NIMEWE crumpled to the marble floor, silent tears springing into her eyes. "No..."

"Yes." Jellal crossed his arms. "Bharaidh is one of the most powerful rulers on Alcardia, and he's all but running the realm since the Collision. We need this alliance."

"Then send someone else."

"There is no one else."

She bowed her head and swallowed back her tears. "No one? I am not the only female unfortunate enough to be imprisoned here, am I?"

"The only one unwed and not belonging to me." He sighed. "I know you don't like it, but it's the only way."

"So I must exchange one slavery for an even harsher one. I know of the man you wish to give me to." She lifted her head, anger warring with pain now. "He's a savage who takes pleasure in cruelty, especially toward woman."

"You'll make do."

"I love another!"

"The bridgeboy." An uncommon flash of sympathy glowed in his eyes and swept through his intents to wash over Nimewe. "Love is not a requirement for marriage, though. I truly am sorry, but my decision stands. Spend the little bit of time you have left with him when he gets back from the observation room. You leave this evening."

The tears flowed freely then, and she let his guards guide her from the room without a fight. What else was she to do? Kaladin would suffer if she tried to fight this, and she couldn't bear that. So, she went quietly. A silent sob shuddered through her and passed her lips as they pulled her down the hall outside the throne room. Her chest constricted until the pain was too much to bear. She leaned her weight into the guards then and surrendered to their harsh pull as they dragged her through silent halls. Bowing her head, she gave up the fight. She would be God-King Bharaidh's unwilling bride.

KALADIN blinked at the screen before spinning in his seat to look at Ezra. Ezra stared back with his usual blank expression. Evidently, giants on a rampage were every day occurrences to the man. Why didn't that surprise him? Kaladin stabbed a thumb toward the screen behind him. "Does that count as the security breach Shaw insisted we look for?"

Ezra squinted at the giant as he made his way through the courtyard of the castle, sweeping all defenses aside in his fit of rage. The blond man watched for a moment more and shrugged. "Probably. He's doing a lot of damage."

"How did he even get in?" Kaladin spun to watch the screen.

The giant lumbered to the south side wall near the cameras and holding cells, which were directly below the observation room where he and Ezra sat. Ezra clicked a button on his radio with a sigh. "Dom, Shaw, we have a problem."

The radio crackled. Then Dom's voice barked over it. "What now? I'm a bit busy with Bates."

"Norma again?"

The giant squinted into the lens, giving Kaladin and Ezra a good view of his roving grey eyes.

"Yeah. I'll have to bring the menace along if you need backup."

"I think you'll have to."

Reaching out, the giant fisted the cameras in his fingers.

"There's a giant on the rampage on the south side of the castle. He just grabbed the cameras right outside the observation room."

"We're on our way." The radio crackled and went dead.

A second later, the screens blacked out, leaving them without a visual. Well, there went the cameras, if he had to guess. The giant had probably crumpled them like paper. Overhead, the lights flickered and spit. That couldn't bode well. Kaladin opened his mouth to say something. Static prickled along the hairs of his neck.

Then the lights blew with a loud crack.

Kaladin threw himself to the floor but not before shards from the bulbs overhead had pierced his shoulder. He hissed and probed the wound. His fingers came away wet with blood. He must have been hit with a larger piece of the glass covering the industrial lighting. "Ezra?"

"I'm fine." Ezra sighed. "But the flashlight we were given doesn't work."

"Does any of it work?" With the darkness in the room, he somehow doubted it.

There was a click, then silence. Another click. "Nope."

Great. He didn't have any Stormlight raging inside. Jellal still didn't trust him with that. He groaned and let his head rest against the desk.

"You okay?"

"No. Some of the glass protecting the lights shattered and hit me."

Shuffling came from Ezra's side of the room. "Sorry I can't make a light or anything." There was a bump and then a low curse.

"Don't hurt yourself on my account. There's probably glass coating the floor."

"I have shoes on for a reason, idiot." Ezra's voice sounded tighter than usual.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I sound okay?"

Good point. Kaladin began the painful process of pulling his shirt away from the wound and tugging it up over his head. Judging by the pain, he'd been hit by a few smaller shards. Nothing had hit an artery, but it had done enough damage to cause a fair amount of bleeding. He traced his fingers over his bare shoulder once the shirt was off. Nothing that would kill him as long as it got treated eventually. "You think they're going to get here to help us?"

"How, for the love of all that's holy, would I know that?" Ezra finally eased down beside him.

"You called them, and they said they'd come."

"Who knows what power's like on their side of the building. They might not be able to get to us if too many things shut off."

Another good point. "So now what?"

"Now, we wait."

COULD the day get any worse? First, he'd had to tell Nimewe what he'd done. The look on the girl's face still lingered in his mind, leaving an acidic taste on his tongue. It hadn't been avoidable, but it didn't mean he liked it any more than she did. Unfortunately, he was in desperate need of the allegiance this offered, and there wasn't another way.

And right after dealing with her, Dom had called to report that a giant from gods only knew where was on the rampage just outside the base. He'd thought coming to Star City would be a tactical decision. Moving bases to a place with far superior technology and fortifications should've been a good thing, and after the enhancements he'd made, it was. Except for one minor oversight on his part. He hadn't built the place to withstand giants, and for reasons no one understood, their force field generator had quit working. Convenient how that had happened.

To make matters worse, he was losing control of another realm he'd seized in secret after kidnapping the heir. The heir to the throne would have to make an appearance soon, and he couldn't very well allow the man himself to go up there. It'd be a disaster if Dorian of Adarlan escaped or, worse, revealed what Jellal was up to now. At the moment, that wasn't something he could afford. But neither was a riot.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and slumped down on his throne. Where was Valeia, anyway? Had he forgotten to summon her after the giant showed up? They needed to figure out how to get the tech running again, and he suspected the problem had something to do with the giant, which meant magic was probably their only choice right now. What a nightmare.

The doors creaked open, and Valeia ducked inside. "Jellal?"

He sighed and buried his face in his hands. Just in time. "Vale."

"What's the matter?" Her light footsteps pattered over the marble, and then her cool hands were pulling his rough ones from his face and caressing his cheeks. "Please, tell me what's wrong. Why isn't any of the lighting working? And the forcefield's down too. Jellal, what's going on?"

"A giant is rampaging outside in the courtyard of this castle we've built, the tech in the entire building is down, and I've just condemned an innocent woman to a wretched marriage. I really don't think things can get any worse at this point. We need to gather all of the prisoners into this room. It's the safest place we can bring them since I had it refitted to reinforce the walls, doors, and floor. It should allow us to hold out against an attack."

"I'll go get everyone I can find." Valeia squeezed his hands. "But don't worry too much. We'll work it all out."

AMADEIRA hurried into the room that had gone from throne room to prison. Well, maybe not prison. They weren't here to be kept in. They were here to keep the giant out. But what did it matter? Her gut was screaming that they weren't all going to survive this.

She found Leo in the crowd of people, a sour look on his face, and she hurried to where he was standing. "Do you know what's going on?"

"There's a giant out on the rampage and our tech doesn't work. Not only that, someone contacted Jellal from an outlying region he's in touch with and warned him that some cracked-in-the-head supervillain got his hands on a weapon of mass destruction." Leo shook his head. "One that, apparently, gives him the ability to kill half the world's population with a snap of his fingers."

Her heart skipped a beat. "A-anything else I should know?"

Leo jerked his head to a corner where Kaladin was being restrained by four guards. "Nim just told us Jellal auctioned her off to be married. Want to guess who he's selling her to?"

Amadeira gulped. What did it matter who it was? Nim loved Kaladin. The woman had been through enough without this too. Why would Jellal do this? "No, I'm not in a guessing mood. Who?"

"Bharaidh."

Her chest squeezed. "A-as in the God-King Bharaidh?"

Leo glared in Jellal's direction. "One and the same."

"He'll ruin her. We can't let him."

"Not much choice." Leo took her arm and drew him into her. "But the trouble doesn't end there."

She sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut. How did it get worse?

"Jellal is sending me to Adarlan to take the place of Dorian, heir to the throne and now king. Arcannen is going to glamour me, brief me on the requirements on the way there, and then let me loose to give some speech to calm the people down. And depending on what happens, I might be stuck there for a while."

"So? That's not so bad, and you'll be away from here."

"I have to pose as royalty." His face twisted with a scowl. "Can you think of anything worse?"

She went up on her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I can't think of anyone better suited, actually. You've been playing roles for years, and you're good at it. So go find out what you have to do and get it over with. Better you're there than here."

"Not if you're in danger while I'm unable to protect you."

She laughed, though her stomach had knotted so tightly she could barely draw a breath. "I'll be fine. Everyone here will watch out for me. We'll be here when you get back."

He crushed her to him with a shake of his head and claimed her mouth with his. His kiss ravaged her lips and left her breathless, but it also left her with his silent promise to return to her. "They can't protect you from the crazed lunatic with the killer rocks."

She smiled and traced her fingers down his jaw. "No, but then, you can't be protected either. There's nothing anyone can do to fight the threat now, so we're just going to have to wait and pray we're not casualties. Now focus on what you have to do to avoid incurring Jellal's wrath. Think of me and your mother, and put on the best performance of your life, alright?"

He sighed. "Fine. Stay safe, then."

"Always."

He gave her one last, lingering kiss and then he slipped away to join Arcannen. A wave of cold washed over her, and she watched him while he conversed with Jellal and the sorcerer. He turned to meet her gaze once before Jellal's man said something to him. He looked back, and moments later, all three vanished. His absence hit her in the gut like a fist, and she resisted the urge to double over and cry. The presence of death hung over this place, and it clung to her like a grim shadow. She only wished there were a way to know who it was after. But there wasn't, and death waited for no man.

NIMEWE stepped onto the gold-gilded floor of Bharaidh's throne room and shook off the stupor traveling with magic always caused. Beside her, the guards who had transported her held her in their iron grip. She didn't fight them but instead stared straight at the man who would trap her here. He stared back, his soulless black gaze boring into her. She shivered but wouldn't drop her gaze. He was no master of hers, and she wouldn't be cowed into submitting. He might end up her husband, but he would never rule over her while she still breathed. It was the only act of defiance she had left in her.

Even as she stared at him, her mind wandered to Kaladin. Was he safe? He'd looked as if his entire world had cracked in two and then splintered even further. No amount of apologizing or assurances that what was meant to be would be could ever fix it. She'd felt the shattering of something deep inside of him just as keenly as she now felt the emptiness and cruel pleasure in others' pain that snarled inside of this man, the God-King Bharaidh.

A smirk played on the man's lips. "You do not bow to your new master, woman? Did Jellal tell you nothing of me?"

"He didn't need to." She straightened and drew from the colors around her to give power to her shove.

The guards stumbled away, their grip on her broken.

She strode forward and stopped at the bottom of the dais. "I already know you are one of the wickedest, cruelest rulers this realm has ever known. Perhaps even one of the worst rulers any world has known. But I don't know them all, so I suppose I can't judge that yet."

The smile dropped. "Don't push me, woman. I promise you, you won't like the consequences."

"Pity. You won't like them either if you try to leash me like some sort of animal. My lord." She sneered up at him. "I'll go through with this farce, but not because you have control over me. I'll do it because I care more about someone else's safety than mine. Fortunately for you, I think."

"Big words for such a tiny woman."

A chill spread through her, but this time, the chill straightened her back and curled her fingers into fists. "Keep testing me, and you'll find out just how much I'm capable of. This marriage will be on my terms or no one's, Bharaidh. You hold only an illusion of control, and it's one easily shattered."

His lips tightened into a thin line for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Perhaps. But if you keep speaking to me like that, little girl, you're going to find out just how much power I do hold. Now that you've entered my castle, you've officially become mine."

Her chest seized, and for a minute, her heart stuttered. Her fingers numbed with cold, and she swallowed hard. She was his just by setting foot here? What a backwards system. But it didn't matter how backwards it was because it was her life now. She'd entered the dragon's lair, and he was going to devour her. She flinched and resisted the urge to turn and flee. Her fingers clenched and unclenched. "I suppose it's too late to mention that I have no desire to belong to anyone, let alone you?"

He snickered and strode forward. His strong fingers locked around her neck in a loose grip, but it felt like a vise anyway. "You are mine. You can either resign yourself to it or fight it, but you will be mine. It's an inevitable outcome of coming here at your master's command." He lowered his head until their lips brushed.

She squeezed her eyes shut and fought her gag reflex.

His mouth slanted over hers, parting her lips brutally and without any warning. She shuddered and cried out, but Bharaidh swallowed the cry with a voraciousness that shocked her. She pressed her palms to his chest, and his fingers tightened around her neck. He growled a warning against her mouth before slanting his head to get a better angle.

She endured it until his other hand came up to rove over her body, touching and leaving ice in the wake of his caresses. His lips finally released hers, but he moved from her mouth to her jaw and down to her neck. His wet, hot kisses trailed down her collarbone until he stopped to order the guards out of the room.

Terror latched its wicked fingers into her then, and she thrashed against him, shoving him back and leaving a gray patch in the previously resplendent clothing he wore. He glanced down at it for a second before closing his hand around her wrist and dragging her back into him. She kicked and screamed, pleaded with the guards not to go, and clawed for her freedom. The guards ignored her and tromped to the door. Her hand stretched out toward the thin sliver of space between the two gilt doors as the guards closed them. Then they slammed shut and left her at Bharaidh's mercy.

His warm breath fanned over her bared shoulder, and his hands skimmed her waist. "Now that we no longer have an audience, woman, I'm eager to get the Bonding process over with."

She shook her head, tears leaking past her lashes and down her cheeks. Still, she stared straight ahead at the door.

"Refuse me, and whoever you left behind, whoever you tried to protect by coming here, will die as I sweep your master off the face of this planet. Understand?" His mouth ghosted over the crook of her neck.

Goosebumps spread over her skin, but she nodded. For Kaladin's sake, she would obey. Even if it killed her, she would be the sacrificial bride of the God-King of Aleshtain.

"Good." He stepped away, and his fingers played with the back of her dress. Then he took a firmer hold and rent it down the seam.

She gasped and closed her eyes, tremors running through her. Not what she'd expected. But what had she expected, exactly? A cold reception? A gentle but passionate lover she could come to stand? This was the man who ruled a country of unspeakable depravity. Gentleness was not in his vocabulary. But violence and passion were.

He wrenched her around to face him, and she stared at the floor. Any energy she had to fight had fled when he'd threatened Kaladin, and she didn't even bother to cover herself. What was the point? Bharaidh had already told her what would happen. There wasn't another outcome. She was his. If not entirely yet, she would be in the very near future. In just an hour, judging by the way he was staring. She ducked her head and wept bitterly as he drew her to him and took what he wanted along with all that was left of her dignity and her heart.

WIT shook his head and ambled along the side of the outer wall. The giant had managed to punch a hole through the south wall into the cells, and it was now lumbering about in the castle, destroying everything in its way. The more pressing concern, however, was the fact that the creature had managed to disable every technological item they owned. Granted, magic made that less of a hardship than it could've been. Jellal and Valeia had managed to get the rudimentary things operating in the throne room with the magic they and Jellal's minions possessed, but it wasn't going to change the fact that the giant was a problem. Nor would it solve the problem of Thanos.

Thanos. Now there was a real problem. No doubt the Snap was coming. Who it would take was the only real question. Without a doubt, around half of the people in that throne room would end up dead. If not by the giant's hand, then by Thanos's. Too bad, really. But what could be done now? Thanos couldn't be stopped, and he couldn't be reasoned with. So, Wit was busy working on other issues. Why bother dealing with something you'd end up botching anyway? If he couldn't fix it, he wouldn't waste energy on it. Besides. If half of Jellal's army died, so would half of the men in the armies of his opposition. So, really, the playing field would stay relatively even in numbers. But not necessarily in skill, so he'd just have to hope that whoever died in the Snap wouldn't be vital parts of his plan. That would throw a damper on his entire scheme.

But for now, he had more important tasks. He slipped out of the compound around the castle and onto the streets of Star City. Time to gather the final players in this deadly game of wit.

THE giant had broken through the walls into the castle about ten minutes ago, and not having a visual was driving Valeia nuts. The men who could fight stood at the ready in front of the doors, and everyone else had huddled in the back of the room. Chances were high that even with magic, they wouldn't win. With all of their tech out of commission and only the bare essentials working, the giant definitely had an advantage over them. Size, sheer power, and the ability, she suspected, to disrupt all electrical devices they'd been using here. Too bad none of them knew how to fix the problem. Electricity was too new to most of them. They knew clicking buttons made things run, but fixing anything when it broke? That was out of the question.

A rumble boomed through the door into their tiny room. She shivered and tensed. The giant must be getting closer. No telling why it was on a rampage, of course. Could be anything since the creature hadn't bothered to communicate its purpose or desires to them. From what she could tell, the thing was just a senseless killing machine. Too bad, really. Negotiations would've avoided a lot of damage and, if the thing made it in here, a lot of lives.

Another booming rumble.

The doors rattled on their hinges. Then they were flung from their places to slam into the men unfortunate enough to be in their trajectory. She winced and stifled a gasp when she realized who had been in the way. Dom and someone else she hadn't known were gone just like that. No fight. No chance to even run. They were just gone.

Her fingers shook, but she forced her magic to the surface and turned it toward powering up the devices they'd found to store energy. If they wouldn't generate power like they were supposed to, she would power them with her own electrical current. Too bad this could have negative effects on her health. Death being the most permanent one. But it was the only way to give the others a way to protect themselves and take out the giant. On her own, she would become a target, and there wasn't much likelihood that she'd last if she was a target of that monster's wrath. Who knew what his abilities consisted of. She certainly didn't want to find out by ending up a personal punching bag.

LEO stared down at the paper once more before he shoved it into his pocket and strode onto stage, head held high. He hoped this would be convincing. If it wasn't, he wasn't looking forward to the response it would garner. Hopefully Dorian hadn't lied about his speech's authenticity.

The people stared up at him, haggard and harried. But hope glowed in those eyes, though he couldn't discern what the hope might be for. They stared at him as if he might be the savior they longed for and had prayed for most of their lives. What had their lives been like before Dorian took control after the Collision? Miserable, judging by the looks of them. He cleared his throat and stood in front of the throne that had been set up on the dais.

The crowd burst into eager chatter, and he gripped the armrests of the throne for a moment as the sound washed over him. What was he doing up here? He hated crowds. He hated being around this many people. And he hated lots of noise. Dorian had lived with those things all his life, so he had to act like he was as used to it as the prince would be. Even if it all made his stomach lurch. He straightened up and sucked in a deep breath.

"Quiet down, please!"

The crowd continued to chatter.

He bellowed out over the noise once more, irritation surging inside of him. "I said, be quiet!"

That got their attention. Too strong? Maybe. He just hoped it wasn't too strong for Dorian's usual demeanor. Too bad he hadn't been briefed about much of anything on the other man.

He tried to hold in the sigh and raised a hand to hold their attention on him. "I'm here to reassure all of you and to let you know what's going on. But I can't do that if I can't be heard."

The crowd settled the rest of the way, all of them now staring up at him again.

He swallowed. Why couldn't he just read the speech? Oh, right. Because the prince was too well-rounded to read his speeches. He memorized them because he was Prince Dorian. Pompous, more like it. He pulled the words he'd been memorizing back to mind, took a deep breath, and began. "People of Adarlan. Friends and family. I want you to know that we enter a new era now. One where the magical is not something to be feared, hunted, and driven underground. Instead, I intend to lead everyone into a time of prosperity, power, and peace with those around us. You may remember the famous poem that my father held up as a sign of the evil that could exist in the world." He closed his eyes and recited it from memory. "Ashryver eyes. The fairest eyes, from legends old. Of brightest blue, ringed with gold."

He opened his eyes and stared at the woman Dorian was said to have loved. "I'm here to tell you all that those eyes are indeed the fairest. I've looked into them many times, and I know what lies behind them. It isn't pure evil or wickedness. Instead, it is stark humanity with only the appearance of being different. I say this because the world we find ourselves in now is full of differences."

The woman, Celaena or Aelin Galathynius as Dorian apparently knew her now, stared back impassively, but a flicker of wariness warred in her eyes.

"Just like the Ashryver eyes, it could be feared. Or it could be embraced. That's what I'm proposing you do with me." He smiled fiercely, hoping the people would take the words to heart, however sentimental he felt they were. "So, trust in me to guide you and trust that if we work together, we can overcome. Are you with me?"

The crowd roared its approval, and Leo forced himself to remain rooted in place, receiving the praise that belonged to another man. There wasn't any escape. Not yet. He'd have to wait until there was a lull in the cheering for him to thank them for coming and tell them that he had to leave to attend to urgent matters of state in the wake of the realms' collisions.

When the lull came, he seized the opportunity and gave his farewell to the people before beating a hasty retreat to his study. But apparently the universe was against him because even there he found no respite. He opened the door and came face to face with Celaena Sardothien, otherwise known as Aelin Galathynius, the long-lost Queen of Terrasen. The woman who had been both the King's Champion and the last remaining heir of the family the King himself had destroyed. The universe certainly had a sense of irony. In the end, some said she was the downfall of Dorian's father, Dorian Havilliard the First. But no one could tell for certain in the chaos after the Collision. Arcannen had warned him about the resourceful Fae Queen and her penchant for showing up uninvited. It seemed his speech had been taken as an invitation in this case since here she was.

"What was done with Dorian and Chaol?"

"Nothing?"

"Rowan was sent to find them and hasn't returned. I assume you were the one Dorian sent with a message. Or perhaps Chaol sent you. That poem was the one that finally helped him connect the dots and figure out that he'd just sent his kingdom's greatest enemy into the hands of her greatest potential allies. I doubt he'd use it though. He'd be too proud to use a gesture like that to draw my attention."

Who were the people she was talking about? He didn't know but he needed to make this convincing because Arcannen had warned that no one could be allowed to find out the truth about him. "I thought he'd gone to find you. And Rowan never showed up at the castle, so I don't know where he is either."

"You're not Dorian, even if you do look like him. I can either get what I want the easy way or the hard way. Which will it be?"

Leo's shoulders slumped. "Fine. The man holding Dorian hostage is blackmailing me, and he made me come here to calm the people down with a speech from Dorian. Well, me in disguise as Dorian. But Dorian wrote the speech."

She crossed her arms. "I want to know where to find Dorian."

"In Star City."

What harm could it do to tell her? At least if she blew everything to pieces, he'd have a chance to escape with Amadeira and his mother. Hopefully without fear of pursuit.

Celaena's piercing blue eyes with their gold rims narrowed, but after a moment, she nodded. "Very well. But if I find out you lied, you'll have my knife in your back."

He grinned. That might be the only funny thing he'd heard all day. "Maybe. But as one master of the trade to another, assassins are a tough lot to kill. If they're not sloppy."

"And are you?"

"Rarely."

"That's good for you if you lied."

"I didn't."

"So you say." She strode past him to the door and yanked it open. "If I were you, I'd quit masquerading as someone you aren't."

He winced as the door slammed shut. What if he was never allowed to leave this life at all? His throat constricted. No. They'd let him go home. He couldn't be trapped here playing a role for the rest of his life. It would be fine. Everything would be alright. It had to be.

EZRA couldn't remember the last time he'd been so annoyed. Things hadn't exactly been going well with getting out of this place and leaving with the boy who had idiotically followed him here. But now things were downright crappy, and he was staring straight at the kid he'd brought along. Why he felt any urge to protect such a foolish child, he didn't know. But that urge was the reason he was standing in front of the kid defying a giant.

Sure, the ka'kari let him take any blow from a sword or metal object without harm. But it didn't protect him from being crushed to death in a giant's hand. Something he was acutely aware of in this instant as the giant's hand zoomed toward him. He dodged, though the movement lacked any finesse and resulted in a nasty tumble to the floor. The giant resumed his pursuit, and this time, Ezra wasn't fast enough.

The giant held him up and squinted at him before sighing and beginning to squeeze. Spots danced on the edges of his vision, and he wheezed as something popped. A rib, probably. Searing pain flashed down his side, and he gasped, but no air entered his lungs. This hadn't been how he'd envisioned his end, but then again, he hadn't anticipated the Collision either, so it shouldn't be that shocking to him that he'd die in an unusual way. Still, that didn't mean he wanted to end at the giant's hand.

He pried at the meaty fingers to no avail. The giant shot him a look that clearly held incredulity and disdain. If he'd had to guess what was going on in the giant's head, he would say it probably was something along the lines of: stupid human doesn't even know he can't escape. At least, that was what the expression seemed to say, assuming that could be given any weight.

His vision blurred, and his lungs screamed in agony, but the giant kept holding on. He coughed and wiggled, but that only produced more pain. Finally, he gave up. What was the point in struggling? Not escape, certainly. That had proven futile.

Dimly, he heard someone screaming his name, and then his body was air-born, and air rushed back into his lungs in one cool burst. The relief, unfortunately, was short-lived. He blinked to clear his vision just in time to realize how high up he was. Moments later, his back collided with the hard floor.

A loud crunch accompanied the impact, but he couldn't make any noise to voice his anger at the pain it brought. What had broken? His neck? Maybe several locations in his spine? He tried to move his arms and legs but found he couldn't. Well, that confirmed that guess. Definitely something broken in his spine. And whatever he'd snapped on impact, it kept him from moving anything but his head.

The pain fogged his mind, but he was still lucid enough to recognize the danger he was in. His heart pounded against his battered ribcage, and he closed his eyes. If only he could close his ears to the din of the fight too. Maybe then it might not be so frightening to be entirely at the mercy of everyone around him.

THE world was ablaze with discussion of the situation. Every leader Wit spoke to had refused his request on account of their anticipated losses when Thanos initiated the Snap. One single Snap, and half the world would die. To some, particularly to those trapped in a life of misery, it would be a mercy if they were taken. But it didn't mean it could be allowed. Which was why Wit was here now. Reasoning with a madman was, of course, not likely to produce any real result. But he'd talked to everyone else and the only course left was waiting. While he waited, he might as well try to solve one of his problems. Though this problem didn't seem to want to be solved. Too bad really.

He stepped into the little lair Thanos had built. The man had found a place to build a base that very few would've thought to look. Genius of him. Not surprising though, all things considered. A super genius should be capable of finding a place to have the solitude to live in peace.

The lair didn't look like much. A few decrepit pieces of furniture and the chair Thanos often used to travel dimensions and space. Not the kind of place one would expect a king and a ruthless killer to reside, but who was he to judge? No one would think he was much looking at him. They certainly wouldn't suspect he traveled entire universes and timelines just to be where he was needed when he was needed.

"Bold of you to show up here."

Wit turned with a half-smile and shrugged. "I thought I might find you here."

Thanos crossed his arms. "I don't see how, but since you're here, it must have been inevitable."

Wit's smile broadened. "It's simple when you think about it, though. I came to the one place no one would think to look for a man who had the Infinity stones and the gumption to use them."

"Really? And that led you here?"

"It's perfect. A sorry sod like you needs somewhere to lie low because in a world like this, a few heroes would be the least of your worries. All the other villains around would focus on you. I mean, why wouldn't they? You have the capability to destroy half of their forces in one quick Snap."

"I'm not concerned about that. What do you want, then?"

"Want? Well, I was rather hoping that we could find a way to avoid using those stones. But I also came here well aware of the futility of asking such a thing."

"Then why come at all?"

Wit grinned. "Simple, really."

"It doesn't seem simple."

"A genius like you ought to be able to figure it out. I mean, really, with a brain that big, what can't you figure out? Gods know it's the biggest part of you for a reason."

Thanos snarled. "Why did you come, little man? Keep mocking me, and I may just decide you should be the first one to die, Snap or no Snap."

"That would be in keeping with your character, wouldn't it?" Wit sighed. "Just one in a string of deaths. Tell me. Did you ever manage to impress Mistress Death? One would think killing all of your own children, your pirate captain, and half of the world would gain her attention more permanently, and yet, here we are. Have you considered the possibility that you might need to revise your plan of attack?"

"Have you considered the fact that goading me may result in an early grave?"

Wit smiled tepidly. "I had. But while we're asking each other to consider such wonderful things, I must say... I had considered myself privileged to meet such a marvelous strategist, but now I'm just disappointed. Why, my horse has better tactics, and it's usually running away from something. Not even fighting and it still manages to outdo you."

Another rumbling growl escaped Thanos, and the villain took a step closer. His fingers dug into his biceps, and his skin turned a mottled shade of reddish grey. It was a miracle he hadn't exploded by now, honestly. "Why are you here? I take it it's not because you have a death wish."

"No. You're the only one obsessed with death and nihilism here. Grand choice, I'm sure, but not one I can share in, sadly." Wit sighed. "I'm here because... Well, I'm here because I'm bored, I'm afraid. And when I'm bored, I have a nasty habit of finding people bigger than me to mock because it amuses me to see them get angry and be entirely unable to do anything."

"I'm bigger than you, and I'm able to do something about it."

"You mean you'd stoop to my level just so we'd be able to be the same size? How noble."

"What? No." Thanos narrowed his eyes. "No. I mean that I'm going to just activate the gauntlet now. That should shut you up, shouldn't it, since it's the opposite of what you wanted."

"I already told you," Wit said. "I didn't come here expecting you to change your mind. I figured you wouldn't. But I really need you to get it over with so that I know who will still be around to be a part of my plan. It's important, you see. And I'll admit, though it's a bit of a blow to my ego, you weren't a part of it."

Thanos didn't say anything.

"Think about it, big guy." Wit spread his arms wide. "Don't tell me that big head of yours is all muscle and no brain. I don't believe that for a minute. But if you want to prove me wrong—"

"What is your point? The only reason you're still alive is because you amuse me and don't seem to present a threat. But you're starting to make no sense at all, which means you have no purpose. And that doesn't end well for you."

"The point's simple. You want to save the universe by avoiding overpopulation and human stupidity. An admirable goal by the way, though it would put me out of a job, unfortunately."

"And?"

"And I want you to perform the Snap so that I can continue on with my plans. The way I see it, our goals align. So, in fact, I'm not here to stop you but to ask you to please proceed. Everyone is waiting with bated breath for it, so what's the point in delaying?"

"I don't really care what everyone's waiting for. But the suspense is an attractive part of the whole thing. And I could afford to wait even longer if I chose."

"And will you?" Wit raised a brow.

"No."

"Oh, good. I rather hoped you wouldn't. Well?"

Thanos scratched his head with a sigh. "Remind me why I'm tolerating you?"

"I really can't. Lots of people have pondered that very question, and as of now, I still haven't received a good answer."

"Well, if you can't answer the question, I suggest you leave. You're beginning to bore me."

Wit shrugged and smiled. "I have what I came for, so I suppose I'll be going. Nice chat. I must say, you're the only individual who has managed to remain this calm while dealing with me."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Wit shrugged. That moment seemed like a good time to pop out before anything went too wrong. He waved and then stepped into Shadesmar with a grin still on his face.

SHE'D lost count of the number of times she'd ended up splayed beneath him, tears leaking past her lashes and heart in tatters. He didn't seem to mind, and she'd never hated her gift more because having it meant she knew the perverted pleasure he took in dominating her this way.

The week wasn't even out, and she already wanted to die. Had, in fact, attempted it. Bharaidh had raved at her for half an hour and removed all sharp objects from her room as soon as he caught her in the bathroom with his knife after one particularly brutal episode. The odd thing was that after he'd finished raving, he'd attempted to offer her consolation, and she'd spent the entire night curled up on the bed with his arms around her. It only made things worse.

By now, she was sure it couldn't become any worse than it was. She stared up at the canopy overhead as the morning light filtered in through the heavy drapes. Her heart ached, and she struggled for each breath. The pain in her soul stole away every sense she had, stripped her bare of any awareness of anything except for the misery that now coated every fiber of her being. How had it come to this? To this grey, twilight of a space in her mind where she knew only the sharp sear of loss or the dull ache of loneliness? To this gloaming where she was caught halfway between heaven and hell, unable to fully descend into either.

Because whatever this was, it wasn't exactly hell. Oh, whenever Bharaidh visited his attention on her, it felt like hell. But it was tolerable when he wasn't bothering her. His other wives treated her well too.

But it also couldn't be called living, and it certainly was no heaven. She felt utterly broken, and a keen sense of her own destruction dogged her every step. Unable to stand lying beside Bharaidh any longer, she rose and tugged on her robe. Gliding to the window, she swept the curtains aside and pressed her palm to the cool glass. Only the moon and her reflection stared back at her, and the yawning chasm inside of her chest deepened.

She let her forehead fall to rest against the glass with a weary sob. When would this be over? Sinking to the floor, she huddled in a ball there and stared at the wall. The answer to that question was hardly a happy one. She was now Bound to Bharaidh. And she could only be unbound by death. A mercy that he refused her.

Pain screeched through her entire body, and her muscles seized. She frowned, coughing and pressing her hand to her chest where the pain was the worst. The instant her heart stopped, she could feel it. Then the world spun out of control, and everything went dark. Her final thought spiraled off into dust with her. Finally, she was free.

IT was the strangest thing Kaladin had ever seen. He lay there on the ground, his breath coming in gasps as he watched the giant continue to battle the few individuals left with the fire guns Valeia and Jellal had managed to get working with magic. And all around him, people were stopping and just sort of fading until they were heaps of dust on the ground.

He'd never seen anything of the sort, and it only seemed to be occurring in half of the people. Another extremely unlikely event. The giant itself wavered and then collapsed to its knees with a loud groan. Kaladin eyed its feet and saw that they were turning to the odd dust. Whatever was going on, it didn't seem to be too painful, though no one going through it looked comfortable.

A strange, sharp ache throbbed through his chest, and the sense that something was wrong prickled over his nerves. His mind went to Nimewe. If everything was falling apart here, what was it like there? Was this strange occurrence the Snap everyone had been anticipating? If it were, Nimewe could be fading away even now.

The ache left, and an emptiness came to take its place. Somehow, nothing seemed right with the world anymore, and he knew then. She was gone. He couldn't say how he knew for sure, but death had touched him so many times now that it seemed to haunt his every step. Syl hovered over his face, her expression crunching in pain. "K-kal, she's gone."

"You feel it too?"

She nodded uncertainly. "I don't know how, but the connection I had with her just broke."

His chest heaved, and his muscles went limp. She really was gone. Tears filled his eyes and slipped down his cheeks. "I can't... She can't be gone."

"She really is." Syl rested on his chest with a tiny mewl of distress. "I'm sorry."

He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a low, keening cry. Why was it he always lost everyone he cared about? The giant no longer seemed important. In fact, he almost wished the lumbering beast would've crushed him like it crushed Shaw and Cobb. At least then he wouldn't have to suffer this way. His breathing grew clogged with his tears, and his head spun. "At least she isn't trapped anymore."

Syl didn't answer, and he could feel the pain washing through her even as she found peace with it. Too bad he wouldn't be at peace with it any time soon.

THE power roared back to life in every device in the room. A few of the items they'd been running with magic overloaded their circuits and exploded. But Valeia only moved out of the way and continued to wander through the injured, the dead, and the strange piles of dust. The destruction from the Snap had taken Ezra, the giant, Norman Bates—and good riddance, she decided—half the army, Leo's mother, Ezra's friend, and Dom's children. Those were only the ones here that she could see. Who knew who else had been killed?

Kaladin lay a few feet away, weeping. She paused, her heart curling at the sound. He'd always been one of the strongest they had. He never cried, and now he sounded as if he'd lost the only thing left that mattered. Her stomach ached. Had something happened to Nimewe and been communicated through the strange bond the two shared? If it had, only her death could cause such agony. She bowed her head and steeled herself before moving forward.

Amadeira knelt beside Shaw's sister, Hattie, who was bleeding from the fallout of the giant's attack. At some point, the beast had slapped her into a wall, and she'd cut her cheek open on something. Others tended to those still alive, but most just sat and stared at the heaps of dust and cried. No one in the room looked relieved even though the immediate danger had passed.

"Now what?"

She spun on her heel before registering the familiar voice and relaxing. "I don't know. Jellal, what happened? These people—"

"The Snap. This is all it leaves behind."

"So..."

"Yes. All of them are gone. It took Dorian too. How am I supposed to tell Leo that he's stuck masquerading as the prince? He already felt trapped, and now I don't even have a way to force him to cooperate." His gaze went to Amadeira.

"We've done enough damage, Jellal. He did the best he could, and if we can bring him home, we should. Better to have his help and his good will in whatever happens after the Snap than to alienate him and add to our enemies."

He sighed. "I guess so. That decimated the army, I'm sure. I won't know just how bad it is until I count the living, though."

"Worry about it later." She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Right now, everyone in this room has just lost someone. And if they haven't, they're watching friends suffer because of a loss. They need to know you care because right now, you're the only person they'll look to for guidance."

"Why would they do that?" His shoulders slumped. "I've imprisoned them and ordered them around since day one. I don't deserve their loyalty."

"Maybe not. But it's a crisis, and you've been leading everyone since the start, even if they resented it. It's time to use that leadership to help them now. Before it's too late and you lose the war to save humanity from Zeref. That war either ends here or lives on with these people." She slipped her hand into his and fought back the tears.

"Zeref isn't our biggest problem. Thanos can initiate another Snap whenever he likes until someone stops him." Jellal squeezed her hand and shook his head. "We're going to have to use every alliance we have and unite with all the other villains if we want to stop him, and I doubt it's possible. This is just the beginning of the end."

And he was right. If Thanos could initiate another Snap at any point, then it didn't matter that their tech was back online. It didn't matter that they had magic or allies. And it didn't matter whether they defeated Zeref or not. Everyone would still be at stake. People would live in fear. She squared her shoulders. "If that's the case, then we'd better get started because that unification of forces starts here in our own ranks."

They had the tech back. The giant was gone. But so was half their army. Now, if they failed, it would spell their doom.