Page 17 of Three Scorched Kingdoms

“We’ll have to go back and face Constantine eventually,” she reminds me.

“Will we?” I ask, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

“Aries.” Paige sits up, frowning down at me. “You can’t be serious.”

“Think about it,” I say earnestly. “We have my book, which means he can’t get to us. To you. What if we just left it at that?”

She sits up, her hair tumbling over her shoulders. “He’s violating the library’s most sacred purpose,” she argues, her voice rising. “He’s taking what he wants from each world those books contain and destroying lives in the process. Just like he did to my world all those years ago.”

Her voice cracks, nearly breaking.

“Tell me what happened,” I say. “When you were gone with Oliver.”

She hesitates, her fear written across her expression now.

“Paige, whatever it is, we can face it. Together.”

She finally nods. “In that portal, I saw my home. The world I was born in,” she adds before I can ask the question. “I sawmy parents. Our village. It was a whole life, and it was beautiful. Filled with love. And hope. And then Constantine came.”

“You saw his destruction,” I say grimly.

“Yes, but not just that. When he was finished destroying, I watched myself… recreate it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Constantine said my magic was the stardust of creation itself. I didn’t understand at first, but in that memory, I watched myself recreate everything about my world—everything but the people I loved within it.”

I soften at the way her voice cracks with grief.

“I replaced every single home and hearth and blade of grass that had been there before. But I can’t bring back people.” Her grief turns to frustration as she says, “What good is all this power if I can’t save anyone with it?”

“You’ve saved us all,” I remind her. “You found a way to get us out before he could hurt anyone else.”

“I couldn’t save Hoc,” she says sadly.

“Hoc did what he did to saveyou.”

“Yeah,” she whispers half-heartedly. “Maybe you’re right.” She looks up at me, eyes shining. “I still can’t believe Constantine was always there. In the library. That he’s been feeding on my magic all these years.” Anguish contorts her expression. “It’s my fault he’s this strong now. It’s my fault he?—”

“Whoa, hold on. If you hadn’t conjured me, I might never have found my way to you.” Her glistening eyes find mine, hope shining in them like desperation. “I don’t regret a single second of being with you, Paige. Constantine’s actions are his responsibility, not yours. Don’t lay blame where it’s not deserved.”

“I don’t regret you either,” she tells me. “But don’t you understand why I have to go back and finish this?”

“Yes.” I reach for her, pulling her into my arms and holding her tight—as if this moment of closeness might somehow protect her from the danger that waits for us down the line. “I do understand. I just want to protect you from being hurt again.”

She nestles closer, but she doesn’t give in. “I appreciate that, but we can’t hide. Eventually, he’ll become powerful enough that he won’t need the book to portal here.” She pauses and then says, “He’ll come for me, Aries. I can’t explain how I know it, but I do. He won’t stop until he’s drained me for good.”

She’s right, of course.

Doesn’t mean I like it.

“I would never let that happen,” I snarl, tightening my grip on her and shoving aside the thought of her being harmed. Exhaling, I add, “You’re right. He must be stopped, and the library must be restored. But let’s focus on one war at a time. If we don’t, we risk yet another lost world and nothing left in either one to save.”

5

PAIGE

Rivers of blood flow behind my eyelids until this beautiful land is painted with it. Though, I can’t tell whether it’s the army of orcs who stain the soil—or the army of Astronia’s king. The uncertainty leaves me shaken, and I jolt awake.

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