For what it’s worth, I’m grateful to you.I think you made the right decision.Strength is always better than weakness.
Spoken like the strongest being on earth.
You’re bonded again.It’s been hard, but it was the right decision.He’ll get over it eventually.
I’m not sure he will.
We’re nothing like we were, but the one thing I have going for me is that Azar still doesn’t remember what he lost.Hopefully that’ll make it sting less.
20
Liz
All the information the nerds who joined us gathered on my mom was wrong.
Like, dead wrong.
The execution wasn’t happening at noon, for one.
It wasn’t in Iceland, either.When we portal into the camp where I was being held...it’s empty.
“Uh.”I land.“So.”
Hyperion lands beside me.I’m assuming this isn’t what we expected.
“I mean, we probably should have expected it.”I sigh.“I kind of figured it would be a trap, but I should also have considered that they’d feed us false information.”
So they can trap us?
I look around.If this is a trap, it’s not a very quick-to-spring one.I take off flying around the very empty city of Reykjavik, wondering whether something might come to mind.
Blessed aren’t being held in Borgarnes.
Looks like that was also a trick.My mother’s not in Reykjavik.No one is.
“What now?”I land on the roof of the Harpa Concert Hall, according to the undamaged signage, and overlook the ocean.The waves are crashing loudly below, and I’m not sure I’ve ever felt more lost.
And cold.
Without Azar by my side, it’s very, very cold.
At least, until Hyperion lands beside me, warming the air either intentionally or with his presence.You can’t wander off.Even if he’s upset, if you’re harmed, Azar will try to kill me.
“Why haven’t you bonded a human yet, Hyperion?”
He frowns.
“You better not be thinking of bonding Coral.”I lean closer.“Didn’t you hear that my swords pierce dragonhide?”
You threw oneintome.I remember.
I cringe.“Forgot about that.Sorry.”
You’re not sorry.
“I’m not, no.You were about to chuck me into a volcano.You know, you really have no one to blame but yourself for the earth blessed glow-up and the needing-humans thing.”
I don’t blame you.He’s staring off at the waves, at least as forlorn as me, and for the first time, I realize that he doesn’t.He doesn’t blame me at all.
