Page 88 of Oracle of Ruin

“Get your ass out of that chair and come tell us what the fuck to do,” my second pushes, pulling me to my feet. “When Vera gets back, we will need to have a plan so she can save the world and shit.”

Blaine laughs a bit at that, the most honest sound he’s made all day. He releases his grip but dips his chin in respect. I don’t need or dare hope for anything more than that from the man.

Kya scoots over on the small couch and tucks her knees to her chest to allow space for me. I settle on one side of her, Amír taking the stool in the middle. She spreads out the parchment we found, despite telling Roiden we didn’t find anything in the queen’s study.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Torin whistles. “Vera was right.”

Detailed with multiple sketches, clear instructions for how to form a blessed blade are scrawled across the parchment in what can be recognized as the late queen’s loopy handwriting.

“It seems simple enough,” Kya notes. “I mean, Derrín has done much more with much less, and these things don’t seem hard to find. Sure, we will need to wait for them to get back since he will have to forge it and it says we need a drop of pure blood in the waters when the iron cools. Not to mention the incantation, but…” The assassin trails off, her eyes gleaming with a hope that has been absent for so long.

Amír rolls the parchment up, storing it safely in her pouch. “Think we can make bullets out of this?”

I laugh, the sound foreign but welcome. “Like she said, we’ve managed worse.”

The gunslinger grins at that.

“You know…” Torin smirks that lopsided smirk. “You actually look quite lovely when you smile.”

Amír’s lips flip downwards in an immediate scowl.

Blaine insists he meant no harm by the comment, but Torin is already sliding further away when he sees Amír’s fingers strum against the holster of her pistol.

Lyra smiles fondly in my direction, suddenly looking painfully like my mother.

I make a silent vow now to protect this fragile peace. Once Vera returns, I will tell her everything, and she can make the choice to stay or leave.Herchoice. I won’t take it away from her. I won’t be like everyone else in her life, hiding the worst of things from her like she is still a child. And I will free Lyra, kill my father, and fix this broken kingdom.

The world told each of us we are broken in some way, simply because we look, act, or love differently. So fuck the world.

Amír loops an arm over Kya’s shoulder. Blaine nudges at Torin.

I look to my aunt. “He will be dead before your hair turns silver,” I promise.

A wicked gleam forms in Lyra’s usually demure gaze. “I know.”

Chapter36

Verosa

Derrín sleeps soundly through the night, not a single threat to disturb his rest during my watch. I sit alone in the dark for maybe an hour before sleep pulls at my eyelids.

No. You have to stay awake.

My traitorous body ignores my commands as darkness creeps into the corner of my vision. With each moment awake, I can feel my heart begin to drag.

Sleep, it coos.Sleep.

A soft hand brushes my bangs from my face as my eyelashes flutter against my cheekbones. Sunlight streams through the canopy of trees overhead and the morning birds chirp along merrily. Shit.

Shit.

“Easy. Everything is fine,” a low voice calls as I scramble to my feet.

Bewildered and mind still spinning, I glance over my shoulder. Lucius sits with his back against the trunk of a thick tree, his fingers plucking at guitar strings. The melody is soft and caresses the wind that carries the tune to me.

My feet move of their own accord towards him, stopping only a foot away.

The dress I wear is soft and clean, something Tanja would have chosen for me. I remember now—she left it on my bed for me this morning before rushing off to the florist with Ruby. They were picking out flowers for her wedding today and she didn’t trust Ruby to not put lilies in the bouquets.

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