Page 123 of Fire to the Stars
“You do, slayer. More than most. Doubling down on your actions is the mind’s way of insisting you did nothing wrong.”
The truth knifes me in the ribs. He’sright. Only after I killed Gérard did I realize that my actions were wrong. The shame and guilt are tolerable because Claire showed me I could atone. Half-baked Immortals who manipulated an entire kingdom for over seventeen centuries will never acknowledge their wrongdoing. The weight of that shame would demolish their psyches.
But it won’t demolish mine. I will atone for the dragons I killed.
Lucy whimpers and licks Claire’s cheek as if begging her to wake up. No response. Not even a twitch of her brow.
“How does this end for her?” I ask, throat thick.
“Wait here for morning.” Noctu leans forward. “When the suns eclipse, her dragon form will melt my prison. I will Ascend. Then I shall revoke my magic from my captors and let their bodies wither.”
“Dragon fire won’t kill you?”
The corner of Noctu’s mouth lifts. “Destruction of my body is merely one way to Ascend.”
“And Claire? What happens to her once you’re gone?”
“The purpose of Diu’s curse will end. She will become human again.”
My lungs push out every bit of air I’ve been holding. “You said there was no cure.”
“There is not. Dragons never needed one.”
This isn’t the solution I imagined, but the result is the same. Claire’s future lies in her completing the task Diu imposed on her. In other words, the magic needs to run its course.
Laughing, I kiss Claire’s forehead. All she has to do is follow her instincts and free Noctu. After this Ignition, she’ll never turn again. No dragon will.
“A warning, Abel Estellio.”
I tense.
“My fanatics,” he goes on, “have lived multiple lifespans. They are expert strategists. They know when to cut their losses and change their tactics.”
“Based on the supply caches the gendarmes found, they don’t have access to the weapons necessary to kill Claire’s dragon form. The rest of us can hide until she frees you.”
“Moonmetal is the least of your concerns. You underestimate their resources.”
Dread ices my stomach. “How far is their reach?”
“Further than you can fathom. They’ve infiltrated many powerful corners of society to keep the truth buried. The Church. The banks. The printing press.”
“The slayer archives?”
“Further than that. They founded the Slayers Guild.”
I nearly knock over the lantern.“What?”
“You heard me correctly,” he says. “The Immortals are the original dragon slayers.”
Imagine what horrors the Immortals must’ve inflicted on the realm without the threat of consequences. Justimagine.
—Sermon onThe Tale of Stars (L’Histoire des Étoiles), Part II: The Book of Dark Days
Chapter Forty-Five
Abel
A stalactitedrip-drip-drips.
