Page 161 of Children of Blood and Bone

No…

I search him for any sign of the boy who promised me the world. The boy I almost gave up everything for.

But his eyes are distant. Tzain was right.

“You liar!” My scream echoes in the cell.

The words aren’t enough. They can’t cut the way I need them to, but I can barely think. I grip the metal chains so hard they rip through my skin. I need the pain to distract myself, otherwise nothing will stop my tears.

“Leave,” Inan orders his lieutenants, looking at me as if I were nothing. Like I wasn’t in his embrace just hours ago.

“She’s dangerous, Your Highness. We can’t—”

“That was an order, not a suggestion.”

The guards exchange glances but reluctantly leave the room. Gods know they can’t defy a direct order from their precious prince.

Clever.I shake my head. It’s not hard to guess why Inan wants privacy. The white streak that shone so vibrantly in his hair hides under a new coat of black dye. Can’t have anyone finding out the truth about their little prince.

Was this his plan all along?

I squeeze everything in me to keep my face even. He doesn’t get to see my pain. He doesn’t get to know how he’s hurt me.

The door swings shut, leaving us alone. He looks at me as we hear the sounds of the guards retreating. It’s only when we can’t hear them anymore that his hardened face crumbles into the boy I know.

Inan’s amber gaze fills with fear as he steps forward, eyes catching on the largest bloodstain on my dress. A warm rush of air fills my lungs—I don’t know when I stopped breathing. I don’t know when I started needing him this much.

I shake my head. “It’s not my blood,” I whisper.Not yet.“What happened? How did they find us?”

“The festival.” Inan looks down. “Divîners went into Gombe to get supplies. A few guards got suspicious and tailed them.”

Gods.I bite back a new wave of tears that wants to come forth. Slaughtered for a celebration. One we never should’ve had.

“Zél, we don’t have much time,” he rushes out, voice strained and hoarse. “I couldn’t get to you until now, but a military caravan just docked. Someone’s coming, and when they do…” Inan turns back to the door, hearing something that isn’t there. “Zél, I need you to tell me how to destroy the scroll.”

“What?” There’s no way I heard him correctly. After everything, he can’t think that’s the answer.

“If you tell me how to destroy it, I can protect you. Father will kill you as long as the possibility of magic coming back is still a threat.”

By the gods.

He doesn’t even realize we’ve already lost. The scroll means nothing without someone to read it. But I can’t let him know that.

They’ll slaughter us all if they find out, erasing every man, woman,and child. They won’t stop until we’re gone, until they’ve wiped our existence from this world with their hate.

“—they’re vicious, Zél.” Inan swallows hard, bringing me back to the present. “If you don’t give it up, you won’t survive.”

“Then I don’t survive.”

Inan’s face twists. “If you don’t talk, they’ll cut it out of you!”

A lump forms in my throat; I guessed this much. I can’t talk.

“So I’ll bleed.”

“Zél, please.” He steps forward, putting his hands on my bruised face. “I know we had our plans, but you have to realize everything’s changed—”

“Of course everything’s changed!” I scream. “Your father’s men killed Zu! Salim! All those children.” I shake my head. “They couldn’t even fight, and the guards murdered all of them!”

---