Page 64 of Forgotten Monsters
“All the phoenix’s magic will drain from the world, yes. Vampires, mermaids, and shifters will become mortal. Witches will no longer command the elements.”
I sink my nails inside my palms. “And Fae?”
“Will be left untouched, for their magic has different roots. Your infernal magic, and ours, will also remain.”
Still…the thought of going home to a magic-less realm, and being the one to make that humongous choice for all these people…
I want to save Flynn, but at what cost?
Amalthea leans closer. “There is another option. You could also…claim the Aegis and wear the crown. Become the Earthly King.”
“You mean queen.”
“The wordKinghas much more to do with the mystique of magic than gender. You’re married to the Seelie King, are you not? But you can’t access the well of ancient power that inhabits him. Only he has melded with the Hawthorn, not you. This is similar. Being King is genderless.”
I inch forward to touch the crown of bones, my hand trembling.
“If you claim the Aegis, you will be able to touch the hollows. You’re young and strong, so you might be able to catch and destroy them all if you made it your life work.”
Flakes of dust and ash crumble to the floor as I rub down the legendary crown. The vibrations in the rock still, as though the earth is actually holding its breath. “If I wear this, will I be able to save my friend?”
“I do not know for sure, but I do know that once you wear that crown, you won’t be able to change your mind. Once it melds with you, the only way to remove it from your head will be death.”
“No pressure, right?” I chuckle darkly. Resentment builds in my belly, a boulder pressing on my diaphragm. “Why didn’t you claim the Aegis or destroy it a long time ago?”
“I’m a unicorn. We are gatekeepers, not warriors—and certainly not kings.”
A strangled sob bubbles up my windpipe. “I don’t want that burden, either.”
“You are the phoenix. That can’t be helped. You were the one meant to find this crown.”
The thin circlet of bones is heavy in my grip, and I screw my lids shut.
To kill or not to kill the magic...
To access a level of power similar to that of the Fae King but condemn myself to a life-long monster hunt, or go for the quicker, straightforward option, and make a choice most people will forever hate me for.
In front of the shattered mirror, I lower the crown over my head, and the brittle bones sink into my skull like wolf’s teeth. Static electricity spikes in my hair, and flames engulf me until I’m a living flame.
I was never the one to take the easy way out, and I never lacked ambition. For better or worse, I am King.
24
RISEN
When I return to consciousness, I pat my head in search of the crown but find only a tangle of red-orange curls. Running my fingers through them, I feel an almost imperceptible circular ridge in my skull.
What the fuck? Did the bones of the phoenix actually meld with mine?
No wonder Amalthea said the crown couldn’t be removed without killing me first.
The unicorn is gone, along with the statue of the Earthly King. I stagger to my feet and hurry out the rusted door, praying to all the gods that this won’t be another cruel time-jump.
To my extreme relief, Cole is right outside waiting for me.
He paces up and down the space immediately in front of the veil of hollows, seething. “You shouldn’t have gone in there without—”
The Fae King squints as I meet his gaze, and my lips curl up in a snarl. Liquid fire covers my palms, the instinct to strike him down imperious. I breathe through the urge to fight my husband to the death, the power inside me crying out for revenge.
