Page 130 of The Mage and His Stolen Prince
“And think of home.” I gathered my magic around me and leaned forward, pressing my lips to his in a tender kiss.
I hoped it wouldn’t be our last.
The pocket dimension only contained the two of us at first, then slowly expanded, reshaping the world around us. Time flowed backwards, returning people to their starting places. Treasure disappeared and my hands closed on empty air. The dimension was still forming around me, so I couldn’t go after him yet.
When the new world settled into place, I stood alone.
I’d lost everything.
And I would do anything to get it back.
Chapter Forty, Continued: Trey
Who Even Knows What Time Is Anymore
A Pocket Dimension Created from Desperation
Defeating an Evil Mage
I stared at Wilde in awe as he confessed everything he’d done to save me, going so far as to excise the old man from my life, knowing it meant I would forget about him.
While I was still recovering from the shock, Wilde told me the rest. Stable pocket dimensions typically remained the same size, and they had a specific doorway to enter through. His pocket dimension expanded every time one of us left our personal bubbles to travel through the ‘world.’ Nearby towns were sucked into it, the citizens taking on roles of inn keepers, castle employees, filling in as side characters so no one would see an empty world.
He talked about trying to meet me normally, staging an accident, finding employment at the castle in Bane, traveling with us to Misfortune. When that didn’t work, he reset time again. “I know it was selfish,” he whispered. “But I …”
“It was an evil plot,” I said. “Of course it was selfish.”
He flinched, though I hadn’t meant to rebuke him. Then he continued the story, talking about his new plan: befriending Fitz and using him to get close to me. Guilt filled his black eyes as he said, “I went too far. I never meant to hurt him.”
“Sounds pretty evil.”
He ducked his head, unable to look at me as he continued. Explained how Delilah had unintentionally traveled back in time with him. The deal they’d struck: he’d help her turn into a cat—
“Atwill,” she reminded him sharply.
—if she brought him along on the quest.
“From there, the plan was to keep you safe, and …”
“And?” I needed him to finish, to say the most important part.
He glanced up at me through pale lashes. “And try to fall in love.”
I cupped my hand around the back of his head, tangled my fingers in his hair. I wanted to kiss him until he thought of only me. From the sound of his story, he was already halfway there. But if I did kiss him now, his evil plot would succeed, and I needed to thwart it. “What happens if you lose your magic?”
His brow furrowed in confusion. “I can’t … magic isn’t something youlose.”
“Humor me.” I dipped my other hand into my pocket, grabbing the second ring, clasping it in my fist.
He closed his eyes and leaned heavily against me. “The pocket dimension will collapse. We’ll all return to the real world. I won’t be able to reverse time anymore.” His voice softened as he spoke, dreading the thought of such an outcome but forcing himself to tell me anyway. “Whatever happens after that will be completely outside of my control.”
I smiled at him. “Sounds like you’d be pretty thoroughly defeated.” Then I grabbed his left hand and slid the ring onto his finger.
The bubble burst with a rush of magic that stole the air from my lungs. Cracks formed in the dimension around us, pieces sloughing off to reveal another, darker world. Roots sprouted up from the floor, destroying the careful polish. The throne at the back shimmered in and out of focus—one second black and ornate, fit for an evil mage, the next a mix of decaying branches wrapped around a wooden chair. My own blood stained the wood.
Shouts of surprise echoed off the high ceiling as people appeared in the throne room.
“What thefuck?” Dad exclaimed.
