Page 87 of Shadow's Heart

His first clue: I tried to force my fangs into his throat.Mina canted her head at the sorceress. Though Enti smelled wonderful, her neck didn’t beckon a bite. Why hadn’t Mina had the urge to drink her, or anyone else in the castle? The only one she wanted to consume was Adham. “Have you seen him?”

“He cornered Xodin downstairs to grill him about dimensional vulnerabilities and the hive. Preparing for your trip as usual,” Enti finished brightly.

Once Adham realized that his questions still had the same dismal answers, he’d stop asking them. “I see.”

“Xodin hasn’t updated you about the weapon lately. And you haven’t asked me at dinner about my progress.”

“No. I haven’t.” Mina had tired of playing games.

Enti’s lips parted. “YouknewI couldn’t make it. How?”

Shrug.You tell me much when you tell me little.“I know whenever the sorcerer lies to me. He told me you were still working on it, and that he intended to leave with me. I’ve known all along that both were falsehoods.”

Enti blew out a breath. “I’m impressed. Silt is a practiced deceiver. One of the best.”

The name still struck Mina wrong. When she could forget about his lies, he was moreAdham. “And I’m an observer. You read minds for answers. I deduce them.”

“Why would you stay an entire week with no weapon coming? And why would you show up at dinner, so happy to be on his arm?”

Because she’d thought he would change. Fall in love. Leave with her. “The downstairs gatherings were fascinating to me, since everyone knew about Silt’s ruse. You each danced like youwere invisible and I couldn’t see your movements. So many lies were spilled, I was able to learn everyone’s tells.”

Enti nervously adjusted her mask—her tell. “You seemed so optimistic.”

“That’s my nature in general, and I believed I could drag him over the finish line.” She’d begun to accept that she couldn’t—because he didn’twantto reach it with her. “I thought he might surprise me.”

Something unsettling flashed in Enti’s eyes. “I’ve waited eons for a male to surprise me.”

Even after Mina had figured out the sorceress’s part in Adham’s deception, suspicions about this place continued to whirl. Mina still sensed something wrong. No surprise, this Sorceri lair wasn’t as it seemed.

Smoothing her hair, Enti said, “Your extra days here weakened you. You rolled the dice harder than the demons downstairs—and with far more at stake.”

“Yes. But I hesitated to go for other reasons.”Hampered by fear and ruled by pleasure.She’d pitied the denizens here, but she’d been just as pitiable. She’d feared losing Adham—and her life—and the pleasure she’d found with him had ruled her.

Tragic.

“I can imagine what kept you here.” Enti fanned herself.

Another shrug. “No gambler can win all the time.”

“Debatable, young princess. You hold no anger toward me for my part?”

Mina tried to muster a smile. “I was warned. Beware the Sorceri.”

A quake rumbled, shaking the castle, rustling the vines outside and sloshing the sea.

When the vibrations stilled, Mina said, “Sorceress, leave with me. Tonight.”

Instead of answering, Enti moved out to the balcony, and Mina followed. “Sometimes you can hear the ghouls roaring from their mountain.” The sorceress’s gaze narrowed on it. “I try to muffle the sounds for everyone here. Nervous guests don’t dream as much.”

Chills rose on Mina’s arms.

Enti turned to her. “My powers won’t help me one bit away from Castle Vitis. This is where I’m safest. Besides, it’s getting even more dangerous out there. Revenants, wendigos, and hellhounds have started roaming outside their normal territories. The undead continue to hunt, but unpredictably now.”

“And still, I’m going.”Mina inwardly repeated,All the worlds should fear me.

“Courageous princess. Silt would be lucky to have you, but he doesn’t appreciate you, so you wouldn’t be lucky to have him.”

“What would you do with a male like that?”

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