Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 132625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132625 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
“You’re back.” Brie strokes my hair and keeps herself curled around me. “You came back.”
“I came to warn you,” I say, pulling away so I can make sure she’s paying attention. “Mordeus’s militia is going to attack. I saw the oracle and she showed me.”
She closes her eyes for a beat. “I know.”
“We can’t let them get past the palace gates. They will come for you first.”
She gives a pained nod. “Our friends from the Eloran Palace are planning to help.”
“Friends from the Eloran Palace?”
“Turns out we’re not the only ones who want Erith and Mordeus out of the picture.” Her throat bobs. “I promise to catch you up, but tell me what happened. Did you find the witch? Did you get out of the deal?”
I wish I could lie to her. Wish I could protect her from what I’m so sure is coming. Instead, I just say, “I saw the Banshee. She sat on my chest and I couldn’t breathe. My ears are still ringing from her screeching.”
Brie flinches—she knows as well as I do what a visit from the Banshee means—but when she schools her expression, she morphs it into a lighthearted smile. “I keep telling her that’s no way to make new friends.”
I huff out a laugh. “No kidding.”
She tucks a lock of hair behind my ear, smiling when her fingers graze the short buzz of my undercut. “You’re saying you didn’t find the witch, then?”
“Erith is the witch. He took an old woman’s form, but he was the one I made the deal with.”
The blood leaves her face but she holds my gaze. “Surely there’s something we could offer him?”
I let myself squeeze her one last time. “According to the oracle, I have nothing to offer that he wants, so I’m choosing to focus on what I can control. Tell me how I can help you prepare for this battle.”
She looks stricken. “You can’t give up that easily.”
“I’m not giving up. I plan to fight to the end.”
“Natan said there are other ways. He said if we find a way to trick the witch—Erith—we might be able to get you out of this.”
“Trick him how?”
“What if he didn’t fulfill his side of the bargain?” she asks. The hope in her voice weighs heavily on my heart. “Didn’t you say it was supposed to take the fear from your heart, but the magic stopped working? If the ring didn’t do as promised, maybe the bargain is already nullified.”
I am going to break her because of what I’ve done. “That wasn’t the wording. There was something about ‘so long as the magic holds.’ I remember that because I remember wondering if that meant the ring wouldn’t work forever.”
I skim my eyes and fingers over the Grimoricon. “I was hoping you’d find a solution in here.”
She steps around me and stares down at the book, as if the words are a puzzle and she’s sure she’ll know how to fix this if she just looks closely enough. “I still might.”
Everyone around me is hanging their hopes on might and maybe.
In the hall, Kendrick’s low voice mixes with two others. There’s a knock at the door before it creaks open and Misha ducks his head inside. “Apologies, Abriella, but we should meet up with Kendrick’s people and bring them up to speed.”
“Misha, I’m so sorry.” The words are out before I can stop them. I’ve made so many terrible decisions and he’s yet another person who could lose everything because of it.
His expression goes shuttered. “The oracle told you something.” He doesn’t sound surprised.
“What?” Felicity asks, stepping up from behind Misha and placing a hand on his arm. “What is it?”
I take a breath, not sure if I’m the right person to reveal this information, but Misha gives me a subtle nod. “It’s not just the shadow court that’s in danger.” My words are tripping over each other, so I force myself to slow down. “We’ve been wondering why Erith has been helping Mordeus and she explained. Mordeus promised to help him take the Wild Fae territory as his own.”
Felicity pales and looks to Misha. “That’s not possible, is it?”
“I’m afraid it is,” Misha says, his gaze shifting to the window beside my sister’s desk.
She pulls back as if she’s been struck. “You already knew?”
His jaw ticks. “I’ve been warned that he’s a threat, yes.”
Brie flexes her hands at her sides and shadows dance up her arms. “The best way we can protect Misha’s court is to keep Mordeus from taking this one. Tell everyone to gather in my meeting room in twenty minutes.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Felicity
The evening air cools my heated cheeks, but I still haven’t recovered from the blow Jas delivered before our meeting. Misha’s kingdom is in jeopardy because of Erith, and he knew. He knew and didn’t tell me.