Page 51 of Shadow's Heart

“Harea. I know! The great King of Sand. And she is Princess Kosmina of Dacia.”

Kosmina said, “Are you a mind reader, Entity?”

The sorceress said, “Call me Enti, which is better than the other way I could have shortened my name.” Broad wink. “To answer your question, yes, I read minds. I see your hopes, dreams, and more. Oftentimes I can make them come true. Within reason, of course.”

Good luck reading his dreams. He didn’t even know himself anymore—or what he might want. As soon as the thought occurred, he recalled how he’d felt as Kosmina lay dead.

Something mysterious binds us.

Enti eyed Silt, and her strange irises appeared to swirl like pinwheels in the wind. “You’ll find everything you need here, every luxury to make your stay pleasurable.”

Everything he needed? The food scents were stronger here, making his stomach knot with hunger, but he still didn’t detect that dragon’s breath.

“The revenants won’t try to swim?” Kosmina asked.

Enti drew her gaze from Silt, her irises stilling. “No. Now they’ll bury themselves back inside their rock grave, hibernating until they sense the living once more.”

“Why didn’t they storm the bridge?”

“In the past, we furled a number of them in it. An absolutely crushing way to go,” Enti said dryly.

Anger flaring, Silt said, “Yes, we got that up-close impression.”

“I apologize, but some of the revenants looked like they might try me once more, so I had to enact my best defense quickly to keep everyone here safe. Sometimes accuracy suffers.”

Kosmina’s brows drew together. “Why help us?”

“We welcome all living immortals in Castle Vitis, without judgment for how you came to be here.”Vitis? Named for the vines outside?

“In exchange for what?” the princess asked, hunting for the angle.

“For not having ill-intent. I can read people’s hearts, and you two hold no malice—at least not toward me. But my gods, toward each other? You, princess, dream of killing this sorcerer, and you crave to drink more of his ‘magical’ blood—not at the same time.” Enti pointed at Silt. “You dream of killing her brother, and you’re in a lather to bed her alone—also not at the same time.”

Silt and the vampire spoke at once:

—“I’m notpreferred, sorcerer? Justavailable?”

—“My blood is magical, is it?”

Kosmina craved him! Yet his self-satisfied grin faded. After their kiss, he’d hoped her resolve to murder him would have faltered. Despite Enti’s words, his own plans to off Mirceo felt less pressing.

As they turned a corner into another corridor, Enti said, “Nevertheless, we have a peaceful existence here. I will maintain it.” She turned the full impact of her smile on him. “Sorceri come along so rarely. We have just a handful here.” As her steps matched his, her eyes indicated she was reading his mind again.

Then she would see his gravest secret:my past as an Inferi. He refused to glance away. Would she reveal his ignominy in front of Kosmina? Didn’t matter. The princess would be lost soon anyway.

“What a pleasure it will be to know you,” Enti said, hinting at layers of meaning.

And you.If her power proved gettable, would he change his view on sorcery accumulation? Maybe. “I haven’t heard of you before, and I know of most.”

“I believe you were already in Poly when I came into my abilities.” She led them down another hallway.

Before he could drill down on her answer, a gaggle of scantily clad demonesses passed them. All of them looked well-fed and happy. Where had Enti found so many females among those condemned in Nightside?

Silt flashed them a smile. When they giggled and waved, he turned to see Kosmina’s reaction.

Eye roll.

So he tapped his jugular with raised brows.You know you want it.And now Silt did too.

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