Page 83 of Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World

I had to look away as my eyes prickled with sudden tears.

“We both kept things from each other,” Eric said as he moved closer. “We both thought we didn’t have a choice. But the way I feel about you isn’t a lie, Colin. You’re brave, and funny, and so much more of a catch than you think you are. Even now, with the world ending, all I want to do is protect you. That’s why I’m here.”

I could reach out and touch him, if I wanted to. And I did want to, very badly. My hands twitched at my sides, but rather than grab him and pull him close, I cleared my throat and said, “Show me this weapon.”

He was still for a long moment. Then, holding out the cloth again, he unwrapped it carefully to reveal a knife. Its metal blade was maybe seven or eight inches long and pitted with rust, its hilt wrapped with strips of hide or leather that had dulled and cracked with age. It looked pretty uninspiring, honestly.

“Wow,” I said. “It’s…a knife.”

“I know it doesn’t look like much, but this is the Black Blade.” He weighted those words with special emphasis and looked at me as if to say,Pretty amazing, right?

“Should I know what that is?”

He looked briefly crestfallen. “Oh. I thought you might haveresearched—It doesn’t matter. The Black Blade was forged from metal brought here from another world. Records from Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty say that a woman named Hetepheres used this to slay an Abomination.”

I leaned in to peer at it more closely. “Really? I’m not sure it could slay a sick pigeon.”

“It’s more powerful than it looks. This is one of the oldest artifacts the Conclave possesses, and the only thing they know of that can end this threat permanently.” Wrapping up the knife again, he extended it to me, expression serious. “I’m just a boy, standing in front of another boy, asking him to take this arcane dagger and give it to his boss so they can use it to kill an Abomination.”

My lips twitched before I could stop them. “You had me at ‘arcane dagger.’ ” I took the bundle from him. “Thanks.”

“Do you think your boss will accept it?”

“Maybe. But I’m not going to give it to her.”

He stared at me. “What do you mean?”

“Management is playing Their own game, and I’m afraid They’re preparing to sacrifice the executive board. So I’m going to use this knife myself.”

Blinking several times, Eric said, “You’re…what now?”

“I’m going to use it myself,” I repeated, enunciating each word. “You know, to save the world. And when I do, I’ll have my pick of any job I want in Dark Enterprises.”

“Colin, that’s not—”

“I think I have a decent shot, actually,” I interrupted, “what with the cunning plan we’ve devised.”

“Who’s ‘we’?”

I gestured to Amira and Lex, standing a short ways down the sidewalk. “Us.”

“Uh-huh.” He paused. “The three of you are going to save the world from an unbound Abomination.”

“Yup.”

“By yourselves.”

“Absolutely.”

“Without dying.”

“Fingers crossed.”

“And your plan is…cunning?”

“The cunningest.”

His eyes searched mine. “Will you let me help?” he asked abruptly.