Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic #1)(121)

Finn looked over her shoulder for the prince and made to shout for him to hurry and use the dragon to seal whatever was about to burst from Ignacio, but Alfie was no longer alone. She started at the sight of Bathtub Boy beside him. Luka looked strangely untouched, as if the battle in the palace had never happened. There wasn’t a scratch on him.

The realization stunned her. An idea flickered into existence in Finn’s mind.

She knew how to stop this magic.

Before she could shout for the prince, the black magic that had been growing in Ignacio’s body surged out of his corpse, his body crumbling to nothing as it escaped. The stone hands peeled away from his skin, re-forming into their original shape.

Her heart sputtered as the magic rose in a curling black wave before her, poised to swallow her whole. She wanted to run, to close her eyes and wish it away, but she couldn’t let this magic escape. She thought of Alfie, staring at his hands in horror after he’d been made to hurt her. There was too much at stake in this room and beyond for her to let it go.

She’d told the prince that she’d spent her life watching bad things happen without lifting a finger to stop them and that she’d wanted to end that. She’d asked him to believe in her and he had, the very same way her parents once had and would have now if they were still here.

Now it was time to prove it.

She could carry the echo of magic from Alfie’s dragon. Maybe she could contain this. Give him some time to trap it.

“Take me,” she said to it. She’d never been more afraid in her life. “Take me.”

The magic curled around her like a great snake before forcing itself into her mouth. Her mind clouded with the power. What was in the dragon figurine was a terrifying boost in strength, but it was nothing compared to this. This was the source of it all. This was too much. This . . .

You are so close to the dark, my child, so close. The black magic purred in her ears, soft as velvet. She felt the cold of the stone hands as they skittered up her body like spiders to lie over her arms. Turn to it. Let it take you. You and I will rule over an earth scorched black. There will be no more fear, no more sadness, for there will be no more hearts to feel, only you and I. Surrender, my child. Surrender to who you are.

She ground her heels into the floor, trying to fight its control, but as the stone hands wrapped around her skin, it eclipsed her.

You asked me to take you. You will hold to that promise.

Then she could think of nothing but the hunger. Nothing but the need to stretch over this kingdom like a wave of darkness.

With Ignacio gone, the strings fell away and Alfie dropped to the ground like a stone. She’d done it. She’d done the impossible before his eyes. She’d beat Ignacio at his own game. But the magic. The magic would fly free. And the hands too, those needed to be contained! Alfie struggled to his feet, his eyes on Finn. He needed to get to her, to seal it before— A loud creaking pulled Alfie’s gaze upward. A huge chunk of stone framing the ballroom’s glass ceiling had come loose, swinging like a baby tooth. Then it was falling, careening toward him.

Alfie threw his hands uselessly over his face but the rock never hit. He dropped his arms, and looked up to see Luka holding the gargantuan boulder in his hands like an avocado at breakfast.

“Miss me, sourpuss?” Luka said before hurling the stone to the far side of the ballroom.

Alfie’s mouth hung open in shock. “What just . . .” He gestured wildly at the fallen stone.

Luka looked uncharacteristically sheepish. “Well, it appears that I have superstrength?” His voice lilted at the end of the statement, as if Luka were asking himself if it were true.

Alfie blinked up at him before pulling him into a fierce hug. When they parted he asked, “How?”

“No clue.” Luka shrugged. “I have to assume that it developed naturally. Like my good looks and sense of humor.”

Alfie grinned up at his best friend before remembering that he still needed to get to Finn and use Xiomara’s void to get rid of the magic for good. He didn’t know if he could save Finn from the magic she had taken in. But he would try.

Luka looked away from Alfie and blanched. “Alfie, something’s wrong.” Luka pointed forward.

Finn stood before them. She looked hungry.

“Finn,” Alfie said hesitantly. She cocked her head at him, then grinned and began a slow walk to them.

Alfie rose to his feet. “Luka,” he whispered, his voice taut. “Run.”

Luka shook his head. “I won’t leave you.”

“I need you to do something else for me,” Alfie said, his voice shaking from the pain of standing with the bruised ribs he’d gotten from being thrown against the wall. “Wake up Xiomara. We need her to banish this magic, do you understand? Wake her, otherwise we’ll both die.” He pushed Luka behind him.

“All right,” Luka said, worry in his eyes. “Be safe.” Alfie felt a little less afraid when he heard Luka’s footsteps dashing toward Xiomara.

“Finn,” he said, walking toward her. “You know me. I know you can hear me, I know you’re a fighter. Break free of it.”

This was different from when she’d taken in the magic of the silver dragon. Now there wasn’t a semblance of her left. She’d taken the magic that had been inside of Ignacio. She’d made the sacrifice to contain it. But she had to break free. He couldn’t kill her to get control of the magic. He wouldn’t.