Maddox stepped in before anyone else could speak, his voice calm and measured. The peacekeeper, as always.
“We need a plan,” he said. “But first, let’s establish where we actually stand.” He ticked points off on his fingers. “We dealt a significant blow to Arik at the training camp. We freed the people of the Autumn Court. Tank carries the Spring Court magic. I carry the Summer Court magic now.” He touched the marks on his arm without seeming to realise he was doing it. “And Alyssa is growing stronger every day.”
He looked around at all of us.
“So what do we need to do next?” Maddox asked.
“Kill the nightmare and free Damon,” Dean said immediately.
“Claim the remaining court magic,” Tank added.
We all looked at him in surprise. Tank wasn’t usually the one to suggest aggressive action.
He shrugged, his expression unreadable. “It seems to be the direction we’re heading. Four brothers, four courts. That’s not a coincidence.”
I looked at Fizzle. “Is he right? Is that what we need to do?”
Fizzle hesitated, then nodded slowly. “The courts were created to be united under one ruler. The magic was always meant to be joined together. If you want to defeat Arik, you’ll need to claim all four court lines… and possibly the Fifth as well.”
“So we need to go to the Autumn Court,” I said, thinking out loud. “Claim that magic before Arik can. Then take the Winter Court from him.”
“It’s not that simple,” Fizzle said. “Going after Winter means facing Arik directly. You’re not ready for that. Not yet.”
“Then we start with Autumn,” Dean said. “Build our strength.”
“You can’t claim the Autumn Court through bloodline,” Fizzle said quietly. “There is no heir left.”
That brought us all up short.
“You mentioned that before,” Maddox said. “What happened to the royal family?”
“They’re gone. But not because of Arik.” Fizzle’s wings drooped. “When they saw what was coming, they understood that Arik would take their court and drain its magic like he’d tried to drain the Spring Court. They made a choice. They returned their magic to the land itself. Sacrificed themselves so that Arik couldn’t have it.”
“So the magic is just... gone?” I asked.
“Not gone. Returned to Nymeria. To the land.” Fizzle looked at me, and there was something strange in his expression. Something that made my stomach drop. “The Autumn throne is empty, but the magic remains. To claim it, someone must face the court’s Guardian. And prove themselves worthy.”
The way he was looking at me...
“The Guardian,” Alyssa repeated slowly. “If we’re going to the Fifth Court anyway,” Alyssa continued, “maybe we can find the Autumn Guardian there. You said the Guardians gathered to witness my creation. Maybe they can be gathered again.”
“Perhaps,” Fizzle allowed.
Dean’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying that Ryder is supposed to face this Guardian?”
No one said anything. But everyone was looking at me.
Of course it was me. My storm magic. My connection to wind and lightning and the wild, unpredictable fury of autumn tempests. Dean was so clearly linked to Winter that it couldn’t be him and there was no one else left.
“Ryder will have to face the Guardian,” Alyssa said softly, confirming what we already knew. “His magic aligns with the Autumn Court.”
“At least if we’re travelling to the Fifth Court, it’ll give him time to grow stronger,” Dean added. “Train. Prepare.”
I hadn’t thought of that. Hadn’t thought of any of this. The reality of it was just starting to sink in, cold and heavy in my gut.
I had to face a Guardian. A being powerful enough to protect an entire court’s worth of magic. A being that had watched over the Autumn line for centuries, that had witnessed the royal family sacrifice themselves rather than let their power fall into the wrong hands.
There was no way I was strong enough for that.
