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)
He does as instructed, and within moments his body goes limp.
“I miss you,” he murmurs. “Never knew what this was like. Never thought the gods would give me someone like you. Never thought they’d be cruel enough to take you away.”
Tears burn my eyes. I miss him too, but if I can’t trust him what does any of that matter? I watch his face, waiting for him to slip the rest of the way into sleep. When he does, I take a steadying breath and return to my work.
“Jasalyn?”
I jerk awake, my eyes snapping open at the sound of my name. When did I fall asleep? And for how long?
Kendrick’s sitting on the side of the infirmary bed, squinting against morning light coming in the window. The last thing I remember was watching him rest. I’d finished stitching him up where I could and I was trying to convince myself I could leave. Trying to convince myself he’d make it through the night.
“What happened?” he asks, looking around.
I squeeze my eyes shut against the horrible onslaught of emotions his voice brings. How can a sound that evokes such comfort and peace also cause such pain?
He looks around the room, taking in all the healer’s potions and ointments before returning his attention to me. “Did I find you at the keep? Are you hurt? Are you—”
Of course, he doesn’t remember saving me thanks to the ring. “I’m fine.” My jaw is tight. This is so hard—wanting to curl into his arms while also wanting to run from him, knowing his recovery means everything to me while also knowing how horribly he betrayed me. “You’re the one who’s hurt.”
“Death dogs,” he says, glancing to his side. “But you’re okay?”
“What do you remember?”
His jaw works and his blue eyes scan me again and again. “I thought you’d go there months ago. We’d been looking for you to no avail, so we set a magical alarm of sorts—to notify us if you arrived there. It’d been so long that when the magic activated, I didn’t remember what it was at first. I got there as fast as I could.” He searches my face. “Did I find you or did you find me?”
“You found me.” You followed me to make sure I was safe. And you saved me.
“We’ve been worried out of our minds. Your sister—”
The blood drains from my face so fast I go lightheaded. “Stay away from my sister.”
He jerks back as if I hit him. “Jas, I don’t understand what’s happening here. My last notes in my journal tell me we’d spent the night together. We were still planning to find the sword. You wanted to help us.” His throat bobs as he swallows. “What happened? Did someone capture you? Where have you been?”
He doesn’t remember our last conversation just like he won’t remember this. “I left.”
The confusion on his face sends an ache through me. “Why?”
“Because I know the truth.”
“What truth?” He shakes his head. “I don’t know what happened. Tell me so I can make it right.”
I push off the floor. “I don’t want to do this again. I just stayed long enough to make sure you’d be okay, and you are, so I’m going now.”
“Don’t go.” He looks around, as if he might find the answers he needs. “I’ve been losing my mind with worry. I close my eyes and think of how I failed you. I wonder endlessly where you’ve gone and fear what could be happening to you. Please . . .”
My heart tugs hard but I ignore the feeling. I can’t let him manipulate me with his pretty words. “I can’t trust anything you say.” I stare at the floor because looking at him hurts too much. “You are the last person I ever thought could hurt me.”
“I never meant to. Anything I did . . .”
I swallow hard. Why isn’t this easier? He betrayed me but leaving feels impossible. “We’re in Ironmoore. You might feel stronger by now if I’d taken you to the healers at the Midnight Palace, but I didn’t think my sister would respond kindly to discovering a traitor in her midst.”
“Traitor?” He coughs. “What’s that supposed to mean? Will you please just talk to me?”
I meet his eyes, and my heart surges into my throat. It hurts to breathe. “What else do you call the person who lied to me? What else do you call the male who betrayed me for his deal with Mordeus?”
His face falls. “Jas . . .”
“That’s right,” I whisper. “I know. I know the faerie ears aren’t a glamour at all. I know about the deal you made.”
He leans forward, the heels of his hands on his knees. “That’s why you left? Because you found out I’m fae? And found out Mordeus asked me to keep you alive?”