Page 100 of Swords of Soul and Shadow
The anger coursed through her at his words, at his guilting. He might have full-heartedly believed he was making sense and showing her the side of him that he thought she wanted, but…
This entire time, he’d thought she could simply forget his past—theirpast—and move on. But she couldn’t. Her powerwavered, straining against the wall she’d built earlier. Tears fell down her face like rain.
She needed to just say it. It was the only way he’d understand.
“We killed Jack. You and I. And no matter what we do, that will always be our history. I can never separate you from that.”
She brushed her hand over her eyes, hoping to stem the flow, but she only cried harder, her words coming out in gasps. “I’ve tried to move on. I’ve tried—I’vetriedto replace what was there, but nothing worked. I’m no longer the Hallie Walker you knew. I’ve grown up and changed. And that’sokay.”
That hurt. The look of defeat in his eyes pierced her, and she realized how cruel she’d been. She hadn’t meant to be, but she’d still done it.
Hallie turned away, looking back at the Gate.
“At least you made the last part easy for me,” a deep and craggy voice spoke from the doorway.
A leaden knot coalesced just beneath her ribs.
Hallie whipped her head up and dragged the sword into a defensive position. It still felt odd where her skin touched it, but it was bearable for now. Niels grabbed a pistol from the back of his pants and aimed it toward the entrance.
Hallie was confused for a second as he shouldn’t have had a weapon on him, but then she recognized it not as his flashpistol, but one of Yalven make. He must’ve picked it up when she couldn’t find him.
An ancient man stood in the doorway, and Hallie found him terribly familiar, though she couldn’t quite place him. His beard was white and long, his skin wrinkled. His eyes were bright and golden brown.
“I know you,” Hallie said quietly. Her memory was foggy, but it tried to work through where she’d seen this man before,because it had been relatively recently. Had he been in the room in Achilles? No. No, it wasn’t that. From before. From Kyvena.
And then it clicked.
“Abram Loffler.” Hallie lowered her sword. “I mean, Stradat Loffler. Why…how…um, sorry to be rude, but how did you get here?” Her brain could not put together how this old man had crossed an ocean and half a continent all by himself. “Sir.”
She added the last belatedly, but she couldn’t remember if she should call himsirormy lordor something else. Maybe he was like the Stradat Lord Kapitan and wanted to be called by his title at all times.
“Oh, I don’t think that matters a bit, do you?” The gleam in his eyes unnerved her a little. “Now be a dear and hand over that sword.”
The last Hallie remembered of the man was when she’d been helping the Yalvs on the night of their arrival. She hadn’t thought much of him then, only that he was a little out of it. So much had happened since that she couldn’t recall much else. What confused her was what he was doinghereof all places. He was part of Jayde’s ruling body…yet here he was, thousands of miles away, looking rather younger than she remembered.
Something wasn’t adding up. Hallie glanced down at the sword again, renewing her grip. She edged backward. “Why?”
Filip and Fely needed this sword. And now Loffler wanted it. Out of the three of them, Loffler should have been the one she trusted. He was a Stradat, for stars-sake.
But there was something about his eyes that told her otherwise. Maybe the rumors were true, and he had gone mad. Nothing was making sense.
“What’s a Stradat doing out here?” Niels asked, shifting in front of Hallie.
Loffler took a wearied step in their direction. “And you are?”
“Niels Metzinger of Stoneset.” Niels cocked the Yalven pistol, but that was entirely the wrong move.
Before Hallie could even blink, Loffler thrust his hands out. Something dark yet bright at the same time leapt from his fingers. Both Hallie and Niels dropped to the ground as what looked like black lightning flashed over her head. No, not black—it was purple, so dark it looked black, except for a moment right before it clashed with the Gate. The archway shook, and the ground beneath Hallie’s aching body shuddered.
Earthquake.
There was only one reason someone would have that sort of power.
“Essence,” Hallie gasped. “You’re an Essence wielder.”
“Indeed,” Loffler replied, throwing out a hand. Hallie flinched, but no power shot at her. Loffler stepped forward. “And you are as well. I can sense it. Not that I need it, but I can help you rid yourself of it. It hurts, doesn’t it?”
Hallie breathed heavily. “Why are you here?”
