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)
Are you kidding? Tick tock. I had a thousand more questions, and he was playing games.
Deciding on a stoic veneer, he continued in a heavy tone. “Soal is the answer to every problem. The old gods rise. The war heats. Pritis stones die but shouldn’t. There’s no such thing as coincidences. Judging by the sections of your book you’ve told me about, we both know you help us bring down Cured.”
“I never told you—I won’t ever—” I caught myself. No more mental mazes. “Please, go on.”
He leaned in. “Do you wonder if Shiloh broke from EOS . . . or if Cured broke him without it?”
I clutched the edge of the table. Of course he’d brought up a topic sure to set me off. “People can’t be made to break without the Madness.”
“Can’t they? Do you even know what EOS stands for? Let me answer for you: no. You know only what you’ve been told.”
“Time is up.” King Tagin’s voice spilled from overhead speakers, dripping with anger.
Mr. Victors chuckled with delight. “I must say, his upset is intoxicating.” He smirked at Cyrus. “Astan’s defeat is assured, and all the Dolions know it.”
Astan, a name Shiloh had mentioned as well. A detail I might’ve latched on to at any other time. Now, I worried more about people breaking without being infected. If they could be made to break . . .
Cyrus eased to his feet, helped me stand, and ushered me toward the door. Though I didn’t want to leave, I didn’t protest. I cast a probing glance over my shoulder.
Mr. Victors’s innocent smile returned, shining with megawatt brightness. “The pleasure was mine, Arden. I look forward to our next interaction.”
The door slid closed, ending our interaction but not my inner turmoil. I couldn’t deny he’d made an impact.
“Brace yourself,” Cyrus muttered. Frustration and concern percolated in his command. “Your interrogation begins in five. Four. Three.”
My stomach lurched. Yeah, his father must have questions. Before I responded, I needed to decide what to admit and what to keep to myself. It all depended on what the listeners had understood and what remained a secret between the prisoner and me, but I wasn’t sure how much they’d heard.
Tagin Dolion exited a room beside ours, and every soldier near us jerked to attention, saluting him. “Dismissed,” he barked with none of his usual charm. The men and women marched off in a hurry. “Tell me what Victors said to you. Leave nothing out.”
I met his probing stare head on. Here goes. “Mr. Victors gave me the usual Soalian spiel. Soal is the answer to every problem, old gods rise, and a war heats. He mentioned reading a portion of his book and said he’d once found a pritis stone but hadn’t recognized its value until he washed it. He implied Shiloh Cruz broke without being infected with Madness, asked me if I knew what EOS stands for, and stated someone named Astan is defeated.” No part of me wished to mention the marriage thing. “What does EOS stand for?”
The king scowled and jumped his gaze to his son. “When you get back, make sure she receives a dose of aidem.”
“I’ll take care of it personally,” Cyrus replied with a firm nod.
Aidem. The same injection Dr. Korey wasn’t positive she’d given me on my first day at the academy. One of the shots mentioned in the Lemon Ade file. “I don’t need another.” I wasn’t even sure why I’d gotten the first or what aidem was.
“You need whatever I say you need.” The king pinned me with a hard stare. “If I discover you’ve lied—”
“She falls under my jurisdiction.” Cyrus stepped in front of me, acting as my shield. “I handle her.”
My eyes widened as the two faced off.
“You fall under my jurisdiction,” the king snapped.
“Do I?” Cyrus said nothing else. He tilted his head, all calm and assurance.
To my shock, the king backed down. “Just . . . see to it, or we’ll have this conversation again, and it will end much differently.”
Cyrus turned on his heel and strode off, expecting me to follow. Which I did. “Not another word until we’re alone,” he commanded at low volume.
As if I knew what to say.
We entered the elevator stall.
“You know what EOS stands for, I’m sure,” I remarked as soon as the door had closed.
“You’re due for guard duty at the pritis mines,” he said, as if I hadn’t spoken. “I’d rather you stay with me. Stay, and I’ll share one of my interactions with Soal.”
My heart fluttered at his husky tone, and oh, the temptation. But I couldn’t shake a portion of Mr. Victors’s speech. Pritis stones die but shouldn’t. There’s no such thing as coincidences.
“I won’t neglect my duties.” I hoped my easy tone masked my frothing determination to peek inside the mines. “And I won’t stick my teammates with extra work because I fail to do my portion.” Excellent reasons. Very true and totally buyable.