refuse.
“And I’m sorry, Kiev,” Erik said, still sitting on the floor, now holding his head in his hands. “Julisse has been a sore spot for me recently.”
I stared at Erik. “What do you mean?”
He heaved a sigh, rubbing a palm against his forehead. “She’s started cheating on me. I know it. But I can’t prove it. And, of course, she won’t admit to it.”
I was at a loss for what to say. I’d never had had much conviction about their relationship—Julisse had a way about her that made me distrust her. But I was surprised that she would cheat on my brother. He was certainly one of the best-looking men on the island and also appeared to be several years younger than her.
But with Anna half dying on my bathroom floor, now was not the time for me to be a relationship counsellor to my brother.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” I said curtly.
Erik got up and walked toward me. He held out his hand and shook mine, patting me on the shoulder.
“I’m sorry for accusing you. I guess I didn’t believe you would do something like that to me. I was just venting.”
I nodded.
Helina stood up and gripped my arm.
“I’m sorry too,” she said softly. “And now, I promise, we’re on your side. I don’t know why you want this pregnant woman so much, or what you plan to do with her—to be honest, I’d rather not know. But whatever insane plan you have going through your mind, we’ll not say a word.”
She would have been even more horrified to learn that I had not even an insane plan. I had no plan at all.
They headed for the front door and stepped out into the corridor outside.
“Wait,” I hissed, just before they left. “Helina. Bring me down the rest of your perfume, will you?”
Chapter 25: Mona
I ’d thought that I would feel more shaken after murdering the ruler of The Sanctuary and her lover in their sleep. But I just felt numb. Perhaps it was Rhys’ influence on me finally working. I’d done what I had to do. Now that I’d done it, it felt almost no different than any other mundane task he might ask me to do.
When I resurfaced, I was back in Lilith’s cave. Gasping, I climbed out of the pool and pulled out the rolls of parchment beneath my cloak. They were soaked. Before they could disintegrate, I dried them with my magic, thankful to see that they were still readable. I turned back to face the Ancient, who was now floating in the pool. I held out the leather binder to her.
She crawled out of the pool and towered over me, snatching it from me. She flipped through the pages with her bony fingers. Seemingly satisfied, she handed it back to me. I was confused. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with them. Hell, I didn’t even know what they were.
I looked around the cavernous chamber. Rhys hadn’t arrived yet.
“Rhys?” I said, looking up at her.
She pointed toward the door. I assumed that meant I was to go and fetch him. Tucking the binder beneath my arm, I hurried out of the chamber and along the tunnels.
I ran out toward the entrance of the cave and saw Rhys sitting on a boulder, staring out at the ocean.
“Rhys!” I shouted.
He jumped to his feet, a look of relief on his face, and climbed up toward me.
He held my hand and pulled me close to him.
“She wants to see you now,” I said.
He gripped my hand and we walked back to the chamber.
The Ancient was still standing beside the pool, her thin arms crossed over her chest. She spoke up. Rhys looked at me. “She says you have a bundle of maps.”
I withdrew them from my cloak and handed them to him.
He flipped through the pages.
“What are they?” I asked.
“Not now,” he said, turning back to the Ancient. He continued talking to her.
When there was a gap in their conversation I asked anxiously, “So what now? Did I pass her test?”
He looked down at me and nodded.
I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. At least now I would have Rhys by my side for the rest of the way. It just
“And I’m sorry, Kiev,” Erik said, still sitting on the floor, now holding his head in his hands. “Julisse has been a sore spot for me recently.”
I stared at Erik. “What do you mean?”
He heaved a sigh, rubbing a palm against his forehead. “She’s started cheating on me. I know it. But I can’t prove it. And, of course, she won’t admit to it.”
I was at a loss for what to say. I’d never had had much conviction about their relationship—Julisse had a way about her that made me distrust her. But I was surprised that she would cheat on my brother. He was certainly one of the best-looking men on the island and also appeared to be several years younger than her.
But with Anna half dying on my bathroom floor, now was not the time for me to be a relationship counsellor to my brother.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” I said curtly.
Erik got up and walked toward me. He held out his hand and shook mine, patting me on the shoulder.
“I’m sorry for accusing you. I guess I didn’t believe you would do something like that to me. I was just venting.”
I nodded.
Helina stood up and gripped my arm.
“I’m sorry too,” she said softly. “And now, I promise, we’re on your side. I don’t know why you want this pregnant woman so much, or what you plan to do with her—to be honest, I’d rather not know. But whatever insane plan you have going through your mind, we’ll not say a word.”
She would have been even more horrified to learn that I had not even an insane plan. I had no plan at all.
They headed for the front door and stepped out into the corridor outside.
“Wait,” I hissed, just before they left. “Helina. Bring me down the rest of your perfume, will you?”
Chapter 25: Mona
I ’d thought that I would feel more shaken after murdering the ruler of The Sanctuary and her lover in their sleep. But I just felt numb. Perhaps it was Rhys’ influence on me finally working. I’d done what I had to do. Now that I’d done it, it felt almost no different than any other mundane task he might ask me to do.
When I resurfaced, I was back in Lilith’s cave. Gasping, I climbed out of the pool and pulled out the rolls of parchment beneath my cloak. They were soaked. Before they could disintegrate, I dried them with my magic, thankful to see that they were still readable. I turned back to face the Ancient, who was now floating in the pool. I held out the leather binder to her.
She crawled out of the pool and towered over me, snatching it from me. She flipped through the pages with her bony fingers. Seemingly satisfied, she handed it back to me. I was confused. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with them. Hell, I didn’t even know what they were.
I looked around the cavernous chamber. Rhys hadn’t arrived yet.
“Rhys?” I said, looking up at her.
She pointed toward the door. I assumed that meant I was to go and fetch him. Tucking the binder beneath my arm, I hurried out of the chamber and along the tunnels.
I ran out toward the entrance of the cave and saw Rhys sitting on a boulder, staring out at the ocean.
“Rhys!” I shouted.
He jumped to his feet, a look of relief on his face, and climbed up toward me.
He held my hand and pulled me close to him.
“She wants to see you now,” I said.
He gripped my hand and we walked back to the chamber.
The Ancient was still standing beside the pool, her thin arms crossed over her chest. She spoke up. Rhys looked at me. “She says you have a bundle of maps.”
I withdrew them from my cloak and handed them to him.
He flipped through the pages.
“What are they?” I asked.
“Not now,” he said, turning back to the Ancient. He continued talking to her.
When there was a gap in their conversation I asked anxiously, “So what now? Did I pass her test?”
He looked down at me and nodded.
I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. At least now I would have Rhys by my side for the rest of the way. It just
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