“Do you want to tell me now?”
Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I shake my head.
Twisted fury crosses his features, but at least he doesn’t tell me to break another finger.
“What about this,” he says instead. “How on Rea did you manage to get your hands on one of the twin blades?”
“I stole it from Llyr.”
He lets out a triumphant laugh. “Iknewthe old fool couldn’t be trusted. When my uncle hears of this, Llyr will be stripped of his powers in an instant.”
My brows pull together. Will Llyr really face such severe consequences for not guarding the blade better? Aster didn’t seem to mind.
“I honestly don’t understand why my uncle lets him decide anything at all.” His face takes on a pitying expression. “When I asked why I had to befriend you, I was told you had never had friends before and that you wouldn’t go anywhere as long as I made you feel special.”
I do my best to ignore his words and focus on the shadowshard on the table. I’m quick. What if I stab him right here and now, before he can give me any commands not to? Truth be told, he’s foolish not to have given me such a command already, but it only proves my theory of his inexperience with the brace. He needs to be specific.
“I told them you would run eventually,” Reü continues. “Everyone knows humans can’t be trusted, and I was right.” He stares at me. “They never told me why you were so darn important to them. By their reaction when you were gone, you’d think you were the key to saving this world.” He scoffs. “Now they’ll learn to listen to me.” His tone makes me want to cut his tongue out so he can say nothing more for the entirety of his existence.
“You’re a clever one, aren’t you?” I say, if only to annoy him.
“Cut it out with the sarcasm,” he warns, his voice low and menacing.
I can sense his command settle over my body. It feels similar to a soulbinding.
“I have some questions for you,” Reü says. “I’m always kept in the dark, and I demand to know what is happening.”
“Well, that makes two of us,” I say. It’s the truth, after all.
He narrows his eyes at me. “I told you not to be smart with me.”
I shrug. “It’s the truth,” I say. “I cannot lie.” I wave my braced arm in the air in front of him.
“So, you don’t know what they want with you either?”
“Define‘they,’” I say. I know—or at least, I think I know—what Aster wants: to consume pieces of my soul to gainmore power for himself. Cyra wants me dead. And so do a handful of umbra, the minister, a mob of Kabarians, and possibly also Casimir, for some unknown reason.
“Llyr,” he says. “Marduk, the ashina . . . ?”
“Hard to say.” I give him a tight-lipped smile “None of them have spoken to me about it.”
He opens his mouth as if to say something, then snaps it shut. He cocks his head. “I’ll be right back.”
I shrug. I heard nothing. But I don’t possess the Reans’ exceptional hearing.
“Do not leave this room,” he says from the door. “And stay quiet.” He gives me a hard stare, then closes the door behind him.
Clear command. Except I’m free to walk around.
With Reü gone, I rip off my necklace and hurl it at the wall. Crossing the room in two strides, I stare down at the four daggers resting on the table. I reach my hand toward one of the regular daggers, and even before I touch it, an excruciating pain shoots up my arm. He needn’t worry about those. I reach toward the shadowshard, relief flooding my body as I wrap my fingers around the sleek black handle. He should have saiddon’t move.
I tuck the shadowshard into my waistband, concealing it beneath my clothing.
Hearing muffled voices, I tiptoe over the squeaky wooden floor and press my ear against the wall.
“Where is she?”
My blood runs cold as I recognize the unmistakable voice of an umbra.
