Page 147 of The Serpent’s Shadow

It sounded diabolical.

She said, “The bloodrender should have been too weak to even leave his hospital bed, much less cast a shadow image and flee the room. Does this not concern you, Whisperer? The fact he is gettingstrongerrather than frailer?”

Kelvar said nothing. Since I couldn’t see either of them, I didn’t know if he shrugged, nodded, or shook his head.

“We’ve both seen the anomaly, Tomekeeper. Let’s not play games.”

The anomaly? What in Odin’s name is going on? What are they trying to find within my blood?

Kelvar cleared his throat. “Whatever your concerns, I am pulling rank and ending this debacle. I know what you’re really after, Dahlia Anfinn, and it must end.”

“And what is that?” she crooned.

“Revenge.”

I clenched my jaw.Of course. Her dead daughter. My hand in Astrid’s death.It came as no surprise Tomekeeper Dahlia would want me dead—and not just dead, apparently, but tormented with blood that weakened my body, until I was a mere empty vessel, pliable by her trade.

“Can you blame me?” she shot back.

I felt Kelvar smile then, in front of me. I couldn’t see or hear it, but I knew he was grinning like a devil in the dark. “No, I can’t.”

The librarian huffed. “This won’t stand, Kelvar. I will bring this to the Gothi’s attention.”

“Be my guest. But you’d better hurry, Dahlia, lest the boy escapes your treacherous clutches and spreads the word about what’s been done to him here.”

With another frustrated sound, Dahlia called, “This isn’t over, Whisperer,” and her heavy tread carried her out of the room.

The doors shut a moment later—

And the black shawl hiding me disappeared.

I blinked back to startlement, staring at the furious face of Hersir Kelvar standing in front of me. His lips were a blade.

“Dammit, boy, I’m growing tired of saving your ass.”

My mouth worked but no words came out as I tried to take everything in. I shook my head, hand running through my hair nervously. “What the hell is happening here, Hersir? What was the Tomekeeper talking about?”

“Too much, Magnus. You aren’t safe here.”

“Where else will I be safe?” I snapped at him, throwing my arms up. “I am an object for this place to use.”

“No longer. You heard what I said. The tests are over. You can return to your studies and forget this ever happened.

“Forget?!” I shouted. I rarely showed anger, spite, or any emotion, but this was too much. Something deep inside me begged for answers. I had worked so hard in my clandestine studies in Mimir Tomes to understand myself, and now I was back at the starting point, more confused than ever.

“What is this ‘anomaly’ you spoke about?” I asked.

He narrowed the dark pools of his eyes, as if thinking about how much to say. Then, “There is a foreign entity in your blood that has kept you upright. Strengthened you, in fact.” He tilted his head, watching my reaction curiously. “Care to tell me whose blood you’ve been taking, boy?”

“No. I refuse.” My answer was swift, stern.

Kelvar chuckled. “It’s no matter. I don’t need to be a mindshaper to wrestle the truth from you, boy. The blood was elven-descended, and we don’t have too many students who might share that DNA.”

He popped the thin line of his eyebrows at me. I fought to remain steady under the scrutiny of this dangerous figure, recalling my training, trying to calm my slamming heart.

My heart that was supposed to belong to a dead man.

“The curious thing,” Kelvar continued, pulling at the skin of his neck with his arms folded, “is that besides the ancient connection we’ve found within your blood, there is another thing we cannot yet identify. A connection with something ancient.Thatis what we are calling the ‘anomaly.’ Because it is quite unexpected.”

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