“You know what I seek.” I lick my lips and straighten my spine. “The Vitalis. Once I find it, I’m free of Everett’s magic. I have no duty here.”
She runs her tongue over her teeth. The wind stirs, sending a cooling sensation down my spine. The sun inches lower, readying to set. Vivid oranges and pinks swirl, painting a relaxing picture that contrasts with the look on her face.
That hurt. Good. Learn to understand you can’t live without me, Selene.
“What of the runes and the future of a crown for your head?” she hisses.
“I can accomplish that somewhere else. No need to burden you and Galen.”
“You strike low.”
I raise my knee and prop my elbow on it, creating a wall between us. “I attack where I see opportunity, as do you.”
Glare at me as long as you like.
“The Vitalis is not in Ishmor,” she admits.
My muscles tense. “How are you so certain?”What are you not telling me?
“Everett spent time in Ishmor. If the Vitalis were there, he would have found it. He wanted us all here.” She pounds a fist to the ground. “The book must be nearby.”
“So what the heck are we doing?” I throw my hands up. “Let’s go search the castle.”
“Sable would have found it if it lurked within the walls. Calm down,” Selene huffs. “I told you we need to work on your magic before we delve into the runes. Baby steps.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re stalling? You’re forcing me to accept the path Everett put me on. You must do the same.”
“I am.”
“But—” Why do you look so vacant when you stare into the future? What are you not telling me?
“But what?” she heaves.
“I fear waiting until I master the time magic is a mistake. I have a sick feeling in my gut. I had it the moment Everett gave me his power.”
“What feeling?” She scoots back so she can look at me more clearly.
“Someone wrote my story. I have no power or authorship to change it. Everett chained our futures in iron. I’m stuck, forced to fulfill this role.” I press my palm against the soil. “I want liberation, but it would destroy everything. I’m trying not to be selfish, but this is my life.”
I want to tell her it’s her life, too. What she fears does not have to come to pass. If Everett played with the future, so can we.
She mimics my pose but hugs her legs to her chest. “It’s not about us, Titus. Our wants and needs are but a drop in the ocean.”
I’d swim those perilous waters in order to find you, Selene.
She continues, having no idea of the thoughts in my mind. “Everett saw the future, thousands and thousands of lives. I’m willing to sacrifice my life and my happiness for the good of others. You can, too. I know you can.” Her voice deepens to a plea. “When I look at you, I see a man who wants to do good, but you’ve been denied. The only order that has been spoken into your ear has been to kill. Then Everett demanded you save. Change is hard, but it’s often a force we can not control.”
I inch my hand closer to her leg, filling the small space between us. Her eyes hug my hand with compassion, but her fingers do not move. “How do you sleep at night?” I question.
“Women have always been forced to accept their fate, Titus.”
My biceps flex. “Let’s get a step ahead! Stop waiting for Everett’s spies to find us. Send someone you trust to Ishmor. Let’s read all we can about runes. There’s got to be something about where the book was housed and what happened to it.”
A smile touches her lips before she snuffs out. “First, I have no one I trust, Titus.”
“You can trust me.”
“I’m not meant to trust you,” she replies. Her eyes flit to my lips. She glances away before she sees that I’ve pulled my hand away, no longer expecting her to reach for it. “Galen wouldn’t let us leave. Secondly, Ishmor’s Great Library would be a waste.
