Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Thane clenches his jaw.
“Now,” Maliek rasps, holding on to me tighter. “I want two things. The Sunderstone and Azidel’s tome.”
“You’ll get neither,” Thane bites back.
I drop my hand, slowly reaching for the dagger sheathed at my waist. Thane watches the action, then gives a discreet nod.
“Has he told you yet, pretty little mortal?” Maliek yanks me sideways, and I pull my hand from the dagger as he twists me around, forcing me to face him. His eyes are just as cold and blue as they were, and there’s a massive scar on his forehead that wasn’t there before. Black veins resembling spider legs crawl from his throat to his chin. He definitely looks dead. “Did he tell you why you’re really in this temple?”
“I know why I’m here,” I seethe.
“Do you now?” Maliek flashes a wicked grin, taking a childish peek over me at Thane. “Because during our hunt for him, we heard you were looking for the prosperity stones.”
“Maliek, I will kill you!” Thane barks.
“Did he tell you that all the prosperity stones are gone? That they were used centuries ago to save previous lives? He’s known all along.”
Everything inside me becomes hollow. “What?” I whisper.
I look at Thane, tears forming in my eyes. He gives Maliek a blank look, and Maliek laughs as he studies the shock written on my face.
“Oh, come on now, Valkor. Tell her the truth for once.”
My body goes more numb with each second Thane avoids my eyes. I don’t trust Maliek, but I can’t help remembering the words Thane said to me before.
Promise me that you won’t be too disappointed if none of the stones are there.
Those were his words exactly.
Did he really know all along? Could he have been lying this whole time just to get me here for his own selfish reasons?
“Zaira, just listen to me…” Thane puts his hands out, pleading with me.
This time, I look away, my bottom lip trembling.
Maliek laughs at Thane’s supplication.
“Did he tell you he knew this information before your ridiculous quest even began?”
I want to look at Thane to confirm this is true, but my body won’t let me. I’m too afraid the disappointment will sink in, the heartache. The pain. The anger.
He knew. All this time, he knew.
He never intended to help me. He used me.
You wear your heart on your sleeve, Quinlocke, and that’ll get you killed one day.
“You’re lying,” I whisper, directing my anger at Maliek.
“Oh, believe me, I tell no lies.” Maliek is gloating now. “He got you to trust him, all so you could win him that beautiful tome there…and you fell for his bullshit.”
This time, when I look at Thane, he’s angry. His eyes are lit a bright gold, and his teeth are bared. The other assassins inch closer, but he doesn’t bother giving them attention. He’s only looking at Maliek.
But I want him to look at me.
I need him to look at me.
I manage to maneuver myself out of Maliek’s grasp, and one of the assassins rushes my way. Maliek holds up a hand to stop him. “No, no. Let’s see how this plays out,” he says with humor in his tone.
I run to Thane and take his face in my hands. His eyes are sad—no. Defeated. I’ve never seen Thane Valkor defeated. A rawness accumulates in my throat as I hold back my tears.
“Tell me he’s lying, Thane!” I beg, holding his face tighter.
He’s quiet for a few seconds, which increases my dread. Then he says, “We still have time to figure it out, Zaira. That tome is powerful. I’m sure there is a spell in it that I can use to break your sister’s curse—”
My hands fall as I stare at him, feeling a heaviness settle on my chest now.
“See?” Maliek bellows. “He’s using you, little mortal. Just like he uses everyone! He lies and manipulates because that is what he’s best at! All he needed was someone desperate enough to come here. He gave you false hope! Listen to him! He’s still trying.”
I look from Maliek’s shit-eating grin to Thane’s now-unreadable gaze.
Confusion shakes me to my core as I take another step back. My brain is telling me one thing, yet my heart screams another. I want to believe Thane can find a spell in the tome, but what if he’s wrong? What if there’s nothing he can do?
I’ll have no stones. No spells. Nothing. Analla will be dead based on yet another possibility—only this time it’ll hurt twice as much because I trusted him.
My breathing quickens, and eventually I wheeze as my tears fall.
I can’t lose my sister.
I can’t.
Thane rushes to me and tries holding me by my shoulders, but I shake my head and back away.
“No,” I say through labored breaths. “Please—don’t touch me.”
He gives me a baffled stare as I do my best to control my breath and fight off the panic swirling inside me. Gods, how could I be so stupid?