Page 18 of Barbi and the Villain

Willy gets me my own horse, and I thank the heavens I was inspired to take riding lessons when I was younger. But if Lady Jocelyn did something, I did it too.

Except magic.

Unfortunately, that is something I lack.

I easily slide into the saddle, ready to begin the journey to Kiya and hopefully see some plague-free sights on my way there. PomPom takes her place in front of me, and I hold on to her with one hand while gripping onto the reins with the other.

But just as we’re about to leave, the sky blackens before it bleeds, drops of blood falling instead of rain.

I expect everyone to take shelter, but instead, they all rejoice, dancing up and down and hugging each other as if it’s the most holy of events.

“What’s happening?”

I look down at Willy. He’s unmoving. His head is tipped back, his mouth open as he tastes the red blood drops on his tongue.

His eyes slowly open, for a moment shining a deep red.

“It is done,” he says in a thick voice that echoes as the other soldiers repeat the same words, verbatim.

“What is done? What’s happening?”

“The Dark One has been defeated,” he states robotically, almost as if he were in a trance.

The other soldiers start chanting as they raise their swords to the sky.

“The Dark One has been defeated. The Dark One has been defeated.”

In a matter of seconds, the sky clears.

Turning to me, Willy smiles brightly.

“Sir Damien has defeated the Dark One. It is done!”

I frown. This doesn’t make sense.

“The plague will finally end,” Willy gushes, tears of happiness falling down his cheeks.

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t know?” he asks, surprised.

I shake my head.

“The Dark One caused the plague. And now Sir Damien will find a cure and save us all!”

But that is impossible. According to the books, Sir Damien defeated the Dark One long before the plague. That battle was in the sixth book, which we were supposed to enact for the convention.

The Dark One can’t have caused the plague because he should already be dead.

4

We travel for half a day on horseback. My thighs hurt from being in the saddle too long. Despite my former training, I don’t have the stamina for it.

Willy, seeing my struggle, calls out to the leader, who I now know is called Ivan.

“She’s a lady, sir. She can’t ride like us.”

I give Willy a brilliant smile.

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