The Palace of Glass by Django Wexler Page B

it’s better because he doesn’t
understand
?” Flicker squared off against her, as though about to throw a punch, and his eyes were so bright, Alice couldn’t look directly at them. “I helped you, Reader, because we’re
better
than you. And I’m helping you now because Pyros says I have to. But none of that means I have to like you orforget what you are. You’re the one who chose to pursue power at the cost of other people’s lives, so
stop making excuses
.”
    Flicker shook his head, a wave of blue-white sliding through his hair. “I’m wasting my time, aren’t I?” he said, turning away. “Come on. We’ve still got a ways to go.”
    Alice didn’t move. Anger squeezed her lungs and wrapped itself around her heart. For a fleeting moment, she fought down an overpowering urge to pull on her threads, to summon monsters into the world and blot this impudent sprite out of existence. It was, she imagined, how Geryon must feel, how all the old Readers must feel; utterly secure in the knowledge that everyone and everything around them existed only on their sufferance, because they chose not to wield their immense power. Their cruelty was the cruelty of elephants to insects—a casual indifference, until a bite began to itch, and then obliteration with a flick of the trunk.
    And behind the anger, hiding in its shadow, a darker feeling she didn’t want to acknowledge.
Guilt.
    Alice forced herself to take a deep breath.
I’m not like them. I’m
not
.
    â€œI didn’t choose this,” she said. “I don’t mean to make excuses, but it’s the truth. Geryon killed my father andbrought me to live with him. Once he knew I had the talent to be a Reader, he told me I could be his apprentice or have my mind erased.”
    Flicker cocked his head. “Then why serve him?
You
can use the portal-books. You could go to any world you like.”
    â€œHe might follow me,” Alice said, but it didn’t sound convincing. Because Flicker was right, as far as it went. She probably
could
lose herself somewhere in the infinite worlds of the library, especially if Ending was willing to keep her secrets. But that wasn’t good enough. “And . . .”
    His burning eyes were steady on hers. “And what?”
    â€œAnd he has to pay for what he did. There’s no one to make sure he does but me.”
    Flicker stared. Alice rubbed her face with her sleeve and sucked in a great lungful of the cold air.
    â€œThat’s why I’m here,” she said. “Why I’m going to the Palace of Glass.”
    â€œYou never got Pyros’ call for help, then.”
    She shook her head.
    â€œThen why risk your life for us at all?”
    â€œI didn’t think you’d be willing to help, with the bluechill out there,” Alice said.
    â€œWe wouldn’t have had any choice, if you’d demanded it in Geryon’s name.”
    â€œI . . .” Alice hesitated for a moment, then finally shrugged. “I don’t know. It seemed fair.”
    Flicker regarded her for a moment longer, then turned away again. “Come on,” he repeated. “Still a ways to go.”

    Eventually they came to a hill with a fast-flowing river wrapped around one side of it. Flicker led Alice to the top, and from there she was able to see quite a long way. The river flowed toward a stone wall about fifteen feet high, and passed underneath it through a low archway. Behind it, several towers rose even higher, turreted tops black against the stars. Lights glowed behind the windows, giving off a blue-green radiance that had looked more like the devilfish’s glow than a proper fire.
    In the center of the wall was an iron-barred gate. Standing beside it was an enormous woman, easily nine or ten feet tall, with skin the blue-white of old ice and frost-white hair. She wore a conical helmet and carried a long-handled