area. Nothing was even. Two steps to the right led down to a couch and chairs sitting before a fireplace bedecked with gold candelabras. Three steps to the left climbed up to a baby grand piano. Another staircase led to a kitchen, where an oddly placed stove was roaring with another fire, filling the house with finger-defrosting warmth. And a winding staircase with an ivory banister led up to a high second story, starting in the middle of the room with a narrow step and widening as it ascended, so as to resemble a tornado. Given the confusing nature of the house’s build, it seemed appropriate.

  Yet, it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, the home was sophisticated and inviting, complete with clean wood floors, crystal chandeliers, and wide glass windows affording beautiful views of the slopes. While Charlotte was drawn by the comfort of the home, Micah’s gaze fell on the shelves. Troves of treasures and wild curios sat upon shelves that covered every solid wall space. Weapons, antiques, tomes, scrolls, and other assortments of artifacts Micah either knew to be priceless or couldn’t identify, but realized must be in the same class. Of course, he wasn’t surprised. It only confirmed the truth: that the man inviting them into his home truly was a Rinx Lord who had lived the full lives of fifteen men.

  He directed them to follow him up the stairs to the second floor, where a single, long hallway stretched north to south. Kyba opened the nearest door, leading Charlotte into a lavish guest room complete with fluffy divans, furnished wardrobes, an ivory bathtub, and a bed fit for a king.

  “Holy crickets!” she exclaimed. “I can sleep here?”

  He nodded affectionately, and she squealed in delight, entering and gasping every few seconds when a new discovery came to her attention. While she fawned over her unexpected accommodations, Kyba grunted, leading Micah and John to much more simple rooms of their own. Micah made no complaint, glad to have a bed after the long hours of slow travel. After John put away his bags and Micah, his gear, they followed Kyba back down the hall. Running water could be heard inside Charlotte’s room. Micah was well aware the first thing she would do was take a bath, so they left her and went back downstairs.

  They were led into the expansive kitchen, where Kyba wordlessly indicated for them to sit nearby in rustic chairs with thick cushions. The seats surrounded an immense carved table, round and bedecked with Element Stones that kept it warm by some measure of hidden magic. Micah and John sat while Kyba set to work immediately, producing great quantities of vegetables from a walk-in pantry, immense cuts of beef and lamb from an ice box, and all sorts of delicious-smelling spices neither Micah nor John had ever before experienced.

  The kitchen featured the trappings of an extravagant greenhouse with all its perks and none of its drawbacks, a glass and steel dome large enough to accommodate a hundred people. Versicolor flowers in planters lined the perimeter of the space, a stark contrast to the piling snow outside.

  John offered his help to Kyba, but he waived him off with a scolding, so they sat in silence, watching him as he began to cook. The stoves were a work of genius. Three separate machines, foreign in design to Micah in every conceivable way, were lined up beside each other, taking up a whole corner of the room. Sizable Element Stone shards cut into curious shapes provided eight burners, and still others were situated to create a grill. Firing up the burners, Kyba set pasta and water to a boil in a pot, then another with rice. He deftly sliced up large chunks of cheddar and gouda, onions, butternut squash, carrots, and other foods, separating them into different bowls and putting them aside. Micah was mesmerized by his ability, equally amazed by his skill and the speed by which he worked.

  Charlotte came down in a relatively short amount of time and joined them at the table, wearing a flowing blue dress and a contented smile only provided by the comfort of a hot bath after a long day. Cal padded in behind her, and Micah presumed she had coaxed him into the house through her window. It certainly explained her change of clothes.

  Seeing the Murr closely follow her, Kyba didn’t miss a beat, barely offering a glance at Cal when he hopped onto a seat beside Charlotte. Even so, Cal said nothing, his head and wings stooped low as if to hide from view.

  “Much better,” Charlotte said with a satisfied smile, fluffing her hair. She smelled like citrus and flowers, drawing the attention of all three men. Kyba immediately waited on her hand and foot, doting on her as if she was his only granddaughter. A steaming cup of coffee with cream and a bowl of chocolate truffles were set before her, which she readily accepted.

  “Anything more you need, you just let me know,” he said with a smile, returning to peel potatoes faster than anybody Micah had ever seen.

  Charlotte sat in her chair primly, nibbling on the candies and enjoying the pampering to the fullest. Micah wished she would start asking him questions, because he had a thousand brimming to the surface of his mind. However, considering how cranky Kyba seemed to get, he didn’t want to upset their host.

  “You’re a funny one, lad,” Kyba said, looking at him as he began expertly carving up slabs of beef steak. “I misjudged you. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done so.”

  Micah’s brow furrowed. Can he read minds?

  He grunted an odd laugh. “No, I can’t read your head, but even for a Black Son with a mask, the yearning’s written all over your face.”

  Charlotte, Cal, and John looked at Micah, scrutinizing his face.

  “I suppose you’re the one who really brought Miss Charlotte to me,” Kyba continued, chopping up stalks of celery and chives and sliding them into a pan. “If that’s the case, I owe you a great debt. So ask your questions. Dinner won’t be ready for a while yet anyhow.”

  Micah needed no further convincing. “Sir, what is the power of the New Moon?”

  “Right to the point. I expected no less.” He paused. “But before I tell you that, what’s your current orders?”

  Micah tilted his head. “Sir?”

  Kyba looked at him. “Why are you here, lad?”

  “Oh!” Charlotte exclaimed. “I can explain that. You see, Micah is no longer under orders. I used Heartbreaker to sever the spell on him.”

  “A seal, eh?” Kyba scratched his chin, then went back to cooking, setting a dozen slabs of seasoned steak over the grill. “I should have known there was a reason the Black Sons turned from the old ways.”

  “Did they used to have a different purpose?” Micah asked.

  “Indeed. King Namolech established the Black Sons to protect Carnel and serve one another. Nobility and honor guided them in their purpose, not blind obedience to men of influence. It’s a shame. It was one of Namolech’s better ideas, which is saying a lot.”

  Honor. Micah remembered with bleak vividness Sintobi Strike’s last words.

  “We die with honor. How will you die, Micah Champlain?”

  “Well then, I guess I can trust you,” Kyba said, breaking him from his reverie. “Now then, the New Moon. It’s why all of us are here. It must sound like drivel, but it is the truth. I know this, because one thousand twenty-one years ago, an angel of God told me so. In exchange for the ultimate power of Foresight and persevering life, I was charged with guarding the Desolate Tower, waiting for the Moon Eye Child to come, who would bring the moon’s power in her right eye instead of her left, just like mine. The child would end the Age of Angels I ushered in, and be the herald of an age yet to come.”

  Kyba looked fondly on Charlotte again. “And now she has finally arrived.”

  Charlotte sat in stunned silence, mouth agape. “Me?” she finally croaked.

  “Yes, my dear. But you have nothing to worry about. Your task will be over before you know it. Destiny won’t be chasing you forever, at least not this one.” He became quiet, absent-mindedly shredding some herbs with his hands and letting them fall into a bubbling pot.

  “Have you been told what you must do, child?” he asked.

  She seemed distressed. “No, I’m sorry! I don’t really understand what is happening. John told me I was born with my eyes for a purpose, but before I met him, I never even considered I might have some kind of special destiny. To be honest, all these things you’re saying are frightening.” She sniffed, and tears pooled in her eyes. “I’m just a girl from Rypsy. Can you please tell me what’s going to happen to me?”

  He put down his spoon and approached the table. Putting a hand on her head, he gave her another loving smile, which seemed to comfort her. “Nothing will happen to you, young missy. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

  She brightened. “Well, I do believe that things happen for a reason. John told me that I met Micah when I did because it was fate.” She beamed at him across the table. “God sent him to save me.”

  “And you, him,” John added.

  Kyba’s sharp gaze seemed to penetrate Micah’s mask, but he said nothing.

  “God works in such ways, there can be no question,” Kyba finally said. He returned to his cooking. “So then, what is the New Moon? Well, to answer simply, it is the opposite of the Full Moon.” He tasted the soup in the pot before adding a few dashes of salt. “Foresight is the all-seeing, the gift of clarity. Given enough development, nothing can be kept hidden from its penetrating gaze. One possessing the Full Moon can even look through solid objects, and black magic is useless against a Foresight user. The Full Moon gives light to its possessor. So then, what would the opposite of that be?”

  “Uh…” Charlotte placed a finger to her chin, thinking hard.

  “Darkness,” John said.

  “Blindness,” Cal offered.

  “Void,” Micah said calmly.

  Kyba pointed to him. “That’s it.”

  “Void?” Charlotte repeated, scrunching her nose. “What does that mean?”

  “It means ‘nothing,’” Micah replied. “Lord Kyba is telling us that if the Full Moon can see and comprehend all things, then the New Moon shrouds all things. If the Full Moon gives light, the New Moon takes it away.”

  “But it doesn’t just take it away,” Kyba finished. “It destroys.”

  Micah looked at him gravely, while the others seemed confused. “What does it destroy?” he asked, knowing the answer but dreading it all the same.

  “Magic.”

  Chills ran through Micah’s body.

  Kyba nodded. “I think you understand, lad. I’ll leave it to you to explain the implications of it to the others. John, you told me upstairs that these young ones have been pursued across Carnel after escaping capture. Well, make no mistake about it. Whoever is after dear Miss Charlotte… if he’s smart enough to realize it… he’ll be after the New Moon. The other gifts, while powerful, mean nothing next to that power. Not in the hands of a villain.”

  Charlotte bowed her head, chin trembling. Micah reached out, putting his hand over hers. She looked at him in surprise.

  “Vash will never lay a hand on you again,” he said.

  Her smile returned as quickly as it had left. Kyba watched their interaction with interest for a moment before returning to the stoves. “Well, enough of that for one night. Dinner is almost ready, and there’s quite a bit to celebrate. Besides, you have much to be confident about, my dear child.”

  Charlotte wiped her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s you who has the Moon Eyes. Not this Vash fellow or whoever else wants you for themselves. I would wager those pretty eyes have saved you in more than one pinch, eh?”

  She smiled bashfully. “Yes, that’s true.”

  Kyba nodded, grunting as he lugged a huge pan from the oven, piping-hot and filling the kitchen with the mouth-watering smell of roasted lamb. “Someone once told me something that I’ve carried with me my many long days. Someone with Foresight, just like you and me. She told me that sometimes, you just have to trust your own eyes and put the rest on the shoulders of faith. Because if people like us can’t even see everything, then maybe some things just weren’t meant to be seen.”

  “Who told you that?” she asked.

  “Back then, they called her the White Widow… today you might know her as the Drifting Queen… but I called her Aurora.”

  Charlotte gasped with utter glee, bringing her hands to her face. “You knew the Drifting Queen? You mean you actually talked to her?”

  He cackled. “Indeed I did. Many times. You like her, eh?”

  “I love her! I know all the stories about her, and it was my favorite time in school when we would learn about her.”

  “You know all the stories, do you? Well, I’ll bet I can tell you a few you don’t know.” He hooted again, slapping his leg. “I have some doozies! Say, now that I think about it…” He quickly retreated from the kitchen without a word. Moments later, he came back holding something. “Here,” he said, offering it to her.

  Charlotte took the object, holding it up for everyone to see. A deep emerald comb glittered in the light. One of the prongs was missing, and some of the fine carvings had worn thin, but otherwise, it was a beautiful piece of workmanship.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Crickets, it’s gorgeous,” she said. “Is this for me?”

  “Yes. It was once Queen Aurora’s, given to her by Mobius for her birthday when she was very young. She gave it me before she died, and it’s long been one of my greatest treasures. And now, I want you to have it.”

  Her eyes became wide as saucers, and she cradled the comb as if she were holding a butterfly. “Oh, Kyba! I can’t possibly accept this!” But a deep longing to keep the comb filled her face.

  He reached out and closed her fingers over it. “I want you to have it.”

  She immediately reached up to her hair, unclasping the dragonfly clip and replacing it with the comb. She then replaced her clip, securing her hair in place. The piece graced her head beautifully, and the others smiled in approval. Kyba caressed her head again before straightening up and rubbing his hands together.

  “Now, it’s time for dinner. Who’s hungry?”

  Charlotte and John cheered, and Kyba began loading the table with foods of every assortment imaginable. Lamb roasted with red potatoes and rosemary, beef fried rice with peas and carrots, butternut squash soup, fire-grilled steaks, macaroni and cheese with bacon and onions, corn on the cob, chocolate ice cream, and a whole spiced rum cake. Charlotte squealed in delight, bouncing in her seat. Micah’s stomach rumbled something fierce, the smells of the feast nearly ready to overwhelm, and he immediately pulled his scarf around his head and let his mask down. They waited impatiently while Kyba left again to produce a few dusty bottles of wine.

  He sat beside Charlotte and calmly glanced to each person at the table, making odd faces at Micah’s scarf and the way Cal had his paws up on the table. He seemed amused by their expressions, as if he was testing their patience for his own enjoyment. Just when it seemed Charlotte might burst, he waved his hand over the table.

  “Dig in.”

  They ate with gusto. Charlotte started with cake and ice cream while Micah offered Cal each item, which he refused one by one until he came to the steaks. Stacking two large cuts onto a plate, Cal began to scarf them down. But Micah tried everything. The soup was savory and creamy with a hint of fire. The rice was a fluffy, tasty complement to the delicious lamb. In the end, however, his favorite proved to be the macaroni and cheese, and he suspected the bacon had something to do with it.

  As they ate, Kyba regaled them with story after story, each one more fantastical and unbelievable than the one before it. Stories of Mobius and Aurora, Thaddeus the Younger, the Eleven Sacrifices of Saint Monrue, and the supposedly true account of the final battle between Ursa and Mahro the demon. For hours they ate, talked, and listened, and ate some more, until it was late and everyone was stuffed, exhausted, and content. Charlotte especially seemed at peace, slumped in her seat and patting her stomach softly. A murmured giggle escaped from behind her lips as her eyes gradually began to droop.

  When a broken cuckoo clock signaled midnight, Charlotte was nearly asleep and John and Cal were reduced to stifling yawns every other minute. Kyba carried Charlotte up to her room. Micah, Cal, and John followed, waiting for him to return from her room in order to thank him for the meal and hospitality.

  When he did and closed the door behind him, Kyba said to Micah, “I’m sure you must be tired, lad, but if you can tolerate an old man’s wish, I’d like to have a word with you tonight.”

  Micah nodded to Cal, who wordlessly followed John down the hall while Kyba led Micah in the other direction. The Rinx Lord walked a slow pace, seeming burdened, but Micah said nothing, keeping pace behind him. The hall reached a descending staircase that plunged far below the first floor of the house and drove deep into the mountain, illuminated by silver candelabras.

  “I’ve scrutinized you tonight,” Kyba said as they began their descent. The clapping of his sandals contrasted with Micah’s silent footfalls. “I’m sure you realized.”

  “Indeed.”

  “I have seen that you are a knowledgeable young man, full of understanding and more wisdom than I would have expected from someone just introduced to the life of an emotional human being. So, I have a feeling you already comprehend what is about to happen, even when my apprentice was given explicit orders to say nothing to anybody except his wife.”

  Micah nodded. “Your mission’s end draws near. And Charlotte is its harbinger.”

  Kyba grunted a sardonic laugh. “A fancy way to say I’m about to die. But yes, I knew you would realize. Which is why I decided I must speak with you.”

  The steep flight ended after what Micah estimated to be roughly a thousand feet. There, a wide stone corridor met them, consisting of eleven separate doors, five on each side and one at the end.

  Kyba proceeded to this last door. Reaching to his neck, he produced a key attached to a thin necklace. The golden key was ancient and ornate, longer than any Micah had ever seen. He took it off and inserted it into the keyhole. After a half-turn, Kyba twisted the doorknob, but did not open the door. He then turned the key fully twice, twisted the knob again, then turned the key a half once more. There was a click, and Kyba swung the door open, entering inside a dark, musty room. The pure magical clout that poured over Micah in that moment was nearly unbearable. Like a wool blanket, it covered him, filling his head and lungs, and he had to adjust before following inside.

  To his surprise, there was a small window, frosted by snow. Moonlight streamed through the ice coating the panes in crystalline designs. It provided enough illumination to allow Micah to guide himself through the cluttered space. Boxes and tables haphazardly littered nearly every inch of the room. Dusty books, odd trinkets, paintings… a veritable antique shop sans the noisy merchant.

  At first glance, Micah thought it must be Kyba’s personal storeroom, but then he paid closer attention to the details as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. There were advanced medical texts long thought to be lost and the personal tomes of some of the most famous wizards in ancient history: Vincent of Scorpius, Mordecai of Orion, Chapman McCrawd, Sizer sinCoruscant, Melinda of Gemini. And there were weapons and armor so distinct, Micah could identify them immediately despite having never seen them before. A massive sword, as long as he was tall, propped against the nearest wall – Diamo Ret, the diamond blade. A headband with a metallic forehead protector embellished with four square-shaped markings – the Band of Nephthetes. Gold and silver arm plates featuring wicked spikes – the Gauntlets of Zaborg. Items of such legend, Micah had never dared to dream they existed outside of the imaginations of those who drew pictures of them.

  One shelf featured a book with a spine so worn, it appeared ready to disintegrate. Even still, Micah could read the title: Crystal Conversion and its Various Properties by Gregory of Orion. Beside it, a large vase brimmed with sizable blue gems.

  Micah quickly turned, finding Kyba settled into an armchair in the corner, smiling. “Are these Cure Stones?” Micah asked.

  “They are now.”

  “You… converted them? Crystal Conversion isn’t a myth?”

  “I’m impressed you even know the term. It’s been such a long time since Gransaiga discovered the method.”

  “Since the advent of Miracle and its poisonous curse on our land, people have been searching high and low for some way to create new Cure Stones. Medicinal knowledge has plummeted in the last hundred years, and medical treatment has been reduced to barbaric levels. Without Cure Stones, Carnelians couldn’t do anything to help the sick and maimed. We didn’t know how.” Micah sat in an empty chair across from him. “Our reliance on the stones led to catastrophe.”

  “Are you angry I’ve possessed this knowledge the whole time?” Kyba asked.

  He shook his head. “I understand why you have kept it. In the wrong hands, Crystal Conversion could cause more harm than good. Even still, I am curious as to whether or not you fully grasp what has happened to Carnel. Being stuck on this mountain with no one to talk to, incapable of seeing the effect of that great purge with your own eyes.”

  “Be secure in knowing I have seen far more than you could comprehend, lad.”

  “If you say so, I do not doubt it.”

  Kyba snorted a laugh, scratching his bearded chin. “You certainly are an interesting one. I don’t suppose you know where you come from?”

  Micah shook his head.

  He nodded with a disappointed frown. “The Black Sleep did its job then. Ironic. Your knowledge of history is lengthy, but your own past escapes you.”

  “For good reason, as you must already know. Black Sons have purpose behind their pursuit of the past.”

  Kyba hummed, keeping his powerful eyes trained on him. “Tell me. What do you think of Miss Goodsteel? And be honest. Trying to hide things from me rarely does a fellow any good.”

  “We met in Arcadia,” Micah said. “Governor Riser arrested Charlotte on suspicions of being a spy the moment she crossed into Carnel, fabricating the lie in order to hold her prisoner. He told me the king ordered her capture, which is the truth; however, Riser also told me she was to be executed. It was contrary to the king’s order, which he told me in person one month before her imprisonment. When I relayed this to the governor, he dismissed it, telling me I must have misunderstood. Of course, I did not question it. When she arrived in Arcadia, he ordered me to guard her cell, knowing I didn’t sleep.

  “That first night, I appeared to relieve the previous guard. The cell was fortified to hold a monster, a cage of iron and steel with bolted doors and a magic seal. She was chained by her arms to the wall with a blind over her eyes. I still remember thinking it seemed excessive to hold such a small woman. What most interested me, however, was her condition. I had expected a scared, broken young girl. Yet, despite not being able to see or move her arms, she began talking to me. Casual and friendly, she chattered on harmless subjects and asked a hundred questions of me, even though I wouldn’t respond. It was as if she were trying to make a friend, prodding me to pleasant conversation. I had no intention of replying, but then, hours later, she said something I never expected, and my curiosity was finally aroused.”

  “What did she say?” Kyba asked, still rubbing his chin.

  “She said, ‘Where is your father?’ It struck me, because the way she asked it wasn’t condescending, as if she were reprimanding me. In fact it was so full of sorrow, I came to believe she was actually asking the question to herself. For some reason which betrayed my own instincts, I replied to her question. ‘I don’t have a father,’ I said.

  “Our exchange began and continued well into the night. She was friendly, polite, and charming despite her situation, and I was drawn to her. The things she said were mystifying and attractive. And in no way did she appear to be trying to get me to let her go, which I had expected. But as it turns out, she knew exactly what she was doing. Eventually, during a break in our conversation, she asked for some relief, requesting that I gently rub her eyes because the cloth was making them itchy.”

  Micah rested an elbow on the arm of the chair, propping his head against a fist. “It was a clever ruse, because I never would have lifted the cover had she asked me to, but general logic dictated I remove it so her eyes would no longer itch. So I reached in and did so. Once she could see, she immediately used Heartbreaker on me, breaking the seal around my heart. I fell unconscious, prodded awake hours later by guards sent to take over. She had escaped.” He smiled. “I still don’t know how she got out of her cell, now that I think about it. I’ll have to ask her tomorrow.

  “Anyway, as you already know, we happened to run across each other while we were both trying to escape the castle. Surrounded with nowhere to run, she pleaded for my help, and I gave it to her. Once we were out of danger, I proposed that we run together until it was finally safe to part ways. I had come to realize Daniel Riser was plotting to keep the Moon Eyes instead of turn Charlotte over to the king. It is my belief Riser is working with a man named Nathanial Vash to somehow strip Charlotte of her power. I haven’t told her this, but I am certain this is why they intended to kill her – if they had a way to steal her eyes, they would no longer need her. So, the only way to ensure our safety was to flee Carnel. But to do that, we needed to find a way to cross the Strait of the Final Word, which brings us here.”

  “Well, that is a fascinating story, lad,” Kyba said. He brought his hands together, rubbing them slowly. “But I’m afraid you didn’t answer my question.”

  Micah blinked. “What was your question again?”

  “What do you think of Charlotte?”

  “Oh…” He blinked again. “Oh…”

  “I can see you don’t have much practice with this, but that’s not irregular for a young man your age.”

  “I don’t know how to answer that.”

  Kyba pointed to his own head. “You’ve got all the ability in the world up here.” He then pointed to his chest. “But tell me what you feel here, because it’s just as important, if not more so.”

  “I… well, she…” Micah tried his hardest, but he found that muttering was his best result. How do I feel? He felt hot. He felt upset. He felt happy. But, those weren’t answers. He didn’t have any answers.

  Kyba chuckled. “Steam’s coming out your ears, boy. Okay, let’s try something different. Do you like Charlotte?”

  Finally, an easy question. “Yes,” he replied.

  He looked Micah straight in the eyes. “Do you love her?”

  Micah squirmed in place, gripping the arms of the chair. The question echoed in his ears, where a pressure built up greater than any suffocating force he had ever experienced. “Um… I don’t… I haven’t really…”

  Kyba burst into roaring laughter, making Micah stop in astonishment. His laughter continued for several moments, escalating to greater heights which only increased Micah’s discomfort. Tears actually began to spring from the old man’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry, lad,” he managed, still struggling with bouts of hysteria. “I’m sorry, but this is just too funny.” His laughter morphed into extended squeals, leaving him so short of breath that his face turned a shade of crimson deep enough to be discernible is the dark room.

  Micah folded his arms, scowling while waiting for him to settle down. He had no idea why this was so funny to him.

  The laughing was finally reduced to dying chuckles. Kyba wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “I must thank you for this. I haven’t laughed like that in eighty years.”

  “Well, I’m glad one of us is enjoying this.”

  “Now, now, don’t get upset. You should be pleased, because I came down here to test you, and you passed in every way I had hoped.”

  “To test me?”

  Kyba stood up, making his way to a mangled box on the floor near the window. In the moonlight, Micah saw his face better, and he was surprised by what he saw. Kyba’s eyes were shining with joy, all traces of crankiness and eccentricity gone. He seemed rested and happy, a man content with life.

  He came back holding a small object wrapped in cloth. Sitting down, he leaned forward and Micah did likewise. Kyba unwrapped the item, revealing a round seal of gold. A strange symbol Micah had never seen before was etched into the surface.

  “Do you know what this is?” he asked.

  Micah shook his head.

  “This was given to me by an angel of God the day I became the guardian of the Desolate Tower. A symbol of what I had accomplished, what I had given up, and what I would be rewarded when my last hours on earth were finally upon me. The angel told me that one day, the Moon Eye Child would come to give me rest and usher in a new age. And when that day came, I would be able to give this seal to anyone I chose. That person would receive my will, and be granted the first inheritance of the new age.

  “But the angel also told me that I would make a decision I never intended, and it would be a true sign that my end was finally upon me.”

  “What decision?” Micah asked.

  He shrugged, smiling. “I didn’t know… until now. You see, my intention has always been to give this seal to the Moon Eye Child, whoever it might be. It seemed only natural, since I have been looking for her so long, hoping and waiting. I came to love Charlotte, even when I didn’t know when she would come. And because I loved her, I wanted to give her the world before I left. I stored up the treasures you see here and built this house, which would afford her the comforts and protection I desired for her. There would be nothing she could want.”

  “An admirable sentiment,” Micah said.

  “But now, a thousand years later, I’ve decided not to give her the seal or any of these other things.”

  He frowned in confusion. “Why not?”

  Kyba laughed. “I’m not really sure. Isn’t that something? All I know is that I am compelled by a different desire now, which comforts me because I am sure that my final days are upon me, just as the angel told me so long ago.”

  He extended his hand, palm open. Micah realized he was offering him the seal. “Me?” he said in shock. “But you barely know me!”

  “I know enough, lad. I possess some of the most dangerous and valuable objects known to mankind. Enough to make a man king. John Halifax has a family, and Miriam longs to be free of all this. I don’t want to burden them any longer. And Charlotte? She’s a child. A wonderful, dear child I will be thinking of when I draw my last breath. But she can’t be in charge of these things. But you… you are unique in every way. Brilliant and calm as a result of your upbringing, yet free to now explore your own heart and make your own decisions thanks to Charlotte. A perfect balance.”

  He reached for Micah’s hand, taking it and turning it up. He placed the seal in his hand. The metal felt heavy, and despite wearing gloves, a surge of warmth churned up his arm the moment it fell into his hand.

  “Son, I want you to have this. You were meant to have it.”

  Micah looked at the seal for a moment. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Kyba leaned back, folding his hands together and sighing. “I won’t make any demands of you. I want to leave this world unburdened and without burdening anyone else. But if you’ll hear an old man’s request, I would be grateful.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’d like you to look after Charlotte. I can’t make you love her, and I can’t force you to stay with her forever. As I said before, you have to make your own choices now. Even so, Charlotte is fragile. As hard as she might try, it’s not difficult to see how afraid she is. And I believe she is relying on you to keep her safe not only from danger, but from her own loneliness. She needs you, Micah.”

  “I understand all these things. And while it was agreed we would eventually part ways, I have no intention of leaving Charlotte right now.” He felt heat rise to his face again. “I like her… and I want to be with her.”

  Kyba didn’t laugh this time. Instead, he smiled. “Good.”

  Just then, Kyba’s right eye burst with purple light, flooding the room with its brilliance. Micah watched in awe as the purple light then changed to black, then gold. Soon, his entire eye was one solid light, like a golden star. It was nothing Micah had ever seen before.

  “Now isn’t that interesting…” Kyba said. “That mark on your right cheek. Do you know what that is?”

  Micah scowled, putting a hand on his face. “I am grateful for all you have done for us, Lord Kyba,” he said. “But please do not disrespect me by looking through my mask. I may not be a Black Son any longer, but I still hold its traditions sacred.”

  The light retreated from Kyba’s eye, returning to its normal color. He grunted with an amused smile.

  “Cheeky brat.”