Page 64 of The Unseelie Court

“Then we find a way to get her out of the Web. And as far from Serrik as possible.” Ibin was smiling like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh, yes, let us simply escort her out of this unbreakable prison. Why did I not think of that earlier? Thank you for this wonderful epiphany.” Ava’s sarcasm was rubbing off on him. That was all he needed. “Forgive me, Ibin. I am exhausted.”

“No, that’s valid. We’re both tired. And I never said I had a plan on how to do that. I simply said that’s what we should be striving for. It would solve all our problems.” Her face lit up. “Perhaps even permanently!”

“What do you mean?”

She gestured down at the grimoire. “With her, goes the book. And without the book?—”

Without the book, Serrik would never be able to break the prison door.

It was a terrible idea. An absolutelyhorribleone. A gamble, above all others. “I do not know if what you are saying is even possible. Do you believe our wardens will want a human running about with access to…” Nos furrowed his brow. How would that even function? Would that evenwork?He stared down at the grimoire in the grass and shook his head.

There was so much Ava did not know. So many truths that were hidden from her. Ones that Nos could not tell her—or Ibin—if for very different reasons.

“Then, they’ll have to decide which risk is worse. Her unlocking the door, or her running about with the book, dropping trains on people.” Ibin was clearly trying not to laugh at the notion of the chaos Ava would cause outside the Web. “I’ve never understood why they put the book in here with Serrik in the first place, seems like a terrible idea.”

He kept quiet on the subject and went back to the more important one. “They are already hunting her, I am sure. The reverberation of her magic has drawn attention.”

“Well, if she hasn’t already gotten their attention”—Ibin looked down at the shard of broken mirror lying beside Ava and the book in the grass—“something tells me she’s about to.”

Ava came to,standing in Serrik’s library. She was dreaming again—or still, perhaps—it all ran together. She was going to wake up feeling like she had been hit by a truck.

Or a train.

But she probably felt better than how Serrik looked. He was leaning on one of his long tables, his head lowered, his long green hair shrouding his face.

“Serrik?”

He straightened up all at once, pulling in a hiss of breath. He hadn’t known she was there. His golden jewelry glimmered in the light of the candles that burned in rows down the length of the table and on the surfaces around him.

Even exhausted, even with bags under his eyes and a strained expression, he was beautiful.

“Are you okay?” It was a stupid question to ask him. No, of course he wasn’tokay.That was obvious by looking at him. And he’d just had a memory ripped out of him. She couldn’t imagine what that did to a person.

But she almost did have to imagine it.

Because she’d almost lived through it.

“I am fine.” Serrik composed himself.

“I—I know we’re not supposed to say this, but I’m already bound to you so it doesn’t matter, so I’m going to say it anyway. Thank you. For what you did.” Cautiously, she walked up to him.

They weren’t friends.

She didn’t trust him.

But he’d taken a bullet for her.

“It is no loss to me. I will sleep better now that it is gone.” He didn’t look at her, instead focusing down on the papers in front of him. “But you are welcome.”

She didn’t know why but she reached out to touch his arm. Serrik turned from her and walked toward his fireplace in the same moment, leaving her hand hanging in mid-air.

Her heart broke. For whom, she didn’t know.

“You should go. Get some r—” His knees buckled.

Ava ran forward as Serrik collapsed, catching himself on the edge of his long table. She grabbed him, and learned that Serrik washeavy.Way heavier than he ought to be, even for a man pushing six and a half feet and broad at the shoulders.

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