“It might not obliterate you. It might just kill you and invoke your immortality. You know what that costs now. Are you willing to risk a friend’s life for this? Hell, it might be my life. I don’t know if I’m willing for you to risk it.”

“We were given this power for a reason, master. I don’t want to lose anyone. I don’t want to die, but if my death can change a nation, if I can save thousands, how could I not risk it?”

Durzo grinned ruefully. “You damn fool. You realize, even if all your assumptions are correct—even then, you still have to steal the world’s most coveted sword from the world’s safest place then be pursued by the ultimate hunter until you reach the heart of an enemy country in the middle of a war in which any side will happily kill you as a traitor, a spy, a wytch, or all three?”

“I thought you’d like it,” Kylar said, eyes sparkling.

Durzo laughed. “The Wolf is gonna have puppies.”

“Well, I’m hoping not to see him any time soon. But I figured if I could convince you, then there wouldn’t be much he could do about it.”

“Convince me of what?” Durzo asked.

“To help,” Kylar said.

“Oh no,” Durzo said. “Count me out.”

“You can’t!”

“I can. Kid, you took away my immortality. That gave me back my life. I—”

“You owe me!” Kylar said.

“Not like this, I don’t. I have one life left. One. Because of you, I can do with it whatever I want. I can love.”

And Kylar couldn’t. “But we can change the world!”

“Kid, do you know how many times I’ve changed the world? The Tlaxini Maelstrom used to be a shipping lane. The Alitaeran Empire stretched from coast to coast. Godkings have threatened the southlands and nearly gained ka’kari half a dozen times. Ladesh used to—look. The fact is, I’ve done my piece. Adventures are for the young, and I’m young by no measure. There’s a woman I love in Cenaria, and neither of us is getting younger. I need to go.”

“I need you,” Kylar said. “Alone, trying to steal the world’s most coveted sword from the world’s safest place and being pursued by the perfect hunter into a war—”

“Yes, yes,” Durzo said. “I’ve showed you most of my tricks—”

“Most of them?”

“—and you’ve developed a few of your own. You’re not an apprentice anymore, Kylar—”

“Fine, but I’m hardly—”

“—you are a master. Your tutelage is finished.”

“Don’t cut me loose,” Kylar said. His heart was in his throat.

“I’m cutting you free,” Durzo said.

“But you’re still better than me!”