The Nightmare Dilemma

33 The Naming

“Let’s go.” Selene grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the hall. I didn’t protest. I was too afraid to admit that I didn’t know the sword’s name, that I wouldn’t be able to command it the way that Marrow had. But I had to try. This was our only chance.

“I’m coming, too,” Eli said, falling in step beside us.

I glanced back at Paul, expecting him to say the same, but he looked ready to collapse.

“I won’t be any help to you, Dusty.”

I turned and touched his hand. “I understand. Do what you can here.”

He nodded, swallowing. “I guess it’s your turn to promise to stay alive.”

I exhaled, my emotions threatening to choke me. “I will.”

Then I turned away from him, hoping with all my heart that it was a promise I could keep.

I broke into a run, Eli and Selene keeping pace beside me. The going was hard as the ground continued to tremble beneath our feet, almost rocking back and forth as if the island were nothing but a massive ship in a turbulent sea.

But we made it eventually, at last climbing our way back through the rubble of the pavilion.

“Does anybody know how to get to the tower?” I said, scaling a huge boulder and jumping down on the other side.

Eli blasted a massive chunk of rock away from the nearest door. “There’s a main staircase. That’s our best bet as long as we can get through.”

“We’ll manage,” Selene said as she squeezed through the door.

I followed after her with Eli coming behind me. Then he led the way to the staircase off to the left of the main doors into the meeting hall. A pile of debris obscured the entrance. I raised my hand, ready to blast it, but Eli stopped me.

“We can’t do that in here. You might bring the whole place down.”

“Then how do we get past?”

He pointed the talking stick, which already I was beginning to think of as his wand and he as a master magician. “Ana-acro.” The top layer of debris rose into the air and then out of the entrance at Eli’s command. In seconds, he’d cleared enough for us to crawl through.

“I’ve got to admit,” Selene said as she watched Eli slide through the rubble and mount the stairs. “I’m impressed.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been practicing a long time.”

Despite all the destruction around us, I could sense Eli’s underlying happiness at finally coming into his power. I just hoped we lived long enough for him to enjoy it.

The journey up the stairs became something close to mountain climbing. We used the hoist spell to clear a path where there was room, but too often we had to claw and scrape and shimmy our way through the wreckage.

By the time we reached the top, my knuckles were bleeding from dozens of nicks, and a thick layer of dust was plastered to every inch of me, outside and in, it seemed. I couldn’t draw a full breath without coughing.

The door leading onto the lower roof of the hall wouldn’t budge when we pushed against it, forcing us to blast it open with magic. A frightening rumble rose up the stairwell when we did, and we dashed out onto the roof. Right away, I slid to a stop before I tumbled through a hole.

“Everybody walk really easy up here,” Eli said.

“No kidding.” Selene brushed hair out of her face. It wasn’t black anymore but gray with dust.

I bit my lip, my gaze fixed on the watchtower standing more than fifty feet away. An open staircase wrapped around the edge of it, but it looked intact. If I could just reach it.

I glanced at Selene and Eli. “You two stay here. There’s no reason for all of us to risk walking over this floor.”

Eli shook his head. “No way.”

“Yeah, I’m with him.” Selene pointed a thumb at Eli.

“But Lady Elaine said only I could use the sword. So I don’t need you up there.”

Eli scoffed. “You don’t know that, Dusty. You have no idea what you might find. We’re staying with you and that’s final. Now stop wasting time.”

He turned and started forward, leaving me no choice. We made it a few steps, but then a part of the roof dropped out right in between Eli and me. He jumped forward while I clambered back, both of us just barely avoiding a fall.

Selene grabbed my arm to steady me. “We need to spread out as much as we can to lighten the strain.”

“Good idea,” Eli said, and he moved off to the right. I stayed in the middle while Selene went left.

Crossing the floor soon became like a trip through the Gauntlet in gym class.

The next hole that opened up in front of me appeared faster than the first, but it was small enough so I jumped over it. Two steps later another hole appeared, this one four times the size of the last. I jumped it anyway, and halfway through the arc, I cast the gliding spell. Magic slid beneath my heels like ice, propelling me forward.

As I landed, a tremor went through the entire island itself, turning the tower into a giant funhouse floor. I staggered forward, fighting to stay upright.

To my left Selene cried out as her entire leg fell through a hole. Eli turned, pointed his wand, and shouted, “Ana-acro.”

“Don’t!” I screamed, but it was too late.

The spell reached Selene and hoisted her into the air, but only for a second before breaking. It didn’t work properly on living flesh.

Selene tumbled, landing hard. I held back a scream as the roof beneath her began to collapse. I reached out with my mind-magic to hold the surface together long enough for her to roll forward, out of danger.

“I’m sorry, Selene,” Eli shouted. “Are you okay?”

She made an indistinguishable noise that might’ve been relief or pain. But then she got to her feet. “I’m okay. Just … just don’t do that again.”

“Right. Never again.” Eli wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his shirtsleeve.

We moved on, finally reaching the foot of the steps a short while later. This time I led. All three of us understood that was the way it should be. As I climbed the first step, my heart thudded against my chest, not quickening, just beating harder as if to steady me for what lay ahead.

The going was easier than it had been on the roof, but far scarier. Every time the ground shook, I had to stop walking and press my back against the side of the tower, praying I didn’t tumble over the edge or that the stairs didn’t crumble away. It seemed we’d been at this for hours, but I knew it had only been minutes. We were high enough that I could see the entire inner island. Most of the bridges had been destroyed, and the fissures marked the island like giant pockmarks in the earth, still spewing forth rock and fire and water.

As we rounded the other side, climbing higher, I spotted the first hole in the stairs. It wasn’t large, only about two feet. I jumped it easily, but the next one was larger by at least a foot. I reared back ready to go for it, but lost my nerve at the last second.

“I’ll go first,” Eli said. “Then I can help you from the other side.” He squeezed past Selene and then me, his hand lingering on my arm for a moment. Then he leaped across, making it look effortless. Selene went next without needing help. Then I went, falling an inch short. My knees struck the edge, and I started to slide. Eli grabbed my wrists, catching me. Then he reared back and hauled me up. For a second as I regained my feet I thought I might pass out from the terror of it. But I shook it off, and we pressed on.

We didn’t come across any more gaps as bad as that until we were almost at the very top. I came to a stop and stared out at the open space between me and the last of the staircase. It had to be fifteen feet at least—impossible to jump across. And none of us knew any spells that would get us over it.

I slumped against the wall, defeat overtaking me at last. I was too exhausted to cry. We’d come so close but could go no farther.

Behind me, I heard Eli swearing under his breath, but Selene moved past me, all the way to the edge. She stared at the gap, an odd expression on her face.

“Don’t bother,” I said, trying to keep the bitterness from my voice. “There’s no way any of us can jump that.”

“Dusty’s right,” Eli said. “The best we can do now is head down and try to get off the island before it sinks.”

Selene didn’t seem to have heard either of us. She stared at the gap a little longer and then tilted her head up, examining the sky.

I touched her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

Selene slowly turned around and faced me, her eyes ablaze with something like excitement. “I can do it.”

I exhaled. “No you can’t. That would be suicide.”

She shook her head. “I can fly us across.”

It slowly dawned on me—Selene was a siren, and sirens had wings. “But how?” I said. “You’ve never flown before. It was restricted by The Will.” No magickind was permitted to fly. It was too easy for ordinaries to spot, too risky.

She nodded. “It was restricted by The Will, but not anymore. And I’ve been practicing, building up strength.”

“You’ve been wh—” I broke off as the answer came to me.

“That’s why I’ve been sneaking out at night,” Selene said, knowing my thoughts. “Me and a couple of the other sirens have been teaching ourselves how to fly. It’s been hard, and I can’t do it for more than a couple of minutes, but I’m a lot better than I was.”

It was incredible, and yet it all made sense—her need to be out at night, to wear dark clothes, even her inexplicable fall into the bushes at Coleville. She hadn’t been walking and stumbled at all.

“You’ve got to understand what it’s like, Dusty,” Selene went on. “All my life I’ve been denied this part of myself. It was wrong. So wrong. And when we were fighting Marrow and the Black Phoenix, I could’ve done so much more if my ability to fly hadn’t been stunted. I swore after that night it would never happen again.”

“Why are you apologizing?” I said. Selene stuttered, and I reached out and hugged her hard enough she gasped. “It’s wonderful. And I’m so jealous and—”

Eli cleared his throat. “Can we save the girl moment for later? Like after we save the world? We’re kind of in a hurry here.”

Selene and I shared a grin.

“Right,” I said. “How do we do this?”

“Hang on a second.” Eli touched Selene’s arm, drawing her attention. “Are you sure your wings can handle the extra weight?”

Selene exhaled. “No, but I think I can. For that short of a distance anyhow.”

My heart plummeted into my knees. She didn’t know, and if she was wrong, I would fall to my death.

Eli started to say something, but I shushed him, afraid he would insist that we not do it. That wasn’t an option. Saving those people was worth the risk. I took Selene’s hand and squeezed. “I believe you can do it.”

Selene smiled. “Okay, stand back.”

I pressed against the side of the tower and waited, my eyes fixed on my best friend. She spread her hands wide, and there was an odd ripping sound, though not of fabric. I watched with my mouth open as wings—as black and shiny as her hair—grew out from her back, narrow at first and then fanning out to their full size. I realized, almost belatedly, that the holes sewn into her jacket were there for this very purpose.

Once her wings were fully expanded, Selene waved me over to her. I did so, trying to keep my limbs from shaking. Her wings were enormous, but I knew that didn’t mean they were strong enough to bear my weight. I did my best not to think about it.

“Stand in front of me,” Selene said. “And help me hold on.” She wrapped her arms beneath mine as I moved before her. “We’ll be back, Eli.” For a second, the confidence in her voice bolstered my own. But then she pushed me to the edge—and jumped.

We plummeted downward, Selene’s wings arching high above us. I bit back a scream, certain this was it, that we would keep falling, at least until Selene let go of me to save herself. But then her wings swooped down hard, beating the air. A rush of wind lifted us up, and we soared forward. She didn’t deposit me on the other side of the stairs as I’d expected, but let the momentum of that one stroke carry us all the way to the top of the tower.

The moment we reached it, her wings gave out, and we fell, hitting the stone hard. I sucked in a painful breath and rolled over, glad that Selene had landed to the side of me rather than on top.

Selene pushed herself up with the help of her wings. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But that landing needs work,” I said getting to my feet.

She giggled, but my own humor—more of a statement of relief—vanished as I caught sight of the stone plinth set dead center of the tower.

My heart slammed against my breastbone as I stared at it. It looked exactly like the dream, and yet nothing like it at all. There were no letters engraved on its side, and out of its top rose the hilt of The Will sword, its blade buried a foot deep in the stone of the plinth.

B E L L A N A

B E L L A N A

B E L L A N A

The name sounded over and over inside my head, but it was wrong, incomplete.

Even still, the same pull I felt toward the plinth in my dreams came over me now. Only I realized it had never been the plinth calling to me at all. It had been the sword. Always.

I walked toward it, each step heavy and hard as if some unseen force wanted to keep me from it. But it wouldn’t work. That sword was meant for me, and I for it. I knew it as surely as I knew my own name, my own mind.

I stopped in front of it and placed both hands on the bone hilt.

Say my name, a voice that did not belong to my psyche spoke in my mind.

I don’t know it.

Say my name.

I don’t know it.

Yes, you do. You’ve always known.

B E L L A N A

I grabbed the hilt and pulled upward as hard as I could. It wouldn’t move.

Say it!

I don’t— The thought stopped in my head, giving way to a sudden vision of the dream. I saw the stone plinth again, saw the letters engraved on its surface. All the letters. The sword itself was showing it to me straight into my mind as artfully as the most gifted psychic.

B E L L A N A X

Bellanax.

The moment I thought it, the bone hilt began to warm in my hand. Then a bright light, a mixture of purple and gold, spread down from the hilt, over the runes, and into the stone plinth itself. A second later the stone cracked down the center, and the sword came free.

I held it up, struggling with its weight. But even as I watched, that golden, purplish light enveloped the sword, shrinking it, making it lighter, until the sword was the perfect weight and size for me, an extension of my arm rather than some magical object made of steel.

Bellanax. The true name of Excalibur, the sword of power.

And now it was mine.

“Come on, Dusty.”

Selene’s voice barely registered in my mind. How long had I been standing here? It seemed a thousand years or more, as many years as the sword itself had known. It was ancient, the oldest thing I had ever touched.

Go, a voice said in my mind, and I obeyed, turning toward Selene. She eyed me with open worry, her gaze lingering on the blade. I ignored it and walked to the edge, clutching Bellanax with both hands. Selene stepped behind me and threaded her arms through mine. I couldn’t hold on to her this time. But that was all right. With the sword of power in my grasp, we would be fine.

“I should be able to glide us all the way down to the roof,” Selene said.

“Okay.” I could see Eli below us, and I pointed at him and then down. He nodded and turned to begin his descent.

No fear touched me as Selene pushed me off the edge this time. We glided down as light as feathers, and I landed easily on my feet. I didn’t hesitate but started making my way across the roof, leaping the holes effortlessly and with a grace I’d never known before. Somewhere in the far corner of my mind, I knew that I was no longer fully in control, that the sword, that Bellanax, had taken control, at least on a physical level. But that was all right. The sword was wise. The sword was powerful. It would see us through.

I was barely aware of the journey down the next set of stairs. Eli and Selene were somewhere behind me, moving much slower than I was. Soon I had reached the ruined pavilion. Then I was across it and running at full speed over the lawn toward the burning pyre in the distance. With the sword in my hand, I felt like I was flying.

But before I reached the pyre, a violent tremble shook the ground, and I stumbled. By the time I regained my footing, the first split had appeared in the earth’s surface. Screams broke out as the people standing near the pyre began to flee. The fissure was growing, spreading like a wound. The sight of it terrified me to my core, but fear didn’t touch me, not really. All thought fled my mind as instinct took over, and I sped up.

Before me, the fissure was an open, gaping mouth, spewing out flames. I didn’t slow, not even for a second. I kept running, and when I reached the edge—I jumped.

The fire enveloped me, flames licking along my skin, leaving behind a trail of pain. But only for a moment. Then something rose up around me, protecting me from the fire. Magic. Magic like I’d never known before.

Holding my eyes closed, I fell blind. Something other than gravity pulled me down. It was as if the sword in my hands was drawn to the power flooding out of the Telluric Rod like a magnet of opposite charge. Energy flooded through me, setting my entire body afire. It was coming through my hands from the sword. I needed to let go before it burned me up, but I couldn’t. I had to hold on to save those people, to save the island.

So I gripped harder, holding on even as my consciousness slipped away, even as I felt myself dying.