Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“How could we have known that she knew how to jump?” Fordham asked.
He was particularly upset about this new development. As far as they had known, only people in his family had the ability to move between distances. What Isa had done was nothing like how he jumped through shadows. She had just disappeared. Popped out of existence, like bursting a bubble.
“She’s never used it before. And there were plenty of opportunities where she could have.” Kerrigan shook her head. “But it can’t be the Collector.” She picked up the book and flipped it open to the brief few pages that discussed the magical artifact. “There is nothing here that suggests the Collector gives you jumping abilities.”
“There’s nothing on the Ring of Endings that it allows healing,” Fordham said softly. He stood and hooked the chain she wore around her neck, revealing the ring. “We should assume that book is incorrect about the Collector as well.”
“Well, great. So, we didn’t just lose a way to find the Father. We also delivered a jumping ability to him, so he has an easy escape as well.” Kerrigan tucked the little ring back where it belonged. “Scales.”
“We will figure this out.”
“How?” Kerrigan demanded. “We’re days away from the election. I knew that it was getting closer. Valia told me things were ramping up. But I thought we still had time. We’re out of time, and we have no play. We don’t even have Valia.”
Fordham drew her into his embrace. No amount of holding her was going to make this better or solve their problems, but it helped her poor heart. She’d been on a time crunch with everything to lose before. She’d succeeded in those instances, but this was different. The Red Masks were everywhere. Whatever they were planning was only days away. It felt hopeless.
But of course, that was what the Father wanted from her. He wanted her to think that all of her cards had been played. She refused. She abjectly refused to believe that was true. There had to be something else.
“We’ll go to Helly,” Kerrigan concluded, pushing away from him. “She’ll know what to do.”
Fordham nodded, accepting her conclusion with ease. “As you wish.”
She threw her black Society robe over her body and was heading to the door when Benton and Bayton dashed into the room, wide-eyed and terrified.
“Kerrigan,” Benton gasped.
Bayton caught one glimpse of Fordham and dropped into a deep curtsy. She dragged her sister down with her.
Fordham waved his hand. “Rise. Please, you don’t have to do that.”
“Of … of course, Your Majesty.” Bayton still looked uncertain.
“He’s not your king,” Kerrigan reminded her. “You’re Bryonican now.”
The twins looked unconvinced by that reassurance in Fordham’s towering presence.
“Why were you in such a hurry?” Kerrigan asked to get them to look at her and not him.
“Oh, we just had word.” Benton gulped. “Arbor was killed.”
Fordham took a step back, his hand going to his heart.
Kerrigan’s hand flew to her mouth. “Gods, how?”
“Her throat was cut.”
Kerrigan put a hand on Fordham. “Oh, Ford.”
He sank into a seat in the living quarters and buried his head into his hands. “This is my fault.”
“It’s not,” she assured him. “It’s not your fault. This was done by an assassin.”
“That’s what they’re saying,” Bayton said, her voice wavering. “That she confessed to working with the Red Masks, and now, she’s dead.”
Fordham’s head whipped up. His eyes were molten. “Isa,” he growled.
Kerrigan couldn’t deny that. Isa was the bloody hand of the Father. She assuredly had done this. If Arbor had been dumb enough to spill secrets, they would have gone to any lengths to silence her.
“And Prescott?” Kerrigan asked carefully.
Benton shook her head. “We didn’t hear anything about him. He must still be down there.”
In the dungeons, smelling his dead sister’s blood.
“We should go see him,” Kerrigan said to Fordham.
He stood, the dark shadows closing in tight around him. “Yes, let’s.”
Then, he wrapped Kerrigan in an embrace, and the shadows swallowed them. She gasped in shock, and then they landed in the cold iron dungeons. She shivered and stepped back out of his arms. Her disorientation lingered, and she bent over to regain her equilibrium.
“Maybe some warning next time,” she said through a cough.
He rubbed his hand up and down her back. “Next time.”
She came back to her feet. They were one floor above the chaos, apparently. She could hear stomping boots and shouted instructions. She met Fordham’s gaze, and she pushed reassurance down the bond. A half-smile touched his features and pulled gently to let her know he was there.
Then, they went as one down the stairs.
A guard tried to bar their way but finally let them through after Fordham threatened his life. Kerrigan hurried forward and found Helly and Corinna looking down at Arbor’s broken body.
Helly sighed. “Why am I not surprised to find you here?”