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)
“Seamus!” someone shouts behind us. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Shae keeps the blade at my neck and spins us both around. Konner is standing there, eyes wide as he looks back and forth between us.
Hope bubbles in my chest.
Konner. He wouldn’t let Shae kill his child’s grandmother, but how much did he hear?
“What’s happening here, Seamus?” He prowls forward slowly, drawing a dagger from his hip, but Shae doesn’t move his blade.
“She’s not Sol,” Shae shouts, his voice frenzied and the knife digging into my neck enough to draw blood. “This is your piece-of-trash sister and she came to kill your father. We can’t let that happen.”
Konner’s eyes are hard as topaz when they meet mine. “Don’t. Move.” It’s a warning, and I’m trembling.
“Yes. We should get rid of her before she can get to anyone else. Who knows, she may have already killed Sol—if not, where is she?”
“I have a question,” Konner says, taking another step forward, gaze on Shae now. “What’s the point in holding the blade to her neck if you aren’t willing to follow through?”
Konner looks at me, and maybe I imagine it, but I think he nods ever so slightly, as if to say, Move now. And I do. I use the maneuver Misha taught me while I was staying at Castle Craige, pulling down on his arm and dropping my weight to the floor. Sol is taller and much stronger than Jasalyn, so I don’t need any help to send Shae to the floor on his back. I sidestep as Konner approaches behind me, as sure of his next move as if we’d trained together a dozen times.
Konner drops and puts his blade to Shae’s throat. “Oh, Seamus. You know what’s nice about never aspiring to sit among the Seven?” he asks, adding just enough pressure that blood pearls along the blade. “I can kill anyone who threatens my family.”
But just as he draws back to strike, Shae disappears.
Konner releases a string of curses that would make even Remme blush, but all I can do is stare at the spot on the floor where Shae used to be.
When Konner guides me to a chair in a sparse sitting area of even sparser living quarters, I’m still shaking.
Maybe he’s brought me here to torture information out of me. Maybe I should’ve run from him the moment Shae disappeared. But just like I knew he would take care of Shae if I got out of the way, I know he has no intention of harming me now.
He strides to a small armoire and throws the door open, shoving uniforms aside and reaching to the back. He pulls out a bottle and walks it over to me. “Drink this.”
I frown at it. Brown, foggy glass. The gods only know what inside. “Why?”
“Because right now, the only person other than me who knows you’re not who you say is on the run. Drink before someone who knows better spots you—someone I’m not willing to kill.” He shakes the bottle. “It doesn’t hurt. I’ve used it a hundred times.”
“This will allow me to return to my true form without sleep?” His words sink in, and I flick my gaze back up to his. “You’re an Echo too?”
“We’re twins, remember? I’m guessing there are a lot more similarities between us than you realize.” He paces back and forth in front of me, eyes darting to the door every so often as if he’s afraid someone’s going to charge through it. Maybe they will.
“Do you think Shae will tell someone?”
“He’s not a favorite around here, and that will work in our favor. But yes, I think he’ll tell Erith’s favorites exactly what happened today. Luckily, I can plead ignorance and say I thought he was trying to kill one of the Seven.”
“You would’ve really killed him for me, wouldn’t you?”
“Happily. Though I’ve been looking for an excuse.” He scoffs and stops pacing to scowl at me. “What do you think you’re doing here? Are you alone? Are you a complete fool?” He drags a hand through his white hair. There’s real fear in his eyes. “You’re lucky you’re alive. Seamus is Erith’s proxy. Through the power Erith handed him when he left, Seamus would’ve had the right to have you executed.”
“I know.” I squeeze my knees. I’m not used to this. Hale’s the one who’s always running into dangerous situations, the one risking his life, the one having to think on his feet to survive.
Konner folds his arms. “Where is Sol? Did you do something to her? Did—”
“She’s fine. She’s at Castle Craige being wined and dined by the former queen and the king’s sister.” And probably growing more and more irritated that Misha hasn’t shown up to the discussion she was promised.
“She was hoping for an alliance. But after this?” He waves a hand up and down to indicate my form. “I don’t know if she’ll trust him.”