Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 117246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“You condemned him.”
“You are a fool!” she screeched. “You know nothing about anything and act as if you know everything.”
Silence stretched, both of us panting. She calmed first, her expression smoothing into polite serenity.
“I gave him his first instruction,” she said. “Told him to leave the base. He wasn’t supposed to be there. But he refused to leave. He decided to remain in his invisible chains for you.” Her eyes closed for a moment, and she drew in a shuddering breath. “I’m responsible for overseeing his last request. Your freedom.” Staring at me with swirling irises, she commanded, “Look. See.”
A massive three-story room replaced her, dominating the screen. And my reality. I felt as if I stood among leather-bound books meticulously stacked upon freshly polished shelves.
I didn’t have to wonder what I was seeing. The infamous library of Soal.
“This isn’t real,” I rasped. But I did gawk and marvel. Genuine or not, the sights stunned.
Wooden tables with elaborate carvings displayed treasures from the ages. Musical instruments, vases, and breathtakingly sparkly jewelry. Cushioned couches and chairs were positioned under trees that grew from the floor. Flower-heavy branches extended in every direction.
People glided here and there, moving in sync with soft music waltzing across the airwaves. Plush chairs offered cozy spots to read. I cast my gaze from face to face, searching for anyone I might recognize. A woman and a man sat together on a bench, talking, and I was almost certain I’d seen them in the halls of Fort Bala.
A soft feminine voice overshadowed the music, inviting people to listen to Meg on the Reg in an hour.
This is realer than anything you’ve ever seen before. Ember’s voice filled my head. Come. See more.
My view swept forward with dizzying speed, stopping inside a small empty room. A single book waited on a table. The intricately decorated cover read The Book of Arden.
One half of my being shouted, Run! Leave this place. The other whispered, Open. Read. What was written inside it?
I reached out . . . and the screen blanked.
“Bring it back,” I commanded with a huff.
Ember’s image returned, determination fierce. “Only members of the Tome Society are able to open their books. Soal is eager for you to begin your story.”
She wanted to make this a recruiting moment? Fine. I only cared about information. “Now I know you’re delusional. A god wouldn’t desire someone like me on his team.”
“Come talk to him. Ask him why.” She cleared her throat and raised her face. “Arden Roosa, this is your second invitation. Will you join the Tome Society?”
“No.” Nothing more needed to be said on my part.
“Very well.” She sighed. “I’ll ask you once more, then never again. Until next time.” The screen went blank.
Teeth grinding, I threw the reader against the wall. Glass shattered and tinkled over the floor, but I felt no satisfaction. I rolled into a fetal position and closed my eyes, empty inside.
A light thump of footsteps registered. Defenses activated, and I bolted upright, ready to punch.
“Easy.” Cyrus approached me slowly, palms out in a gesture of innocence. He sat at my side. The bed dipped, and he gently patted my arm. “You’re safe with me.”
Exhaustion had aged him at least a decade. “Safe.” I almost laughed. No one was ever truly safe in either world. “Where am I?”
“A recovery room.”
As if I could ever recover from this.
He stroked my hair, but I flinched from the touch. No, thank you. I hadn’t deserved comfort before, and I didn’t deserve it now.
Hurt flashed over his features, there and gone. Drawing his hand away, he softly asked, “How are you?”
I’d been irrevocably changed by what had occurred, as if someone had reached inside my chest, cut out my heart, and transplanted a new one. From fragile porcelain to steel wrapped with barbed wire. I merely said, “I’m fine.”
“Are you thirsty? Hungry?”
“Just curious.”
He frowned with concern. “You slept nineteen hours. You should be starved.”
Nineteen hours. Wow. I’d lost an entire day.
His gaze slid to the broken reader on the floor. He tilted his head. “Read something you didn’t like?”
Instead of explaining my mistreatment of the device, I asked, “Where’s Mykal? How is she?”
“Shaken and bruised but improved. At her request, she was transported to a treatment facility in Bala City, where she’ll remain until she’s ready to return. That option is available to you as well.”
Part of me wanted to take time to heal and accept. The rest of me insisted I train. Forget top lady. I wished only to become too strong to defeat.
“I’m ready for class,” I stated. “Or I will be after a shower.” I kicked my legs over the mattress.
“You can go to class if you wish, but we’ll finish our conversation first.” His tone firmed at the end, leaving no doubt he’d issued a command.
I stood anyway. “If you want me to stay in the bed, you’ll have to chain me.”