Page 117 of Death of the Glass Angel
“That’s ludicrous.” Talon yanked his arm back. “Are you suggesting they were going to pour molten metal—unshapable metal, mind you—over my arm?”
“Yes,” Felsin said. “That’s my hunch.”
Des grimaced. “How would that even work? Could you graft metal onto a person’s being?”
“Not steel, no. But maybe anmarite would work.” Felsin shook his head. “Maybe they’d seen the mirage evoker and wanted to replicate it.”
“Felsin,” Talon said, distractedly gazing at his arm. “Didn’t you grab some anmarite before we fled?”
“I did.”
“No,” Des said sharply. “We aren’t doing that.”
“Why not? It’s that or wear a hole in my arm for the rest of my life.” Talon carefully covered his arm with his coat again.
Gemellus drummed his fingers on his knee. “Didn’t you call the glassy-eyed nightmare an evoker? Yet now it’s a stormborn who replaced his skin with anmarite?”
“Maybe it’s a half-breed,” Felsin suggested. “Half-evoker, half-stormborn.” He glanced at Talon curiously.
Talon frowned. “Only nobles can evoke. If I’m a prince, I’ve been sorely cheated.”
“I’d say. You don’t even look noble.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Felsin smiled and looked away. “Well, we have a long road yet. Couldn’t we talk about something more pleasant?”
“Oh, I know,” Gemellus said smugly. “You’re a fortune teller, aren’t you? Give us a show.”
“They don’t always come at will. And they haven’t been pleasant, recently.”
“A game of cards, then?” Talon suggested. “I bet I could rob everyone here with only a half-decent hand.”
Chuckling, Felsin pulled out his deck and shuffled. “You’re on.”
* * *
Talon leaned against the mountainside, watching the sunrise. Their camp nestled between two steep ridges, with only one path forward and back.
Dinu had been right—this was the perfect spot for an ambush.
“How’s everything on your end?” Valkyrie appeared from the shadows, running a comb through her hair.
“Still,” Talon said. “Heras has been calm and quiet.”
“Good.” Her face twitched, betraying a hint of concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing to do with all this.” She gestured to the camp. “It’s that court mage.”
“Gemellus?”
“Yes. I. . .” Valkyrie trailed off, scarlet eyes bright under the rising sun. “I recognize him. From before.”
Talon started. “I thought you couldn’t remember anything before Dove found you.”
“Not quite.” She shook her head. “I remembered a man. Blonde. Blindfolded. It’s him.”
