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)
“I’m looking for the lady who lives here,” I say, descending the steps to get closer to her so we don’t have to shout. “Do you know if she’s home?”
The little girl shrugs. “They never come out. Don’t think she’s there no more.”
“Dimpsy, who’re you talking to?” A young woman sticks her head out the door and scowls at us. She has dark smudges under her eyes and flour on her apron. “What do ya need?”
“We’re looking for the woman who lives next door,” Kendrick says. “Could you maybe help us out?”
“What woman? Isn’t nobody living in that dump.” She leans down and takes her daughter by the arm, urging her into the house.
“It’s been about a year since I last saw her,” I say. “She was maybe in her sixties and had long, dark hair and walked with a cane. If you could help me find her, it would really help me out.”
She nudges her child the rest of the way into the house before coming onto the stoop and closing the door behind her. “I don’t know anybody round here like that, and the man who bought that place hasn’t been around in ages. Must be nice to have so much money you can just buy houses and leave ’em to rot.”
“Do you know anything about the owner?” Kendrick asks. “His name or where we might find him?”
She grunts. “Nah. He kept to himself, but I wouldn’t have wanted to know him if I could’ve. Game me the creepy-crawlies, always watching my girl, always smirking.”
“What did he look like, if you don’t mind?”
She shrugs. “Long white hair, tall and rail thin, but not in a hungry way, ya know? He acted like somebody who didn’t know what it was like to want for a darn thing.”
Kendrick and I exchange a look and I know we’re both thinking the same thing. Erith.
“Thanks for your help,” Kendrick says, reaching forward to shake her hand. She accepts it reluctantly, surprise registering on her face when he passes over several coins.
“What now?” I ask as we walk back toward our friends at the edge of town. “I feel like that got us nowhere.”
“We have our answer on whether the witch was working with Erith or Mordeus,” he says. “But if no one has been there since that witch met with you, then I’m not sure we’re going to find her through any of the neighbors. We’ll go back after dark and see what we can find inside.”
Chapter Thirty
Felicity
“You really thought you could come to the Eloran Palace and go unnoticed? I’ll give you credit. You’re more ballsy than I ever would’ve guessed. Good for you.”
“Who’s Felicity?” I snap, but it’s too late. Shae knows me too well, and even though I can school my features with the best of them, I’m failing miserably at controlling my heart rate.
“You and your brother and his friends—you’re all delusional, thinking you can bring down the Magical Seven. Elorans adore the Seven. The common people don’t know jack about the monarchy you all hold so dear.”
“A monarchy you fought for once.”
“I fought for the same reason everyone else does—I was sick of being poor and powerless. But I’m neither of those things now. Something much better came along than bowing to Kendrick the Chosen.” He singsongs my brother’s name like it’s a joke.
“Something better? Is being Erith’s errand boy so great?”
“We all do what we have to. This will be worth it in the end. Leading the Seven will be worth it in the end.”
I sputter out a laugh. “You? Leading the Seven? In what pathetic kind of world would that happen?”
“You think you’re so smart, and Hale thinks he’s so special, but you don’t know anything about the way this world works. About how the Seven work. Erith has all the real power and he can hand it over to anyone he chooses.”
“Is that what he promised you so you’d betray your friends? His position among the Seven? And you think anyone in the palace will stand for a piece of crap like you ruling them?”
“I could kill you right now,” he growls.
“But you won’t.” He would’ve killed me back at Castle Craige if he could have. Maybe before that. “You can’t ascend if you have blood on your hands.”
“That’s the only reason you’re not dead already. Don’t worry. Daray is on his way. He’ll take care of you for me.”
Misha, I call. Misha, I’m in trouble.
I grasp for our mental bond, but I don’t feel him there. How long has he been gone?
“You should’ve died when you faced that cave demon, but it turns out little miss sweeter than sunshine isn’t too good to let her goblin die for her.”
His words are like a knife, hot and twisting in my chest. I never would’ve chosen for Nigel to sacrifice himself for me and Shae knows it.