Did she or did she not?
She said that I must be the one to try, to set things into motion.
Thats not a guarantee of success, is it?
No. But we will never accomplish anything worthwhile in life if we require the guarantee of success at the onset.
His audacity took her breath away. Compared to him, she had lived on the smallest scale, concerned only with the well-being of herself and Master Haywood. While he, who could have led a life of unimaginable luxury and privilege, was willing to give it all up for the sake of the greater good.
What is my part in your plan?
I need you, he said simply. Only with a great elemental mage by my side will I have a prayer of a chance.
When shed been a child, enthralled by her reading of The Lives and Deeds of Great Elemental Mages , shed wondered what it would be like for her own powers to grow to such fearsome immensity, to hold the fate of entire realms in the palm of her hand. Listening to him, she felt a stirring of that old excitement, that electric charge of limitless possibilities.
Are you really sure I am that great elemental mage?
His gaze was unwavering.
Yes.
If he was convinced, and Atlantis too, and Master Haywood so much so as to give up his memoriesshe supposed they could not all be wrong. So . . . how will we bring down the Bane?
We will have to pit ourselves against him someday.
She felt dizzy. Surely they could find some clever way of defeating the Bane from a distance.
Face-to-face? Her voice quavered.
Yes.
The froth of imagined valor in her heart dissipated, leaving behind only dregs of stark fear.
But the prince thought so highly of her. And risked so much. Shed hate for him be disappointed in her. Shed hate for her to be disappointed in her. In the four Great Adventures and all seven Grand Epics , books shed cherished as a child, this was the moment the protagonist rose to the occasion and embarked on the legendary journey. No one in the stories ever said, Thank you, but no thank you, this really isnt for me .
Yet this really wasnt for her. Thoughts of heroics might stir her soul for a minute, but no more than that. She didnt want to go anywhere near the Bane, let alone take part in some sort of match to the death.
If she were dead, shed never become a professor at the Conservatory and live on that beautiful campus again.
Besides, the Domain had long been under the shadow of Atlantis. She was used to the idea. She had no burning desire to topple the Bane and no wishunless it was to free Master Haywoodto ever cross paths with the Inquisitor.
I thoughtI thought I was here to hide, she said, hating how feeble she sounded.
You cannot hide forever from Atlantis.
She would be found one day, he meant, and must fight or die.
She wanted to muster her courage, but she might as well pluck diamonds out of thin air. Her feet felt as if they were dissolving; her lungs, as if theyd been filled with mercury.
How exactly am I supposed todefeat the Bane?
I am not sure. I have been reading about elemental magic for years, but I have yet to discover how to harness the power of a great elemental mageand only by harnessing the power of a great elemental mage can one defeat the Bane, according to my mother.
Harnessing the power of a great elemental mage . . . she echoed slowly. You mean, as the Bane does.
No, not the way he does.
Then how?
I do not know yet.
She was confused. So you are going to experiment on me?
No, I am going to experiment with you, not on you. We are in this together.
She wanted desperately to trust this boy who looked as if hed been born under the wings of the Angels, beautifully unafraid. But they were not in this together. To help him achieve his goal of altering the course of history, she would have to give up her entire purpose of survival.
And great elemental mage or not, she was no great heroine, just an ordinary girl trembling in a pair of nonmage shoes that pinched slightly at the toes.
Her desire to impress him, however, still warred with her need to save herself. PerhapsIm only supposed to help you in an advisory capacity.
She was a coward, but better cowardly than dead.
He shook his head. No, you are the most essential part.
Each word fell on her like a knife. But if I dont know what to do and you dont know what to do
I will find out, eventually. In the meantime I will train you to better channel your powers. Potential is not enough; you must achieve mastery. Only then can you face the Bane.
Her lips quivered. She could no longer deny the truth. I dont want to face the Bane.
No one does, but you cannot escape your destiny.
Did she believe in destiny, she who shamelessly curried favor with a lowly village official, just so she could stay in one place until her qualifying exams? I dont have a destiny, she said weakly.
Maybe you did not learn about it until today, but you do and you always did.
His voice was urgent, his gaze intense. Were she any kind of a dreamer, the force of his conviction would have carried her away. Im not this brave soul you think I am. I came with you because you offered sanctuary. I dont have what it takes to shoulder what you ask.