Page 32 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
“I don’t know.”
“You can’t get involved in this, Harrow. This isn’t your fight. It’s horrible and tragic, I know. But we’re part of this freak show, on display for the humans, because nowadays, there’s no other place for us in this world. Every night I perform for them because I have to take care of myself first. Let the pathetic humans clap for the weird cat lady. Let them clap and then give me all their money. Who cares? I’m fucking rich!” Malaikah sighed, her voice getting quiet. “Outside this life, Elementals aren’t accepted anymore. The bitch Queens made sure of that by choosing their never-ending squabbles over their own people. Now we have to find a way to survive on our own.”
Everything Malaikah was saying was true, and yet… “His life is in danger, Mal. I have to help him. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.”
Mal studied her with narrowed eyes. “What about this guy is so special?”
“I don’t know. But I feel like…” Harrow paused, trying to understand her feelings, trying to put them into words. “I feel like he’s important. To me. The Water told me that we’re connected and he’s meant to be in my life.”
Malaikah scoffed. “You cannot be in love already.”
“I’m not in love. It’s not like that.” Was it?
“Uh-huh.” Malaikah didn’t sound convinced, either.
“I can’t explain it, but I’m not abandoning him. I just can’t.”
“Why are you so certain he isn’t a wraith?”
“He’s not.”
“But how do you know? I mean, if Sal—”
“He’snot, Mal.”
“Honey, Salizar’s no fool. He’s a centuries-old Enchanter, one of the most powerful alive. He’s been places, seen stuff, knows a lot. If he’s convinced he’s got a real wraith on his hands, what makes you so certain he’s wrong? It would take a lot to trick that wily man.”
Harrow sighed. “You know how I can read people. If I meet someone evil, I know. And I can always tell if someone has killed before. Taking a life leaves a scar on the spirit. The Water senses it instantly.”
“And you don’t sense anything from Raith?”
She shook her head. “The inclination for violence is there, but he’s innocent. His spirit is squeaky clean. It’s almosttooclean. The only other time I’ve seen that is in children.”
“Children?” Mal lifted a brow. “But he’s not…”
“No. No, definitely not. But he has this purity about him, and he’s totally clueless to the world. I know it sounds irrational, Mal, but I just…needto do this.”
Malaikah stared at her for a long time. Finally, when Harrow was about to jump out of her skin, she nodded. “Okay. All right. You have your weird Seer urges that I’ll never understand. I get it, and I respect you and love you no matter what. If this—this…wild plan is really what you think you need to do, then I’m in.”
“Thank you.” Overcome with relief, Harrow leaned forward and clasped her friend’s hands. “You know I love you too.”
“So what do you need me to do?” Now, Malaikah’s eyes lit up with the sparkle of challenge. A woman accustomed to backflipping through space was not one to shy away from uncertainties.
“We need to make an escape plan. We’ve got less than a week before Raith’s supposed to perform, or whatever you call being tortured in front of an audience. I want to be long gone by then.”
“So what do you want to do?”
Harrow released Mal’s hands and leaned back in her seat. “First, we need to break him out of the cage.”
Mal gave her a look. “You know I’m a little rusty at this escape-artist stuff, right? It’s been a long time since I was on the run.”
“You’re still the best, and you’re the only one I trust. I couldn’t ask for a better accomplice.”
She flashed a grin. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” That long black tail started to flick again. “Okay, fine. But it won’t be easy. You know Sal will have enchanted that cage within an inch of its life.”
“I’m guessing the bars are unbreakable or Raith would have broken them already.”
“So he’s super strongandsweet? Are you sure you’re not in love?”
