Ch.23

"Evander! Are you okay?"

The young man looked up‌—his expression blank, his eyes unfocused. "Yes. I .‌.‌. am fine." He turned back toward the others, staring at them all. "Please help him!"

His voice was rough, but he managed to muster enough strength to call out to them. His heart filled with joy, and for a moment he couldn't believe it. Was this really happening? His family? Here, now, at his side? And no one trying to kill him‌—no one threatening his life or the lives of his family? It seemed too good to be true.

The young mage rose to his feet, taking the book from her. She could see that they were all holding weapons in their hands, though none of them had drawn any blood. They seemed unsure what to do‌—as if they weren't sure whether it was even possible to destroy the ring.

The room remained silent as he started reading aloud the instructions within the book. He glanced toward Elestra, blinking as he looked around. He saw the flames licking at the bookshelves and walls, the air filled with smoke. But there was something else, too: an endless stream of bright blue sparks spilling from the end of the wizard's cane. He blinked in surprise as they flew all around him, but they were no longer causing harm.

He turned back toward Ardis and lowered the book, raising his free hand toward the hole in the floor. "Get the boy," he said calmly. "Take him somewhere safe‌—away from here."

Ardis stared at him in confusion. "Where?"

"Anywhere‌—" Evander stepped closer, reaching out toward her. "Please, just come with me‌—just walk away with me. My life is worthless .‌.‌. if we don't get out of here!"

She stood there, frozen‌—the boy on his shoulder, his mother and the younger girl still clinging to him. Her mind swirled with questions‌—what was he talking about‌—who did he think he was‌—what was he trying to tell her? Why wasn't she moving‌?

Then the world exploded into light.

The tower shuddered as the blue spark disappeared, vanishing like it had never been. But instead of taking back control, Evander continued to hold onto the book as he turned toward the door‌—and in an instant, they were gone.

Gone? How did I know that?

As the young mage's words played over in his head, he suddenly understood. There was only one person who knew what would happen if he opened the book, and only one person who had ever read this particular part of the ancient text before him.

Fir‌.

Suddenly, Elestra jumped to her feet, pushing the three others behind her. She held her arm over Evander's wound, stepping back as he watched them all with a blank expression. Ardis, however, stepped forward, drawing her sword.

A deep voice echoed through the room: "Perhaps you'd care to reconsider that idea, madam?"

Eyes went wide‌—they all turned toward the doorway, where Fir stood. His cloak billowed in the wind‌—a wind now flowing through the empty library‌—as he glared down at them with his hood pulled up.

Ardis stepped back again, keeping her blade between them as she stared at the daedric prince.

Evander tried to smile. "We weren't expecting company."

"Well, in that case, I hope you have a suitable explanation for your behavior. It certainly was not easy finding you‌—do you understand that?"

Elaric made a desperate motion to the rest of them, indicating to step away. Ardis took his advice and moved with her back against the wall, where the flames had already begun to burn. Elestra turned to the boy‌—but he merely held out the ring as they both stood there, watching him.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I'm not interested in your excuses, madam. All I want is an audience with the one you call the Skyhold prince. If that's agreeable to you, I will be on my way, and this matter can finally come to an end." He smiled. "By my rules, of course."

Ardis hesitated‌—she didn't like the idea of working with the man‌—but she was equally terrified. What could she do to prevent Fir from entering?

He lowered his hood‌—revealing a handsome, dark-haired face, seamed by time. The two women gasped in awe as they caught sight of his piercing eyes, his long gray beard. He looked like some kind of god.

"Is this the same Fir who brought me here?" Evander asked, staring at the old mage.

The daedric prince nodded slowly‌—then his expression changed abruptly, becoming terrifying. His mouth grew wide, forming a toothy grin as he held up the book before him. "You don't think I know every single line of every single book ever written?"

Evander gulped. "Yes .‌.‌."

His eyes went wide as the room fell silent.

And then all they heard was the sound of cracking bones.

***

Fir stepped toward them, his face now calm once more. But his hand was clenched into a fist. His blue eyes bored into Ardis as he dropped the book to the ground and bent down, retrieving it from where it had fallen. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out the door.

For the next several hours, Ardis and the others were left alone in the library. The entire place was silent except for the occasional crackling of flames. When finally Fir returned, everyone stared in surprise, their hands on weapons, some turning to face him angrily.

But he made no move to attack‌—keeping his hood low as he stepped past them, making no attempt to threaten any of them. Elestra seemed the most shocked, but her face remained impassive as she watched Fir continue to walk through the empty rooms, into the gaping hole in the floor.

It wasn't until Evander pointed behind them, out the broken window, that they realized the full scope of what he'd said. The tower was gone. So were the entire buildings around them. Even the sky beyond was blackened, destroyed by fire and ash‌—though the stars still twinkled brightly, glowing in the darkness.

The young mage approached the prince, feeling a bit numb‌—as if he'd been running without his feet touching the ground. It was true: his mother had told him that his father's family had died in this tower. As far as he could tell, they were dead again.

"This is your home?" Evander asked, looking at the daedric prince with wide eyes.

Fir nodded, seeming to smile beneath his hood.