Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
“Went straight to Father.”
“And he didn’t answer your pleas?”
“Said it was too late for him to intervene.”
Too late, or he just didn’t want to? “How long have you known?”
He gave a shrug. “I don’t know… Always?”
“He asked you not to tell me?”
His eyes filled with guilt as he gave a nod. “He knew how you’d feel about it. Thought it was better to protect you.”
“I hope this means you understand how barbaric the practice is now.”
His eyes shifted to Effie in the corner. “It’s complicated…”
“How is it complicated?” I demanded. “You risked your life for this woman, so you care about her. You care about what happens to her.”
“Obviously.” His eyes came back to me. “But there’s more to the practice than you realize. Father doesn’t do it because he wants to. He does it because he has no other choice. King Rutherford commands it, and his Blade Scions make sure his commands are fulfilled. And if he didn’t do it, they would come for us.”
“And we could fight them all together.”
He stared in disbelief.
“If we don’t want to live in fear forever, it needs to be done. It should be done. Sacrificing innocent people isn’t the answer.”
“Ivory.” He lowered his voice. “Have you seen Necrosis?”
I didn’t answer.
“Because Father has. And I won’t repeat what he’s told me.”
“Effie.” Ryker sat on the bed beside her, their backs turned to me.
She stared at the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Talk to me—”
“I have nothing to say to you.” She got up and moved to another bed.
Ryker stayed put, his eyes still on the wall in front of him.
I pitied my brother, but I also didn’t. If it were me, he’d be getting more than just the cold shoulder.
Ryker gave a sigh before he joined me on my bed. He sat at the edge, his arms on his knees, one hand massaging his swollen knuckles.
“Want me to talk to her?”
“You’d just make her hate me more.”
“You know I wouldn’t.”
“There’s no point. Can’t really blame her, can I? If her father exiled mine to a wasteland of monsters, I wouldn’t like her either.”
I’d feel the same. “But you came down here to save her—and that’s a greater reflection of who you are.”
“Save her?” he asked. “No. I just joined her.”
“We’re going to get out of here, Ryker.”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “Always the optimist, huh?”
“No, a realist.”
He turned to look at me.
“I remember the path from this room to the exit. The rest of the way…we’ll have to haul ass.”
“There has to be another way out. If under attack, it doesn’t make sense for soldiers to run down all the streets to get to the edge of the city. There’s a shortcut somewhere. A ladder or a rope.”
His military mind was a big advantage. “I guess you’re right.”
“But if we don’t know where they already are…escape will be futile.”
True.
“Can these guys be killed?”
I nodded, remembering Huntley take down a few with his sword. “They’re just really hard to kill.”
“I couldn’t take down a single one. I thought I did, but he popped right back up.”
“It’s hard to slay an enemy if you don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
“So, you got a plan?”
I looked up at the portion of the ceiling that was made of glass. “That could be our way out.”
He lifted his chin and looked up. “We could stack the beds…I could lift you on my shoulders… But how are we going to break it? I can tell that glass is as thick as stone. And if it shatters, it could kill us.”
My eyes moved to the corner. “If we could cut a hole big enough for us to climb through right at the edge…it would probably hold. Right at the center is where it’ll be the weakest.”
“Cut it with what?” His eyes moved back to me.
“That’s where we have a problem…”
“A dagger could work.”
“Just have to steal one.”
His eyes darkened, covered with storm clouds. “You’re the one they want, so it’ll be up to you. Not sure what they’re going to do with me.”
“If they were going to kill you, they would have done it already.”
He gave a shrug. “I suppose.”
“You think Father will come for you?” I asked. “I wasn’t enough, but he can’t lose his only son.”
His eyes moved straight ahead. “I don’t know. He vowed never to return.”
“I suspect he’ll break that vow.”
“He’s too pragmatic for that. He thinks you’ve been stolen for leverage and your kidnappers will return you when they’re ready to negotiate. With me, he’ll know I came down here for Effie. If I don’t return, it’s because I didn’t make it.”
The door opened, and we both turned our heads to look at the visitor.
It was the same man who’d escorted me before. He had cheeks that were so hollow he looked malnourished. His eyes possessed a hungry stare, which was reserved for me.