Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Beck nods, his usual jovial expression subdued. "Same here. That's why I'm pushing for her. I really do think she'd fight for us."
After another half hour of debate, I finally relent. "Fine. Let's add Brunhild. But Beck, if she betrays us, I'm feeding you to Typhon."
"Deal." Beck's face splits into a wide grin.
"So it's agreed upon, then," Ambrose says, rubbing his hands together. "The five of us against whatever the Crucible throws at us."
"And against Malakai and Serena," Mireen adds grimly.
"Don't remind me," I say with a sour smile.
We're gathering our gear to leave when the heavy wooden door to the training room swings open. A breathless first-year water—Lissa, I think her name is—stumbles in, her eyes wide with urgency.
"Sorry to interrupt," she pants, "but I heard your team was training here. I'm trying to find any teams I can that aren't with Malakai and Serena."
I frown. "What do you mean?"
"Sorry. I'm Lissa. I'm teamed with Jorvan, Markus, Toreena, and Vas. All of us have lost somebody to Malakai and his fucking 'soldiers'. But we thought he gave up trying to grow his little army after Confluence Day. Turns out he didn't. He was only doing it more quietly."
"How do you know this?" Ambrose asks.
"Because he tried to recruit Jorvan. Forgot he killed Jorvan's best friend, I guess. He told him he's already got nearly half the waters on his side. Five full teams ready to go. Jorvan played along to learn as much as he could. Malakai wants to kill everyone who isn't on his team. He's promising to use his legacy privileges to help anyone who sides with him."
I frown. “Thanks, but that’s hardly new information.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t get it. There are the people obviously allied with him, but he’s recruiting people to lay low, too. People to turn at the last second. And he’s not just recruiting waters. He has allies across all affinities already.”
"Why are you telling us this?" Mireen asks. "Before Confluence Day, you told me to fuck off when I asked about Malakai and who he was coming for."
Lissa sighs. "Yeah, I remember. But I also didn't know who the hell to trust at that point. Malakai has made it pretty clear he wants to kill you guys the most. Especially Nessa. So I'm pretty sure you're not with him. Anyway, I wanted to know if we can trust you during the Crucible. We're not going to try to win. We're just going to form a protective group and try like hell to stay alive. Maybe if Malakai and Serena see we're not a threat to the prize, they'll leave us alone."
“Nothing like death and the threat of dismemberment to bring former enemies together, huh?” Mireen muses.
"Cowards," Typhon notes.
"You don't have to worry about us," I say. "I can't promise we'll go along with your plan. But we’re not with them. If there’s a chance to help you and your team, we will.”
I'm relieved when my friends all nod their heads without hesitation.
"Thanks for letting us know, Lissa," I say. She nods and leaves, the door closing behind her with an ominous thud.
"We need more allies," Ambrose says immediately. "More than just Brunhild."
"There's Raith," I suggest, and immediately regret it when three pairs of eyes lock onto me with varying degrees of suspicion and amusement.
"Your scarred fire boyfriend?" Beck teases, but there's seriousness underneath it. "You're really sure he's trustworthy?"
"He's not my boyfriend," I mutter, ignoring the heat that rises to my cheeks. "And yes, I trust him."
"Why?" Mireen asks, and it's not an accusation, just a genuine question. "He's from the border, Nessa. A volunteer. And he's a fire." She lets out a breath. "I know they aren't all as bad as I thought at first, okay? It's just... hard for me to believe we can trust someone like that with our lives."
"I'm inclined to agree with Mireen," Ambrose says. "I know he's been helping you train, but beyond that—why do you trust him?"
I think of Raith's hands, strong and sure as he corrects my stance. The way he pushes me harder than anyone else because he seems to believe I'm capable of far more than I would ever dare. The tenderness that sometimes flashes through when he thinks I'm not looking.
"He's had plenty of chances to hurt me," I say finally. "He chose to help instead. That counts for something in this place. And he was the first one to show up when I walked into the trap with Malakai and Serena last week."
Ambrose nods slowly. "Logical. Though emotional attachments can cloud judgment."
"I'm not—" I begin, but Beck cuts me off with a snort.
"Please. Every time you look at him, it's like watching a starving person stare at a feast. The real question is whether he's with us or just with you."