Page 90 of The Serpent’s Shadow

End of the day, he chose family over friendship.

I wouldn’t have done it if the roles were reversed, unless it was my mother. Then, well, I suppose I can understand why he did what he did.

It didn’t make me feel any better. It wasn’t just the deception. It was the fact he’d led me on for so long with his silver tongue and fake smiles.

I was disgusted at the thought, so I turned away before the disgust could show itself on my face. “Hersir Kelvar interrogatedyou, he led to my capture, and he’s been doing something awful to Magnus Feldraug too, I fear.”

Arne lifted his brow at that last part. “Aye, lass, he’s a menace. Much more than people realize. If this academy is a serpent, he is its shadow.”

My gaze lifted, shock ripping through me with a small gasp.

Arne reeled, brow furrowing. “Rav? What’s wrong?”

The serpent’s shadow. The prophecy from Elayina.

Gods, there were so many moving parts of this whole damned thing, I couldn’t keep them straight in my mind.

Violently shaking my head, I stammered, “I-It’s nothing. I’ve just heard that phrase before. The serpent’s shadow.”

And it had nothing to do with Hersir Kelvar. It had to do withme.

Arne’s face was a blank canvas, confusion clear on his fine, bruised features.

“I’ve got to go,” I said, feeling suddenly tense and frightful. “Best not get seen colluding for too long in public.”

With a small bow of his head, he said, “Right. I’ll have the information you seek within the week, all things going well.”

He started walking away, without a hug, kiss, or fare-thee-well from me. The squeeze on my heart tightened, and I realized it wasn’t aclawtrying to pop the damn muscle. It was the serpent’s tail, coiled around the inside of me as I watched Arne Gornhodr walk away with his shoulders slumped.

“Arne,” I called out.

His posture stiffened. He froze, wheeling around in the dark shadows.

“Thank you,” I eked out.

Another furrowed brow gave him a flabbergasted look. “No, Ravinica. Thankyou.”

I scoffed. “For what?”Treating you like a dog, demanding things of you to win back my heart? Using you?

“For giving me a second chance,” he said, “when I deserve nothing but your contempt and hatred.”

Chapter 27

Ravinica

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