Page 112 of Kingdom of Chaos
Imogen tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Where do you think I’ve been going at night?”
“Ahh . . .” I hesitate, because if I were to wager a guess, I would say that Imogen has been out feeding on unsuspecting humans, and it’s not something I really want to think about, let alone announce to this crowd.
She rolls her eyes. “I infiltrated Kerrim’s group,” she says, and I just stare at her, momentarily stunned.
“You didwhat?” Talon snaps.
Imogen glances at Talon. “You, of all creatures, should have realized I didn’t tag along on this misadventure just to watch you make moony-eyes at your pet human. I came because we were trained for one reason and one reason only: to keep Shadow Striker out of the hands of anyone like Kerrim.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “You may have abandoned the mission, but I haven’t.”
I don’t appreciate being called Talon’s “pet human,” but I’m more concerned about the other barbs she just threw at him. Talon tries to hide how her accusation hurts him, but even though his expression remains unreadable, I see the subtle shift. His features tighten and the tension in the room grows heavier, like a storm about to break.
“How does Kerrim even know Locklyn is here?” Becks asks, interrupting their stare-off. “Or maybe more importantly,whyis he looking for her?”
“Excellent questions, my magicless friend,” Imogen says with a cruel smile that makes me want to punch her. “Even though Locklyn doesn’t have possession of Shadow Striker, she’s still tied to the dagger. The moment she entered the human world, the dagger stopped funneling powers to Kerrim.”
I perk up, feeling like this is the first great news we’ve gotten. Imogen definitely buried the lede. “Are you saying he only has his original magic? That he doesn’t have access to any of Shadow Striker’s powers?”
Imogen scoffs. “If only. No, Kerrim is plenty strong, but the dagger stopped increasing his magic when you entered the human world, alerting him you’d traveled here. And because he now has a network of creatures on his side, he knows you’re in the city.”
The thought of that chills me, making me almost numb.
“How do you know all this?” one of the Order leaders asks, and Imogen turns her cold stare on him.
“Listen, you may know a little more of the prophecy than we do, but we’ve been successfully protecting both worlds from Shadow Striker for hundreds of years. We know more about the dagger than you do, and as long as Locklyn’s tied to the dagger, Kerrim can’t access its full power. And trust me, he won’t be satisfied with what he has. He wantsallthe power Shadow Striker can give him.” Imogen points to me. “She’s our bait. If you dangle her in front of Kerrim, he won’t be able to pass up the opportunity. We place her where we want, when we want, and I guarantee Kerrim will show up.”
“The opportunity for what?” Becks asks, speaking up.
Imogen turns to him and gives him a look like he’s an idiot. “The opportunity to kill her.”
My stomach drops, and before I can even process Imogen’s proposal, Becks is already shaking his head. He grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. “No way. I’m not letting you gamble with her life,” he says. “Come on, Lock, we’re out of here.”
I plant my feet and yank my arm from his grasp. Hurt flashes across his face, but I force myself to stay firm.
“I’m not going anywhere. I knew the dangers when I agreed to all this. Even if I wanted to, I can’t just leave. I’m under an unbreakable bond, remember? I have to see this through.”
Becks digs his fingers into his hair, gripping the strands tight. “Well, then . . . we’ll come up with a different plan. One that isn’t so dangerous for you.”
A wave of frustration rises in me, tightening my chest.
I know he’s just trying to protect me, and if our roles were reversed I might be begging him to run too. But it still scrapes a raw nerve inside me, a part of me that whispers I’m not good enough, not strong enough. Which isn’t fair, I know. The threat Kerrim poses is real, and deadly.
“I’ll make sure she’s ready,” Talon says, and Becks’ gaze snaps over to him.
“What do you mean?” he asks, his brow bunching.
“She has access to a massive wellspring of magic. Even more than she realizes. Perhaps she’s not as powerful as Kerrim, but I believe if she can figure out how to tap into her power, she’ll be close. I’ll work with her and get her where she needs to be.”
Becks gives Talon a skeptical look. “How do you know what magic she has?”
“Because it used to be mine,” he answers, and Becks’ eyebrows lift slightly.
“When she won the activation trial, Shadow Striker was sealed off in the human world before it had a chance to transfer completely over to her. That’s the only reason I’m still alive. The powers I acquired when I was the dagger’s wielder have slowly been transferring over to her for days now. I think she has almost all my old powers, so I’m very familiar with each and every one, and can teach her to use them to her advantage.”
The room falls into an eerie silence after Talon’s confession. We hadn’t told Kade the truth before now. He knew I had magic, but not how I’d come by it. I hadn’t told Ensley the full story either; the shock on her face makes that obvious. Only Imogen looks unsurprised, like she’d known all along.
“This is set to go down in a couple of weeks. Do you really think that’s enough time to train her?”
Talon glances at me. “She’s a fighter by nature. I have faith in her. She’ll pick it up fast.”
