Page 86 of Fallout

21

What happens now?

Henley

I’m not nearly as nervous as I thought I would be. Then again, we have a promise from somebody who can see the future that we’re going to be all right. It’s hard to be scared when the odds are in our favor. Even Parker is calm, which is surprising, given that Blaze and I are about to be in the same room.

King Basilicus gives the instructions for what is going to go down once we teleport. I have no job, other than the actual teleporting. Thirty people are coming with us. I’ve never teleported that many people before, so I’m a bit anxious.

I twirl a piece of hair around my finger as I watch Parker. “Do you really think I can teleport all of these people?”

Parker’s lip turns up in one corner. “Did you not hear King Basilicus’s speech? You’re a warrior, Henley—the only supernatural stronger than a dragon shifter. Yes, you can teleport all these people.” He leans over and kisses me on the forehead.

All of my protests vanish at his words.

Parker believes in me. He doesn’t doubt me for even a second. At his assurance, I feel a lot better.

He’s right. I can do this.

After this is over, I’ve got to thank King Basilicus. He is, after all, the reason that we’re going to end this so swiftly. His words really reassured Parker. He’s completely chill as King Basilicus goes over the plan with everybody.

King Basilicus is the one who is going to stab Blaze—nobody argues against this. If any of us are going to have a shot at this, it’s the dragon king.

“I will warn you all.” King Basilicus clears his throat. “You may think killing a phoenix is easy after this, but there is a price to pay when a phoenix is killed. As I am a dragon shifter and I am king, I am strong enough to withstand the penalty. But if you attempt to kill a phoenix, you likely won’t survive it.”

I wonder what he’s talking about.

“When I stab the phoenix, I don’t want any of you standing within five feet of us,” King Basilicus says, making eye contact with each person in the room. “Do I make myself clear?”

Everybody nods, though I can see the curiosity in their eyes.

Now I’m wondering what will happen when Blaze is killed. Just what kind of penalty are we talking about here?

Will and Blaine both crowd closer to Parker and me.

“Are you two ready to end this?” Blaine asks.

I nod, chewing on my bottom lip.

“I’m so ready to see that phoenix taken care of for good.” Parker puts his arm around me and pulls me closer to him.

I lean into his embrace, letting him take most of my weight. “I’m just ready for this to be over.”

“So are we.” Will shifts his gaze around the group. “I’m not sure I like the idea of all these people knowing how a phoenix is killed.”

Parker shrugs. “King Basilicus is being very vague about about it’s going down. All I know is he’s using a sword. It looks like a normal sword to me. Plus, he’s talking about a price. Nobody here would use anything they learn against Henley. And if they try, they’ll have to go through me.”

I shiver at the threat in his voice.

I’m the most protected supernatural in the world. Blaze chose the wrong target.

Parker runs his hand down my arm and eventually settles it on the small of my back. “Are you ready, Henley?”

I nod. “I want to be free from Blaze. And once he’s taken care of, you won’t have to spend so much time patrolling.”

Parker grins. “We’ll be spending a lot of time together. We have a wedding to plan.”

My heart stutters at the mention of a wedding.