Long before I died in Detroit, I had a friend named Felicity. We suffered through middle school and high school together.

She wasn’t exactly popular, but guys always wanted to date her for some reason.

She would date a guy for a few months, or sometimes a few weeks. When she was dating one, whenever we hung out, the guy would be there.

And it was different. I wasn’t her friend anymore. I was a background fixture.

They’d go to his car or to her bedroom and leave me alone. And I would sit by myself and wait for them to come back.

Eventually, Felicity had a nasty breakup. We were in high school at the time.

I remember the panicked phone call. I’d come on my bicycle, rushing to Franklin Park.

She was outside his place. He was in his car, shouting at her. I don’t remember what I was planning to do.

The moment I hit the driveway, the car switched into reverse.

I don’t remember anything else but the sound of metal and screaming. It could’ve been the brakes. It could’ve been Felicity. But it wasn’t me.

My arm was broken. I remember being angry. My dad didn’t want me hanging out with Felicity after that.

It wasn’t fair. She hadn’t done anything wrong. It was all that boy. A few years later she went missing, right before the ice came.

That boy moved out the same month.

They found her in the lake. She’d been buried under the ice for months.

They said she drowned. I knew better.

I thought about him a lot. About the life he was probably having. Out there with Felicity’s blood on his hands. And I feel as though I should have been able to do something.

I feel her now. For some reason.

While I watched those women torture Tatiana, I felt that same weakness. The inability to act.

Dark opens like a sheet falling away as Tatiana’s room appears. She’s curled into Brevard’s chest, held up by his arms.

Apparently, Brevard can travel through shadows. I suppose that helps with his sneaking around.

Povenna mentioned him having a talent for ‘cloaking.’ I wonder if that means she can’t detect his spells.

I also wonder if Brevard is going to mention that Tatiana’s eyes are brown now. He’d noticed them being blue the last time he was here.

The skirt and blouse Tatiana had picked out sit abandoned on the bed.

“We have to make it to supper,” Tatiana moans as he approaches the bed. Her lips taste like blood and her jaw aches.

“I think it’s too late,” Brevard says, setting her onto her clothes. “We have to fix your mouth. Your mother will ask questions if she sees.”

“How bad is it?” She asks, turning over. The cloak moves like a blanket around her.

“Your lips are busted,” he says, crouching by the bed. “I’ll try to close the wounds. I’m not very talented at healing magic, though. You know this.”

“After all this time,” she turns away from Brevard, plucking at the cloak. She watches him from the corner of her eye.

Brevard raises his chin.

“You still leap through my window,” Tatiana says. “What would you have done if you’d found me with another man in here? Or Zaphenne for that matter.”

Brevard smiles for some reason, and I feel Tatiana’s lips twitch.

“You want to discuss this now?” he asks.

Tatiana says nothing. She watches his expression soften.

“Well,” Brevard folds his arms, his tunic shifting. “If I know you as well as I think I do, this conceptual man is likely disappointing you. So I suppose I would have to take over for him.”

“Hm.”

“And Zaphenne,” Brevard adds, looking away. “I suppose there's nothing I can do about that. The girl seems competent.”

Tatiana laughs dryly.

“Tell me you missed me,” she says, her tone stiffer.

“Of course,” Brevard says. “More than you would like to think.”

“I wasn’t allowed to write you letters,” she says, touching her lips. “I assume you heard about Kann.”

Brevard nods.

“Our fathers kept me very informed.”

“Of course.” Tatiana laughs dryly. “What sort of world is this? You might as well marry my father.”

“I would sooner marry a cow.”

Tatiana doesn’t seem amused.

“Fourteen months,” she says. “It feels like I’m an entirely different person than when you left, Brevard.”

“If that is true…” Brevard reaches out, tracing her lips with his thumb. “I suppose I’ll have to fall in love with you all over again.”

Tatiana groans.

Heat moves along her lips where he touched. The skin moves slightly. Tatiana presses them together, wincing as it happens.

Tatiana doesn’t seem concerned about his magic alerting Povenna. Maybe he does have a way to conceal it.

“You speak like a flower,” she says. “Talk to me like a man.”

Brevard laughs. His hand moves to her cheek, and she leans into the touch.

“I am speaking like a man,” he says. “A flower knows nothing of the months I've waited to see that anger in your eyes.”

Tatiana meets his eyes, pressing her lips carefully together. The skin is still tender, and the taste of blood lingers on her tongue.

“Besides,” Brevard adds, thumbing her cheekbone. “Maya O'Hagan is my sister. I'm quite sure it's in my blood.”

“You said it would take a month,” she says, taking his wrist and pressing her lips into his palm.

“I know. But…” Brevard raises his chin. “It was hard. It took a while to even get them to talk to us.”

“You found them?” Tatiana asks. “The orcs?”

Brevard nods.

“Of course,” he says. “I wouldn’t have been able to show my face to you if I had failed.”

Orcs? I hadn’t even considered the possibility of such things just ‘existing’ here.

“You told our families that you were searching for a way to travel between realms,” Tatiana says, her voice still scratchy. “But you were actually helping me attempt a connection with the rumored remnants of the orcs.”

Brevard stares at her.

Tatiana tries to clear her throat, wincing again.

I realize Tatiana is attempting to fill me in on what they’re talking about. She’s just doing it in the most painfully unsubtle way imaginable.

I wonder if it’s because I started asking more questions back in the bath. Now she that she knows I’m invested, she’s trying to keep me informed.

‘I get it,’ I say quietly. ‘It's fine, Tatiana. Quit trying to talk so much.’

“Yes,” Brevard says slowly. “I’m aware.”

“Well?” Tatiana snaps, earning a scoff.

“They’re in the mountains,” he says. “A few villages. There are likely more out in the valley. But you were right. They aren’t what your father said. At least, these orcs aren’t.”

Tatiana leans forward.

“My father claimed that orcs were predisposed to violence,” she says, through a wheeze. “There used to be war parties roaming these lands when he was young. But I have to imagine an entire race can’t be held responsible for a single faction’s violence.”

“Right…” Brevard purses his lips. “I’m aware of that, too.”

‘Tatiana,’ I insist. ‘It’s fine, really. You can tell me about it later.’

“Are they willing to negotiate?” Tatiana asks, ignoring me.

“It’s a mixed bag,” he says, lowering his arm. “They’re good cooks, that’s for sure. I ate roasted Senella snails.”

Tatiana huffs.

“We camped a ways out of the biggest village,” Brevard goes on, ignoring her. “They approached us, gave us food and the like. They thought we were there to kill them.”

“Do they have a leader?” Tatiana asks.

“Yes.” Brevard stands. “Kauy. She’s got pink hair. I told her your potential terms. She won’t believe it unless she sees it.”

This woman is planning stuff. I wonder if she wants the orcs as support for whatever coup she has planned. Just what all is happening here?

“All we have to do is take over the realm,” Tatiana says with a little smile. “Light work.”

“There’s something else.” Brevard turns away from her, tapping his chin. “They spoke of strange… things that they’ve seen in the valley.”

“Like what?” Tatiana asks, working her jaw. “Dragons? The orcs haven’t seen dragons before?”

“‘Walking Towers,’” Brevard says, turning to her. “That’s what they call them.”

Tatiana blinks.

‘Like vehicles?’ I ask.

“What?” Tatiana blurts.

‘Um…’

“Not dragons,” Brevard says before I decide where to start. “The orcs insisted that they weren’t.”

Tatiana folds her arms and lowers her chin.

“How big?” She asks.

“They say they’re taller than any tower,” Brevard says. “Their ‘pointy heads…’” he taps his own head to emphasize. “Are visible from a days walk out.”

“That far?” Tatiana gasps.

Brevard nods.

“And at night they…” he shrugs, as though expecting to be interrupted. “They fly.”

“Alright,” Tatiana says. “That sounds like dragons… but taller.” she tests her bottom lip with her teeth, considering further. “Obscenely taller.”

“They said they weren’t dragons,” Brevard says.

“Well,” Tatiana huffs. “I don’t see how this changes anything. We can’t worry about tall dragons. Tomorrow, Selena fights.”

“Selena Grove,” Brevard says. “I heard she goes by that now.”

Tatiana groans.

“I don’t care, Brevard.” Tatiana falls backward onto the bed. “Surely, you’ll stay the night?”

‘Wait,’ I say. ‘You aren’t going to…’

Tatiana undoes the cloak, extending a hand to Brevard.

Brevard takes her hand and approaches the bed.

“Fourteen months is a long time, Brevard.” Her words are like breaths.

His eyes travel along the shape of her as she peels the cloak away. But his expression seems to darken.

“Those women,” Brevard says. “They’ve done this to you before, haven’t they?”

Tatiana frowns and lowers her hand. She doesn’t answer.

Brevard nods slightly.

“You don’t owe me an explanation,” he says, pulling his tunic over his head.

Tatiana huffs and tosses the cloak away.

“They’ve always done it,” she says as Brevard folds his tunic. He’s thinner than I would’ve guessed. I suppose it was the armor and the loose clothes.

His chest is streaked with colors. Red, green, and orange, like the piercings in his brow. They travel from his shoulders to his stomach in wide arcs.

I’m wondering what they could mean as he climbs into the bed.

‘Tatiana?’

Brevard moves over her, an arm coming down on either side.

Tatiana reaches up, her hands traveling along his muscular arms.

“They hate me,” she says. “You know that.”

Brevard nods, lowering himself onto her. His warmth seems to seep into her bones.

Tatiana wraps her arms around him and pulls. They turn until they’re on their sides.

His face sinks into her shoulder, and he lets out a groan. Tatiana places her chin on his head.

She watches the curtains billow faintly. Her hands slide up and down his back, tracing his spine.

“I don’t know how much longer I have,” Tatiana says. “It’ll probably be Yordga, in the end.”

Brevard says nothing.

“She knows everything,” Tatiana goes on. “She knows what to do. And I trust her to find an alternate path if something goes wrong.”

Brevard’s hand slips under her tunic. His warm hand sinks into her stomach.

“So…” Tatiana trails off and swallows hard. “I understand if you’ve found someone… out there.”

“Someone?” Brevard echoes into her shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play coy,” Tatiana snaps and sits up. “Another woman, Brevard. A woman who can give you children.”

Oh. That is what it is, then. What Morrigan knows and her parents don’t.

“I don’t want children,” Brevard says, pulling away from her. “I’ve told you.”

Tatiana shakes her head.

“I remember you talking about naming your daughter after Povenna,” Tatiana says. “Just to make her angry.”

Brevard laughs gently.

“That was before.”

“I’ll be twenty-three years, soon,” Tatiana says. “I believe that’s nearly maturity, don’t you?”

“The prophecy is—”

“Don’t tell me it’s wrong!” Tatiana yells, her voice going hoarse.

Brevard sits up, searching her eyes.

“I’m telling you,” Tatiana says. “That when I am gone, you won’t have to worry.”

Brevard laughs lightly.

“You’re right,” he says, lying down beside her. There’s a glint of humor in his eyes. “Because I won’t have to endure your insults any longer.”

Tatiana stares down at him, her jaw tight. Her fingers work into the sheets.

I wish I could slap him. Does he find that funny? Her impending death?

The humor does leave his face when she doesn’t respond. His faint smirk becomes a line on his face.

“If you’re killed,” Brevard says. “I won’t worry. I will likely have already been killed. I see no other way about it.”

“You speak of death so easily,” Tatiana says.

“So do you,” Brevard replies. “You’ve lived under this cloud your entire life. But can’t you see? You reached ‘maturity’ years ago. You’re an adult.”

Tatiana lies next to him.

“I think we’ve discussed it enough,” she mumbles, raising an arm. “Come back.”

Brevard scoffs and shuffles over to her. In a few moments, they’re tangled up in each other again.

“Tell me about your dream,” Tatiana says. “Please. It’s been so long.”

Brevard shifts, his arms tightening around her.

“You remember that?” He asks. “After all this time?”

“Of course.” Tatiana stretches, throwing her arm over him. “It’s your only seer dream.”

“Yordga says it sounds more like imagination than a proper vision,” Brevard says. “I’ll never be as attuned to the sights as she is.”

“It’s nice imagination,” she insists. “Besides, you wouldn’t be able to remember it so well if it weren’t a seer dream.”

I’m taken back to that strange dream I had of Tatiana in the pond. I find that I can remember it quite vividly.

He’s silent for a while. The only noise is Tatiana’s breath.

“It’s birdsong that wakes me up,” Brevard says. “That’s how I know it’ll be a good day. At least for me. I can’t understand bird talk, so they could be having their own troubles. I wouldn’t know.”

“Surely,” Tatiana says with a smile. “Birds speak nonsense.”

“I would hope so.” Brevard nuzzles into her shoulder. “Either way, I dress myself before the sun is up. I step out into this small little house. It’s nothing like home.”

He pauses, as though waiting for Tatiana to speak. She doesn’t. She closes her eyes.

“It’s got a few rooms,” Brevard goes on, and he keeps going. “There’s a window I can watch the sun rise. On the wall, I have a painting of a horse. Someone important painted it. It doesn’t matter who.

Out front, I find that my house is at the edge of this little village. It’s barely light out, but everyone is up and moving. Somehow, I’m late.

Maya isn’t there. She’s never there. She’s out somewhere, chasing the stars and carving her name into stones.

Yordga’s house is close to mine. She sits outside the door, and she tells me that the sun will come up tomorrow. I’m not sure why, but it makes me happy.”

He pauses again. his time he clears his throat. Tatiana remains silent. Her lips move against the side of his head.

“I keep going,” Brevard says. “I keep seeing people. They’re building more houses. Out of wood and brick. They’re so fast, it’s amazing.

And up ahead, there’s this bridge. On the other side, there are more houses, but they’re different. There’s less people over there. They’re all standing still and they look afraid. And—”

“Me,” Tatiana mumbles through a yawn. “I’m there.”

Brevard nods against her.

“On the bridge,” he says. “You’re wearing a golden dress. You watch the water as it flows, and I’m afraid. I don’t know why, but I have to make myself approach you.”

“Coward.”

“It’s a dream,” Brevard insists. “I’d never fear you in life.”

She nudges him with her chin.

“Keep going.”

Brevard splays his fingers against her side, walking them slowly up her ribs.

Tatiana’s breath quickens, and she moves her hands into his hair.

“I reach the bridge,” he says. “And you walk to me. You come slowly. But you keep watching that water. I call to you and you don’t look up. I’m terrified, but I keep going. It isn’t until I’m within your reach that you turn, and you look at me. And…” he trails off.

“What’s wrong?” Tatiana asks, opening her eyes.

“Your eyes,” Brevard says. “One of them is brown and one is blue.”

Tatiana makes a small noise. Something like the start of a word.

“This morning,” Brevard says. “I suppose I’ve been too distracted to mention it. But your eyes were blue. I didn’t even think to connect that to my dream.”

Oh. And here I was thinking he may have forgotten. But I doubt he could forget that disaster of an interaction.

“I first had this dream four years ago,” Brevard says. “Isn’t that strange?”

What could that possibly mean? Was it some kind of warning of my arrival? He’s mentioned this to Yordga. Is that how she’s ‘aware’ of me? Maybe it’s less direct awareness than knowledge that something has changed.

“Is that true?” Tatiana asks, sucking her lips in.

I don’t know if she’s being farcical on purpose, or if she genuinely thinks this is subtlety. Either way, she and her mother are both lacking in that department.

“It is.” Brevard hooks his arm under hers and pulls her close, his eyes meeting hers.

“I forgot about that part of the dream,” Tatiana says. “That is strange.” She presses her lips against his, mumbling nonsense into his mouth.

Brevard grips her tighter, returning the kiss.

Tatiana’s insides boil as she moves onto him, clutching his face. Is that her plan? Kiss the suspicion out of his head?

Brevard is breathless when she breaks the kiss. There’s something wild in his eyes and he’s got a stupid grin on his face. Clearly, her plan is working.

“Well.” Tatiana clears her throat, sitting on his stomach. “Like you said. The dream is mostly imagination.”

Brevard pulls her down until her face settles into his neck.

“You’re a terrible liar,” he says. “Keep your secrets, Tatiana.”

“Gladly.” The word is quiet on her lips as she hooks her arms back around him and slumps into his body.

“When you look at me,” he says, moving smoothly along. “And you have those discolored eyes. I realize that it’s up to me. I can’t explain what ‘it’ is, but I act anyway…”

Tatiana blinks, and the room seems darker.

“And all of that fear is gone. It’s just us. We’re together. The world is there, but it’s far away. Like we’re just beneath the surface of still water.

I take your hand without asking. I don’t know why I don’t ask. I just do it.”

I wonder if asking is something significant to them. If Cynthia’s torment goes as far back as childhood, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tatiana hated being touched.

Tatiana’s lips move, curling slightly. She closes her eyes. Her breaths are slow and deep.

“I hold it,” Brevard says. “And I bring it to my neck.” His words grow fainter. I wonder if Tatiana’s falling asleep. “And I wait.”

Tatiana mumbles something unintelligible.

“Yeah,” Brevard says. “That’s usually when I wake up.”

Usually. That ticks at the back of my ‘head.’ If that’s what usually happens, what else happens?

Tatiana breathes slowly. I’m not sure if she’s awake. But I’m still aware of her surroundings. I have to imagine she’s lingering on that threshold of consciousness. Did she even hear that part?

“Tatiana,” Brevard says.

Tatiana’s reply is a mumble. I don’t understand her.

“May I have your hand?”

Her hand moves lazily along his side until it finds his fingers.

Brevard takes her hand and carefully guides it to his throat. The skin is hot under her touch.

“You ask too much of me.” Brevard’s voice fades as Tatiana sinks into sleep.

The stat screen appears in the dark before me. I’m still wrapping my head around Brevard’s words.

Tatiana Malvey

Stats (38 Points available)

Strength (5/100)

Magic (13/100)

Magic Efficiency (14/100)

Defense (0/100)

Spells:

Reinforce.

Basic Guard.

Then, another pane appears beneath it.

‘You would be wise to invest more points.’

I stare at it.

‘I can’t just invest points without Tatiana,’ I say. ‘Why do you want me to?’

The second pane fades, and a new one instantly replaces it.

‘You’re running out of time.’

What?

Tatiana’s eyes snap open. I can’t tell how much time has passed. It takes me a moment to process the noise she’s hearing.

It’s like a train, slowly growing louder.

‘Tatiana?’

She rolls out of bed as the noise fades, startling Brevard.

“What is that?” He demands as her bare feet land on the floor.

Tatiana runs to the window and throws the curtains back.

The window is filled. Black ringed with green. The green grows as the black dilutes into a slit.

An eye.

Tatiana’s breath catches in her throat as the eye withdraws.

As the it moves back, I see that it’s attached to an enormous elongated head that splits into a gaping mouth.

“Tatiana!” Brevard yells. “Get away from there!”

The floor rumbles.

A cloud of smoke explodes outside the window. Golden light obscures everything.

The noise comes back, this time louder, and everything shakes.

Tatiana staggers back, and Brevard appears, catching her.

The golden light fades as the shadow recoils back, slamming into the wall of the castle. It disappears into smoke and rubble as the wall gives way.

Povenna materializes in the air outside the window, her hair whipping around her head.

Tatiana pushes away from Brevard, running to the window.

“Mother!” She yells.

Far below, rising from the smoke, is a massive head.

I couldn’t process it before, and even now my brain struggles to understand. It’s too absurd for my brain to accept.

Massive head and legs. Tail whipping through the walls of a tower as if they were paper. Jaw falling open and green eyes gleaming like beacons.

A pane appears before Povenna as the tower crumbles on the monster’s head.

‘Emissary Of The End. Tyrannosaurus Rex Demon.’