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“Come,” I whispered “Come to me”

The opening of the backpack fluttered as the four reasps frorasp, floating with the others in a slow orbit around my body I looked from my friends to the circle of witches My past, and my future I found h I had unfinished business

I couldn’t just leave it at that I kneas selfish, but walking aasn’t a proper goodbye I ordered the swords to stay at my side, so they wouldn’t be in the hen I walked up to Herald, when I grabbed him by the collar, when I kissed hiht I could taste the salt of fresh tears

“Thank you for everything you’ve done forthat you are”

He grabbed the side of round that his glasses offered hiet ’em Go save the world”

I nodded, sing thickly

Herald staggered away, his hand closing into a fist around thin air “I’ll wait for you”

My heart shattered

But it wouldn’t be the first time, nor the last time that hearts and minds and bodies would be broken by the Eldest This was the little sacrifice I had to e for the world’s safety Everyone – Hecate, Thea, Carver – always did say that the circu bond with the Dark Room were only incidental, an unhappy accident I still don’t know if I believe in fate, but I did believe in doing the right thing

And that night, in thatto do

“Every ritual demands a sacrifice,” Carver said He lifted his hands towards the circle of witches “In blood and in power Go forth, Dustin Pay your price Claim your prize”

I stared at the man who had been ht of h my teeth It was better for him not to know I scanned the faces of athered for the battle I wondered how many of them had any idea of as about to happen

Deep breath, Dustin, I toldtowards the witches, surprised to findin a slow, steady procession for the heart of the ritual circle It was instinctive, how the five blades followed led my hand one way, all five would slant sih the air, then all of them would fly in the same direction It would be so easy to cut with all five of them at once So easy to kill

I reached out to Vanitas as I walked, but he didn’t answer For ame the silent treatment, until I realized that his presence, what I normally felt in the back ofHis personality was suppressed, our psychic bond possibly severed due to the link with the four other blades Perhaps his poas in use in that sense, and he was keeping his silence even as he was helping me maintain my connection with the others

They flew in a slow orbit around reen, white, scarlet, black, and gold Vanitas, Durandal, Laevateinn, Duskfang, and the unnamed celestial sword spun aboutaround my body on an invisible axis Each blade was the spoke of a sharp, unearthly wheel, and each hungered for Agatha Black’s blood