Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Helpless, I could only observe as Winslet flung her into the dome. Upon contact, Giselle jolted, hit by volts of electricity. She shook for several seconds before sliding into the dirt, leaving a crimson trail smeared on the dome.
Each of the royals had blanked their faces, revealing nothing of their emotions. But I knew Cyrus, and I sensed the shock, disgust, and wrath churning inside him.
Smoke curled from the smears, and in that small area, the shimmer faded.
“Each of you is allowed to bring a single dagger inside. Discard everything else.” The emperor walked through the opening, head high as he stepped over his lover’s fresh corpse.
Everyone shed their guns, swords, whips, and bows. Lolli followed the emperor first, with Summit directly behind her. A pallid Cyrus and Felix remained behind for several beats, peering at each other before striding forward.
I entered, too, certain hot tears poured over my cheeks. I felt their sear, even in my spirit. Domino remained at my side.
“This,” the emperor said, stretching out his arms with pride, “will be the new king’s legacy.”
My jaw went slack. The berries had begun their transformation. They’d grown together and darkened, creating a twelve-inch barrier, eight feet long. The insides still pulsed with radiant colors. More astonishing, John Victors perched at one end, tending the soil and muttering, “The end is here, the end is here.”
No one else but Domino noticed him, and I realized Victors was a spirit, like us.
“Victors,” I called, but he never glanced up.
“Isn’t it lovely?” the emperor asked, beaming as though he’d grown it himself.
Lolli twittered with delight, drumming her fingers together evil villain–style.
“One day, I will burn the library to the ground,” Summit swore.
“And you, Cyrus?” The emperor faced the group. “What will you do to the library?”
One of my hands fluttered to my throat as silence stretched.
Finally, he said, “I will formulate a plan after I’ve gathered every bit of information available, not spout the first whim that pops into my head.” This earned scowls from all his peers but Felix, who had reverted to a blank expression. “Those books can be used against Soal and all of his followers.”
My fiancé wasn’t a liar. He didn’t lie to anyone, ever, for any reason. Lies had teeth, and when you freed them, they came back to bite you, always. But he did know how to misdirect. This was a misdirection, only a misdirection.
The emperor smiled. “The time has come for Astan to make his final decision. War is soon to erupt in both worlds. We must be ready.” He sashayed toward the opening, Winslet and Mr. Vyle behind him. When the royals attempted to follow, he held up his hand, telling them without words to remain where they were. “The gods wish to learn the truth of your mettle. Who is strongest. Who is wisest and the most resilient. Who is willing to do whatever it takes to complete a job. Today, we will find out.”
“If you want to open the door and leave,” Mr. Vyle announced, “you know what you must do.”
The dome closed behind the threesome, sealing the royals inside.
As they darted their gazes at each other, readying their daggers, a piercing blast of a horn cut through the daylight.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Though the field seems barren and the battle lost, do not let your hope wither, for I shall carve a path where none yet exists.
—The Book of Soal 1.23.43.19
The horn blast filled the enclosure, rough and raw. A bold, primal screech of rage, hate, and violence. Even in my spirit form, nerve endings screamed in protest; the pain of each wild note reverberated throughout my entire being. Ripples of agony nearly buckled my knees.
The royals smashed their hands over their ears and screamed. Domino stood in battle position, his eyes glittering with challenge as though he’d waited for this his entire life. Victors had vanished.
The nightmare lasted forever or mere seconds, I wasn’t sure. My brain was currently the consistency of soup. The moment the sound tapered to quiet, realization dawned. The last sign. It had happened.
The end was here.
Astan would select his host.
The royals squared off, facing each other.
“I don’t love any of you, and you don’t love me,” Lolli said, a quiver in her voice.
“Same,” Summit proclaimed, backing up. “But I know who does.” Both he and Lolli eyed Cyrus and Felix.
The brothers hadn’t recovered from the horn blast as quickly as their peers. Ashen and unsteady, each held the other’s bleak stare.
Horror suffused me, a merciless flood filling my throat. The emperor—Astan—had planned this. Had wanted the brothers, his grandchildren, to battle to the death. The final test, winner take all.
“You desired a go at me, brother.” Felix smiled without humor. “This is your only chance. But understand this. I won’t go down easy. This is my sole opportunity to dismantle the Tome Society and CURED from top to bottom. It’s the only reason I live.”