Page 58 of Heir of Illusion

The name rankles, but I suppose it’s better than being called pet. Still, the reminder of how everyone sees me stings. I’m not a person.I’m a thing. A dark, monstrous creature creeping through their nightmares.

Hurrying down the steps, I get some space from this cursed place. I breathe in through my nose and hold it for five seconds before releasing the air through my mouth. After a few minutes, my rapid heartbeat quiets, returning to its normal pace.

We spent barely half an hour in the house, but in that short amount of time, the weather has already changed. Dark clouds roll in from the sea, overtaking the bright morning sky. A series of loud thuds pull my attention to the neighbor’s house, where I find a man and a boy nailing boards over their windows. It’s smart. The incoming storm may appear minor to some, but this part of the city is prone to flooding.

Turning back toward the Darby house, I find Thorne speaking quietly with the guards, both of whom are glaring at him with a mix of fear and contempt. I cringe when I think about what he overheard inside. I used to be the perfect actress, never breaking character. Every performance was flawless. But lately, I keep screwing up and forgetting that I have a part to play. I break character and let little glimpses of my true self peek through. The worst part is I don’t even know who that person is.

And I think I’m afraid to find out.

But searching for thealmanovaand keeping it out of Baylor’s hands feels big. Important. For the first time in ages, I have a real purpose. More than an assignment from the king or a name from Della. I think I might actually be doing something good. And while I may have been pushed toward this path, I chose to follow it.

Now I just need to pull myself together and finish the job.

Thorne walks down the steps, coming to meet me near the street.

“What were you telling them?” I ask as one of the guards takes off running down the street while the other one heads around to the back of the house.

“I ordered that one to tell your captain what we learned.” He points at the sprinting guard.

“Was it truly so urgent he needed to run?”

“That was all him.” Thorne shrugs. “I got the impression he was frightened of me.”

My lips twitch. “What gave you that idea?”

He ignores the question. “And I told the other guard to start boarding up the windows for Mrs. Darby.”

“You did?” I ask as my brows shoot up. “But you were so angry with her?”

“I still am.” He nods, shifting uncomfortably. “But I’m not heartless. Her situation isn’t her fault.”

I look away, trying to rationalize the various sides of his personality. I wouldn’t have expected Thorne to be this thoughtful, especially after the way he frightened her inside. But people are complex beings. Perhaps it’s impossible to ever truly know what another person is capable of. I’m sure Mrs. Darby never believed her husband could do the things he’s done. I can’t imagine how terrified she must have been when he showed up in the middle of the night covered in blood.

As her words replay through my mind, I realize something is bothering me about what she said.

It looked like something tried to take a bite out of his leg…

I stitched him up as best I could…

“Something’s not right.”

Thorne cocks a brow. “Care to elaborate?”

“Darby made it out of the tunnel with the sword,” I say slowly, piecing my thoughts together. “But Mrs. Darby said he didn’t have it with him when he came here last night.”

Thorne nods. “So, if he didn’t bring it with him, where was it?”

I glance around the street, taking in the run-down homes.

And the blood…Alice had said.There was so much of it.

“Darby’s mortal,” I murmur as everything suddenly connects in my mind.

“I’m aware,” the reaper says flatly.

“No, you don’t understand,” I insist. My hand almost reaches out to grab his arm, but I pull it back midair. If he notices, he doesn’t comment on the slip. “Darby’s wound was still bleeding when he got here. For a mortal, that kind of injury would have slowed him down considerably. That much blood loss would put him on the verge of passing out.”

I kick myself for not making the connection sooner, but as a high fae I don’t usually have to worry about that kind of thing. It can be easy to forget that others do.

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