“And that was your choice.”
I frowned. “What does that have to do—”
“It has always been about choice, Sam. You may not have thought so, but it has. You chose to go with Morgan that day in the alley. You chose to become his pupil. You chose to bring Gary and Tiggy back with you unexpectedly. You chose to rescue the Prince, to find a dragon and make him part of your family. You chose to rise up when a prophecy was placed upon your shoulders. You chose to gather the dragons of Verania. You chose to walk away from the Great White, only to choose to return to him. And in the end, you chose to ignore the magic within you and to listen to your cornerstone, to your lightning-struck heart, and let go of the shadows and the darkness that threatened to rise within you. And the others, your friends and family, your mentor and your King, chose to put their faith in you. This was never about a path set in stone, Sam. Because—”
“Stone crumbles,” I whispered.
“It does,” the Star Dragon said. “All of these choices, from the very beginning, led to this moment. You are as you are now because of them. Because of the people you surround yourself with. Because of the strength that has always resided within you.” He nodded toward the lights that swirled around us. “And the people of Verania have made their choices too. Many of them turned away from you. They berated you. They shunned you. They arguably fought against you. But people often fear what they don’t understand, and Sam, they were scared. But even now, they’re wishing upon the stars for your safe return to them. You are all such complex creatures, capable of the brightest of lights and the darkest of nights. Your Prince said that hope is a weapon. And what you see before you are your people taking up arms in your name. In the name of hope. In the name of Sam of Dragons.”
I stared at the lights in wonder. “I don’t—how can I deserve this?”
The Star Dragon smiled. “No one has ever deserved it more. You may not believe it, but that’s okay. Because they believe it for you. As do I.”
I hung my head. Ryan was there, pressed up against me, whispering words of faith and love in my ear, telling me how proud he was, that no matter what happened, his wish had always been me, and if he had to do it all over again, he’d wish for the same.
“I’m angry,” I admitted. “For what was taken from me.”
“You’re human,” the Star Dragon said. “You’re allowed to be.” He hesitated. Then, “But….”
“But?”
“There is magic everywhere, Sam.”
“I know. Morgan taught me that.”
“And Myrin forgot it. He took something that didn’t belong to him.”
My eyes burned. “And I don’t know that I can ever forgive him for that.”
“Do you remember what you wished for? In the desert?”
Make me mortal. When all is said and done. I will protect my King, this one and the next. I will protect my kingdom. I will do all that you ask, but I want a mortal life for my happy e
nding. This is my wish.
“Yes.”
“And you did that on your own.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess I couldn’t wait.”
The Star Dragon chuckled. “If you could have one wish, what would it be?”
My head snapped up. My breath hitched in my chest. “Truly?”
The Star Dragon nodded. “Not all those who are lost are gone forever. Especially when a piece of them remains.”
“Sam?” Ryan asked. “What is he talking about?”
“And him?” I said, nodding at Myrin. “What will become of him?”
The Star Dragon looked down. “For another story to begin, there must first be an ending. I think it’s time for Myrin to end, don’t you?”
He lifted the Dark wizard off the ground. Myrin didn’t struggle. His limbs hung loose between claws made of stars.
The Star Dragon tilted his head back…
…and swallowed Myrin whole.