“You know I can’t do that, and you also can’t avoid it,” Maddie replied calmly. “I don’t want to worry you, but my visions were clear on the choice you were going to make. Youdon’t have much time to divert the path of destiny and make a different decision.”
“I’m not going to turn my back on the world,” Ava said harshly. “I’m going tosave us— all of us. The supernatural community is depending on me to stop the Warden’s plans, and I swear I will.”
“And what if you become just like him?” Maddie asked softly. “I don’t say this to judge you. I merely intend to warn you of what you could become, while there’s still time left?—”
“How dare you say such a thing!” Ava yelled. “I’llneverbe the Warden. I’m sorry the past is difficult for you to revisit, but I amnotwho I once was. I’m not the villain you and everyone else are making me out to be!”
“Yes. And that’s what frightens me,” Maddie whispered.
Ava gave a dramatic noise. “Whatever. This is stupid. If all that’s left is that I need to make a decision, then it’s already made. We’re getting those keys and defeating the Warden. We’ll bring this planet into the light. I won’t damn the world; I’ll save it. You’ll see I’m a good person…allof you will see. But until then, I’m out of here.”
Ava wheeled away, and I heard the sound of the elevator’s entrance to the penthousepingas she pressed a button. I got up to follow her, but Ava was in such a hurry that the doors slid shut, leaving me behind.
Oberi shifted into a phoenix. She flew to my shoulder and perched there, ruffling her feathers in concern.
A silent beat passed before I turned to Maddie. “Ava’s worried she’ll make a mistake despite her decision. I can tell. But we’ll be fine… right? I mean, the prophecy says the decision is hers alone, so as long as she decides we’re saving the world, we have this thing in the bag. That’s how these prophecies work… isn’t it?”
“Prophecies are multi-faceted and nuanced,” Maddie stated. “You’re forgetting the final piece. The decision thatyoumust make.”
My blood turned to ice. I knew my part of the prophecy even better than Ava’s. “We shouldn’t be talking about this without Ava here.”
“We must. Ava isn’t listening, so I’m reaching out to you to be rational,” Maddie begged. “If she’s not going to take this prophecy seriously,youhave to, because everything’s riding on your decisions.”
Maddie began to recite it, even as I wished she’d stop.
“A choice will be made by the twin of her soul
To save her and damn the realm
Or curse her, and save us all
A fate worse than death
Is the chosen one’s destiny.”
“That part is already over,” I replied in a hollow tone. “I made a choice when I brought her back from the Infernal Underground. She died, and I had to let her go, but it washerchoice to come back to me. Ava didn’t come back the same. I gave her up— I cursed her— just like the prophecy says. Now it’s her choice to save us, which shewill.”
“This prophecy doesn’t speak of death,” Maddie said. “It speaks ofa fate worse than death, which means your part of the prophecy has yet to be fulfilled.”
A heavy weight dropped in my stomach. My tone grew defensive as I demanded, “What exactly doesa fate worse than deathmean? Ava’s in constant, chronic pain. Isn’t that worse than floating off to a utopian afterlife somewhere?”
“You don’t believe that, Charlie. You know a life of disability is far from the worst thing that can happen to you, and sometimes, it can even be a gift. You’re just repeating something able-bodied people say, because you want to avoid the problem,” Maddie said harshly.
“But if I haven’t fulfilled my part, that means Ava’s destined to get hurt again, byme.I won’t let that happen,” I insisted.
“Your piece comesafterAva’s decision has been made, after her choice to save the world or damn it has been proclaimed,” Maddie said. “Which means you haven’t gotten that far yet— but it’s coming fast. You’ll need to be ready to make the choice when the time comes, to side with or against her.”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” I argued. “Ava’s prophecy says that the choice ishers alone. So how can any choice I make possibly get in the way of hers? If it’s true that I still have a choice to make, then the prophecies contradict one another. There’s no way to win.”
“I told you prophecies aren’t always straightforward,” Maddie reminded me. “There is much that is yet to pass that will influence the final outcome. Ava may wish to save the world today, but she can change her mind tomorrow. Whichever choice she makes will influence your final decision. I believe that Ava’s portion is a warning, an omen like all the other lines before it. It will beyouwho will determine the final outcome. If you don’t destroy her… she’s going to destroy the world, Charlie.”
Maddie’s warning grew darker. “I know my niece. She wants to do good, but she’s incapable of making the decisions she must in order to prevent damning us all. My visions aren’t always clear, but I know one thing to be absolutely true. Avaisgoing to end everything. She was always going to. The only choice that’s left to be made is if you’re going to stop her, or help her do it.”
“If you’re so certain of her choice, then why are you pushing her to do the right thing?” I asked.
“Because it can still be changed, butyoumust be the one to change her mind. You have influence over her that nobody else has. We need to stop this, because if Ava goes down the road I think she’s going to take, nothing will survive.”
“I don’t agree,” I stated harshly. “You said it yourself that the interpretation is up to the prophesied one. Well, I say the destruction is already done. Shehadto go through dying in the Infernal Underground and come out different in order to choose to save the world. It’s the only thing that makes sense. And because it’smyprophecy, I get to assign whatever interpretation I want to it. And Ava can do the same for hers. She made the decision to save us. She’s not going to turn her back on the world. She wouldn’t.”
