My heart races when I still have no idea how to tell if Cypress’s warnings are valid or not. It would be soniceto get Soren’s opinion on what she said to me.
“Then we’ll make you another one. Use it for now. It’s from the strongest steel in Skull’s Row.”
It’s the first time in a while that my desire to cry is for everythingbutsomething that aches. “This is nice of you.”
“I can be nice,” he comments, his grating voice low and almost seductive.
What the hells is he doing? I’m nearly blushing over here. “I don’t have anything for you.”
“That’s not how gifts work, Jane.”
“Can’t believe I’m getting taught about gift-giving from you,” I mumble, turning the blade over in my hand. “This is gorgeous, and thoughtful, Soren.”
“Red is a color I tend to prefer,” he replies so smoothly I half-wonder if he’s about to ask for a favor after buttering me up.
But then his face hardens to the shell it was when we first met as he looks over his shoulder.
Basilisk approaches through the crowd of the room. “Don’t mean to interrupt what seems to be a very good conversation,” he says, placing both hands on the table to lean over; they’re justas worn as Soren’s, and a shade darker. “We learned something from Shade that seems…relevant. Think you should go down and take over.”
Soren’s posture stiffens, his shoulders flexing underneath the loose fabric. “Glad they fucking involved meagain,” he replies, clearly pissed.
Shade?
“Tempest wanted one more word with him before you were brought down. I’m here to retrieve you.” He glances my way; he and Soren so much alike in demeanor and attire. “I could watch her for you.”
“Jane comes too,” he immediately replies.
My brows raise as I look between the two.
Basilisk moves his gaze back at Soren. “He might not speak easily,” he says, as if to hint at something.
“And she needs to know what’s happening. It’s sort of relevant to her,” he sarcastically replies before glancing my way. “Unless you don’t want to.”
My fingers curl around the dagger’s hilt. I’d like to slit his throat for nearly ripping my hair out, but I know that will get us nowhere. “I can handle it. He worked with Misery, right? I definitely want to hear those answers.”
The dread that tragedy will strike us all resurfaces, but honestly, there’s something to Soren having this dagger made for me that makes it feel like I will be alright.
A sentiment to show that I’mnotalone.
That has to count for something, right?
I drown out the worry of knowing that whatever comes next it won’t be easy. Or remotely safe. But that’s fucking Skull’s Row, isn’t it? I also can’t ignore how there has to be a weakness within Misery. If he does take me, I’m the only one that can get close to him and not die. At least, he needs my heart beating to use me however his sick mind needs to, which means an opening.
An opening that Cypress is meddling in—the acceptance that being close to Misery might be the only way we ruin him sits on my shoulders like a weight that won’t let me stand. It’s not like I can get close without beingtaken.
Later. Focus on Shade.
I immediately begin wrapping the holster around my right thigh, affixing the dagger to my leg before standing with Soren, whose eyes are back in his mercenary gaze. I fall into a comfortable silence as I’m ready to follow them, knowing that somewhere in my mind, to truly save lives, I might have to offer myself, and the fucker named Shade has information I need.I’ll need everything I can get before facing Misery.
I’m ready to kill this stupid god and be worthy of the tattoo on my chest so I can finally live without worrying who is in my shadow for once.
S O R E N
Everything in my gut tells me the conversation with Shade will begin the true unraveling of the chaos that surrounds us, and that once it starts, it willspiral.
The only concern I have is that my powers are quiet. There’s no denying those rubies escalated everything, but eventhisis tame. Normally, when my sedated intuition contrasts with my restless heart, it means I need to let things play out.
But I don’t want to.
