Page 97 of The Ninth Element

“I cannot return just yet,” he says in a low voice. “There’s a task I must attend to in Shemiran tonight.”

“But… the trial?”

“We have until sunrise. My business will end by midnight, perhaps later. But I will return before dawn.”

I eye him suspiciously, wondering what game he is playing. He must see the doubt in my eye because his face turns dark. “I can give you the coins if you don’t trust me. You can head back with them.”

“We both need to be there to claim victory, not just me and our coins,” I remind him.

“That’s why I’m asking you to give me some time. I’ll be back before dawn.”

“But we’ll be ranked—”

He shakes his head. “We’ll be ranked second. They all seem keen on sharing the first rank. If we come in second, we will only be one point behind them. That would not change our standing in the trials.”

His logic is sound, but the thought of waiting until dawn, not knowing if he’d return, not knowing if I’ve passed the trial, fills me with dread. “What business do you have in Shemiran? Why can’t you do it tomorrow? After we claim victory?”

“Firelands business,” Zanyar answers curtly, about as forthcoming as a Maravanian paying his debts.

Frowning, I cross my arms. “Star-related?”

He only blinks, but his silence is a more deafening admission than any response.

“Thought you weren’t here for the Star,” I quip sarcastically.

He bites the inside of his cheek. “I didn’t come here to fulfill Ahira Emmengar’s mission, but I told him I would so that he would let me come. I can’t show up empty-handed.”

This admission is too rare to be a lie. I want to ask what the real reason is that he came here for, but I hold my tongue. This is not the right time orplace. He is right about our ranking, and if he promises to return, I think I can trust him to keep his word. I have no idea why, but my gut tells me he is not spinning tales.

“All right, but only if I can come with you,” I bargain, leveling a stern gaze at him and tapping my foot on the floor nervously. “I can’t sit anxiously and wait for you in Jahanwatch till dawn. And you need to promise we’ll be back before the rooster crows.”

After a long stare-off, he finally gives a curt nod. “Fine. But what happens tonight shall not make its way to your Izadeonian mate’s ears.”

Talk about a twist! I started this whole chase to help the Izadeonians, but now I must promise not to reveal the truth I might uncover to them. They are acting like they don’t need my help, so why should I feel guilty about keeping secrets from them?

I shove down the guilt and nod at Zanyar.

I turn back to the others who are watching us with frustration and take a few steps closer. “We’ll join you later,” I announce. “You should go ahead.”

Darian’s face, already set in lines of disapproval, darkens further, transforming into a thunderous scowl. He takes the stairs down, closing the distance between us. “Arien,” he says with a controlled warning in his voice, “what exactly are you doing?”

“There’s something we need to do,” I reply. “It’s Firelands business.”

He reaches the bottom of the stairs, stopping directly in front of me; his height, his presence, deliberately intimidating. His gaze is burning into me. “Firelands? The very place you are so desperate to escape?”

“We’ll be back before dawn,” I assure him.

“How can you trust him?” he demands, his narrowed eyes flicking to Zanyar. “He’s been trying to sabotage you from the start.”

I swallow, and the frustration and the hurt of the past nine days suddenly bubble to the surface. I lift my chin, meeting his gaze directly, my voice hardening. “I know what I’m doing, Darian.”

“Do you?” he challenges, his voice dangerously soft, but the doubt in it cuts deeper than any shout.

A wave of raw anger surges through me. “Yes,” I snap. “I do. I know youdon’t think I can handle anything complex. You’ve made that perfectly clear in the last nine days. But I know exactly what I’m capable of, and I don’t need you to make me question myself.”

The color drains from Darian’s face, leaving him ashen. His eyes widen, not with anger, but with shock, with hurt, and with a dawning, horrified realization. He looks like I’ve physically struck him. But I’m beyond caring. I turn to Zanyar. “Let’s go.”

Without a backward glance, I ascend the stairs, leaving Darian standing there, silent and stunned.

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