Page 23 of Kingdom of Chaos
“So, you’re the only one who can reach in there?”
Talon shoves his hands into his pockets. “Or you. We don’t really know anymore. After what happened in that cave with Kerrim, the rules are a little muddy right now.”
“Does that mean I might have been able to touch it safely?”
He shrugs. “Maybe. But maybe not. Are you willing to risk it to find out? I’m certainly not.”
I shake my head and take another step back.
The shimmering barrier is deceptively beautiful. Even knowing what it can do, part of me still wants to touch it.
I clear my throat and turn away, ignoring the pull in my chest that urges me closer. Facing Talon fully, I study him. I hadn’t gotten a good look at him through the cracked door, but it’s clear now that a shower and fresh clothes haven’t fully erased the signs of exhaustion. Still, the rosy light from the barrier casts a warmer glow on his face, softening the shadows beneath his eyes, making him look a little less worn down than he probably is.
“So, are you finally ready to be real with me?” I ask.
Talon’s brows lift. “I’ve always been as honest with you as I was allowed to be.”
I press my lips together, annoyed. That caveat at the end covers a lot of secrets and deceptions.
“You don’t believe me,” he says, almost looking a little hurt.
I sigh. “Can you blame me?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t blame you for anything,” he says, his gaze softening.
Considering his cousin basically blames me for everything, those words mean more than I want to admit. I don’t know what to say, but Talon keeps going, sparing me the need to answer.
“My family’s been part of the Arcane Society for generations. So long we don’t even remember a time we weren’t involved.”
I blink, caught off guard that he brought it up on his own. Is this it? Is he finally coming clean?
“Some members chose to walk away over the years,” he says. “But doing so comes at a price. They’re excommunicated to protect the Society’s secrets. Bound by magic, they can’t speak of it again. Their descendants are kept in the dark, and they’re even forced to change their last names so they’re no longer tied to us.”
“That’s awful,” I say, thinking of families being torn apart just because they didn’t want to be part of whatever secret society or cult-like thing Talon’s family is tangled up in.
He nods. “It is. But it’s also necessary.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, confused. He’s giving me history, but I don’t even know what the Arcane Society is yet.
“So you understand why I couldn’t be completely upfront with you before, and so you understand the weight of what I tell you next. Revealing the Society to outsiders breaks one of our oldest and strictest rules.”
I swallow hard, unsure if I’m more nervous that he’s about to tell me, or that he won’t.
“You weren’t willing to break that rule before. What’s changed?”
Talon’s gaze dips to where the chain around my neck disappears beneath my shirt, and I would swear the pendant warms against my skin.
“Where did you get your necklace?” he asks. “I’ve never seen you wear it before.”
If I hadn’t overheard him and Imogen, I might think he’s changing the subject. But I know better. It’s the pendant. Whatever it is, it changed everything.
“My parents gave it to me after they told me the truth. That I’m not biologically their daughter.” The words scrape coming out, but I keep going. “They didn’t know I’m human. But the way I came to be with them is suspect. They said I was wearing the necklace the night I was given to them. They’ve had it restrung since. It was supposed to be a graduation gift.”
I lift the chain, drawing the pendant out from beneath my shirt. The rosy light from the barrier hits it and the purple gemstone flares to life, catching the light and fracturing it into shimmering waves of violet and magenta that dance across the walls. Talon’s eyes flare and he takes a step forward, reaching a hand toward me, stopping just short of touching the gem.
“May I?” he asks, his hand hovering in the air.
I nod, and as he carefully touches the purple gem, he shifts closer, bending his head to examine the necklace.
