Page 35 of Kingdom of Ashes & Bone
Zephyr drew a long draught from his canteen, smacking his lips and wiping them with the back of his sleeve, all the while grinning broadly. “I have you to thank, really. You said ‘we don’t have magick.’ Do you remember?”
I didn’t, but I’d tried to block most of that last meeting from my memories.
“Anyway, you were half right. Humans don’t have magick. But those with Noble blood do, you see? The witch gifted it to us along with the curse. We can’t change into demons without some kind of magick in our veins, can we? I’m so thankful to you for this realization, I am willing to drop our little feud and lead your little muddies to freedom.”
I nodded slightly, just to appease his sudden zeal. Had he just called my people ‘muddies?’
“Well, as I lay there hoping I wasn’t bleeding internally, I realized that if I had magick, maybe I could try some of the white and black rituals written down in the book. So you see, our little squabble was necessary for the greater picture.”
The fervent gleam in his eyes wasn’t encouraging.
“And did you try any rituals?” I asked cautiously.
He scoffed, leaning back on his log and crossing his arms over his chest. The tension broke as easily as snapping a twig. “Well, no. There’s a lot you need to do for a ritual. I will, though.”
“And this … ritual … will keep you from changing?” I clarified.
He only grinned, gave me a patronizing pat on the head, and walked off.
Well, at least he wasn’t trying to kill me anymore. And anything that helped my people was a good thing … right?
I was spared any more hard thinking as Shava stomped over to and sat down in Zephyr’s recently vacated spot. She glared over my shoulder and I turned, seeing him give her an emphatic gesture. Shava rolled her eyes before she stared at the ground.
“Zephyr is making me talk to you. I don’t want to,” she grit out. “Said something about it being my last chance to settle things. Don’t know what the hell he’s on about.”
“That’s obvious,” I shot back. A sigh escaped me, my hand running through my dry hair. “Shava, what happened to us? We were best friends. You were like a mother to me.”Everything was fine before you made your entire personality about Zephyr.
I stopped before saying that, knowing that if I brought him into it we’d never get anywhere.
“You nearly killed him, Mari. What if I’d hurt one of your little dragon princes like that?”
My mouth opened to argue, but I shut it. She was right; I’d be beyond pissed.
“Well, those little dragon princes also healed him. And he’s fine, and not even mad about it,” I countered. If only she knew about what he was doing, and how he tortured people! She wouldn’t be so willing to stick up for him!
“I can’t wait until we finally leave this place,” Shava growled, kicking a bit of sand with her boots. “If you come with us, just stay away from me.” She stalked away, and my shoulders drooped.
I should tell her. I could tell her and watch the smug look on her face fade away to horror and shock.
But I couldn’t. I owed my early and then continued survival in the mud quarter to Shava. I’d honor that by keeping my mouth shut, even if it meant she continued living in a delusion, strutting around like a peacock. At least she was happy.
What a lovely evening.
It was surreal to be sitting in front of the fire, surrounded by smiling, happy faces yet alone. I relished the opportunity to have my own thoughts, but I felt so detached from everything going on around me. It was just like the ball—surrounded by hundreds of people who had no sense of what was truly going on.
Heather and Hyacinthe. Azalea and Leilani. Even Freesia.
I didn’t know what plans we had exactly, but I couldn’t leave the kingdom until I knew my friends were safe. I wanted to give them the choice to stay or go. That meant going back to the palace, whether I liked it or not. I wasn’t afraid of the queen—I was afraid of what she could do to my mother, my father, and possibly my brother.
My jaw cracked as I yawned, bringing Zion to my side instantly.
You can go to sleep,Zariah’s voice rang in my head.
“Agreed. You’ve had a traumatic day.” Zion put a hand on the small of my back.
I snorted. “No more traumatic than anything else that’s happened since I was reaped.”
Zion flinched at that, but I ignored it. It was true. Death trailed me wherever I went.
