The WishKeeper (The Paragonia Chronicles) by Maximilian Timm Page B

Lies do not fit you, my Avery,” he continued, staring at her with wide anxious eyes. “You will tell me where they keep the Death Wishes.”
    Creeping out from under his cloak, a black fog enveloped Avery, wrapping her up in its thick, wet smoke. Panic swept through her. Why would my king do this? Why would my beloved WishMaker make me tell him such a thing?
    Her eyes crackled with a black shadow and her head perked up, looking intently at her king. “Behind the Point, there is a cave,” she said, as if in a dream. “All wishes of Death forever will be saved.” The fog rushed away from her, retreating back under his cloak. Erebus stood upright, smiling as Avery’s black eyes continued to stare.
    “And you will retrieve for me, such a wish,” Erebus said.
     
    *       *       *       *
     
    As the months continued, all of the Keepers noticed a difference in their happy little Regent. A darkness fell over Avery, and her famous smile became more and more rare. She was a prisoner to her own devotion to ignorance and every time Erebus requested another Death Wish, she felt the one-time joy and love in her heart disappear a little more. Eventually, she became almost robotic and while the other Keepers assumed it was simply a matter of a heavy workload and busy schedule, Elanor was the first to notice a real change. The dark circles under Avery’s eyes were one thing, but there was something within them that worried Elanor. She and Beren took her in, inviting her to supper, tea and the occasional party. For Avery, the only time a true remembering of emotion or love crept back in was when she spent time with Elanor and her family, and yet Elanor continued to witness the slow decay of the happy little soul firsthand, and true worry began to sink in.
    It was the night of Wishing Eve when Avery came to Elanor, unexpected. She and Beren were readying their packs for the busy night and Shea was pleading with her parents to let her cross over with them, pouting and throwing a fit each time they said no.
    Despite how quiet and introverted Avery was, Beren and Elanor felt that she was a part of their family, even only after a short two months’ time. The pink-haired Regent stood in their living room, thin and frail enough for a slight breeze to knock her over. After appeasing their tantrum-throwing child, allowing Shea to cross over if she agreed to go to her room and stop complaining, they sat Avery on the couch and listened to her confession.
    Avery told them Erebus’ plan and how he had been using Death Wishes to grow in strength and power, but what truly frightened them was her admission that she was the one retrieving them for him. Too exhausted to cry, Avery sat and stared, silently thankful to finally be rid of her secret. The only thing is, she didn’t tell them the whole story. She didn’t tell them that Erebus was planning to capture a True Love Wish and combine it with a Death Wish.
    Why didn’t Avery tell them that night? Did she assume they were smart enough to protect a True Love Wish if one was made anyway? She assumed correct, of course, but as she sat in their living room awaiting disaster, a smile of relief slightly spread across her cheeks. She couldn’t do it anymore and her burden was finally released.
    Elanor and Beren argued over their next move while Avery watched, barely listening. Grayson and Miranda were ‘ripe’, as they called it. Ripe for what everyone was hoping for, a True Love Wish. It’s impossible to predict when such a wish will be made, but like trying to predict the weather, it was at least possible to track. Because it was Wishing Eve and wishes are always a bit stronger on such a night, Beren and Elanor agreed that it was very possible their WishMakers could make one that night.
    They planned every precaution possible. After Avery explained to them that Erebus didn’t have a new Death Wish - he hadn’t given her the order yet - they agreed that positioning guards