Page 155 of Heir of Illusion

“You’re just jealous.” I roll my eyes.

“I’m unfamiliar with that emotion,” he says snobbishly. “Perhaps you could describe it to me?”

I roll my eyes. “Let me guess, it’s because you’re too beautiful to be envious of anyone?”

His hand flies to his chest dramatically. “Ivy, I’m flattered, but I think of you as the little sister I never had.”

I arch a brow.

“Fine,” he grumbles. “The annoying younger cousin I’m only vaguely fond of.”

“I don’t think of you at all,” I whisper proudly.

“I don’t think of you at all,” he mimics my tone.

“Break it up, children,” Della says as she returns from the bathing chamber. “And you.” She points at me. “You’re supposed to be resting your voice, not getting into pointless arguments. Go clean up.”

Darrow’s laughter follows me into the bathroom, and I pause to offer him a crude gesture before shutting the door.

All my amusement dries up when I catch sight of my reflection.

My skin is deathly pale. Bruises cover my entire neck in varying shades of black, blue, and purple. My lips are chapped and bleeding, but I think the worst part may be my eyes. They are completely bloodshot, making my amber irises appear darker.

Frankly, I look like a monster.

I’d love to take a bath, but there’s no time. Instead I splash water on my face and use a rag to wipe down my body. Once I’m done, I borrow a brush I found in one of the drawers and comb through my hair, frowning at the state of it. While it’s usually a vibrant shade of copper, now the color appears flat and lifeless. It’s as if the collar is sucking the life out of me, bleeding me dry each time it’s activated.

I force myself to take a deep breath and push aside my paranoid thoughts. My fingers shake as I untangle the mats in my hair and fashion it into my usual braid. With one last glance at my reflection, I decide it’s best to avoid mirrors for the foreseeable future.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid of what’s to come tonight. I’m usually confident during a fight, some might say overconfident, but I know I’m not at my best right now. My reflection alone is proof of that. After the events of the last twenty-four hours, my body is drained and calling on my illusions will only drain me further. Which means I won’t have myeidolonor invisibility to fall back on. Tonight, I’ll have to rely on my strength alone to get me through.

When I return to the room, I find Thorne waiting for me by the stairwell. He doesn’t carry any weapons, but I suppose there’s no reason for him to do so. His shadows and scythe are just a summons away. And of course I can’t forget about the flames he summoned at the ball. Those will make an impressive weapon.

“Where is everyone?” I ask as I head for the bed. It seems Della left my blades and sheaths waiting for me on the pillow.

“They already left,” he says, scanning my body for signs of weakness.

Anger stirs in my veins as I strap the sheaths to my thighs. “You can’t seriously be backing out of our agreement.”

“I’m not.” He crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the wooden rail. “They left without us because they're going on horseback.”

I narrow my eyes. “And we’re not?”

He shakes his head. “You and I are flying. Once we’re outside these walls, Baylor will be able to track you. Flying will make that more difficult.”

“Oh.” My head cocks to the side. “That’s actually smart.”

One corner of his mouth kicks up in a half smile. “The tone of surprise isn’t appreciated.”

“My sincerest apologies, oh so intelligent God of Death.” I roll my eyes as I move around him to get to the stairs.

He darts in front of me, blocking my path. “You don’t sound sorry.”

I take a step closer, crowding his space until my chest is brushing his. “What would you do if I told you I’m not?”

Shadows curl around the outer rim of his eyes. “There are many things I could do.”

“Such as?” I glance up at him innocently as my teeth sink into my lower lip.

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