He leans back in his chair, spins the blade again, and gestures for me to continue.
“I’ve asked around about the temple, and it’s too far of a journey for me to make alone.” And evidently impossible to reach, but I leave that part out. “I have to go through some pretty rough kingdoms in order to reach my destination.”
A moment of silence passes between us.
Yeah. There’s no chivalrous offer to help me out or anything. Just indifference as he stares at the slowing blade and gives it another twirl.
“I don’t know much about the lands outside of Meriva,” I continue, “so I need protection. If I can get one of the stones in time, I can sneak into Seferin’s keep, give her the stone, and once it’s in her possession, that’ll break the curse. After that, I get her out, and we flee.”
“What was the name of the crystal she touched?” Thane asks, halting the blade by the handle as if none of the other details matter.
“I—I don’t know. It was an indigo color.”
The features I can see on Thane’s face harden. “A liphanet.” He blinks at me before his eyes land on the bag of coins. “If Seferin cursed itandshe’s mortal, it’s true. She’ll die, and soon. Liphanets are one-time crystals that bond well with mortal curses and never lift until they’ve absorbed all energy and soul, which usually takes close to a month. There are crystals out there that can be used to get the job done quicker, but he clearly wants her to suffer.”
My mouth becomes drier with every word he says. “So she’s in a lot of pain?”
“More than likely.”
“But not dead yet,” I mumble under my breath. Maybe that’s why the pearl is still extremely warm. A swirl of nausea hits me, and I close my eyes. I’ve never been more afraid for Analla than now. “That’s not okay. He shouldn’t be doing that to her.”
“Well, he is. And once the absorption is complete, he’ll most likely take her soul and use it…or sell it to the highest bidding sorcerer.”
“What would they even do with her soul?”
“Use it for whatever they want.”
“Like?”
“Many things.”
“Can you please elaborate?” I ask, trying desperately hard not to get frustrated by his vagueness.
He blows out an irritated sigh. “I don’t know—they could pour life back into someone who may be dying or is already dead. Most would probably just use it to boost their own magic.”
I try not to react externally, but internally my heart is hammering against my rib cage and I’ve become full-on queasy. I grip the edge of my chair to keep myself steady.
“But one of the prosperity stones in Elphar can save her,” I remind him. “It can break any curse.”
“A possibility,” Thane says, mulling it over. “But not likely to happen. Those stones are hard to obtain. Many have tried making it through The Shallows to reach the Temple of Elphar, and most have died doing so.”
“I don’t care.” I push a deep breath out through my noise, quelling the nausea as best I can. “It’s better than doing nothing.” Sure, I can say that, but now my whole body is trembling at the sheer idea of it.
I’ve heard tales about The Shallows. The mere thought of that place is terrifying. So many horror stories circulate about vicious beasts, traps, and other wickedness. There’s a reason that land has been abandoned.
I tuck my hands between my thighs so Thane won’t see them shake. “Can you even fight?”
He frowns, seeming offended.
“I just mean how skilled are you? For all I know, you’re not worth hiring.”
His jaw tightens. “There’s a reason no one in here has bothered looking me in the eye—no one but you, anyway. But you’re naive, foolish, and obviously don’t understand the dangers of this world, so I suppose that gives you a pass.”
I give him my deepest scowl. “So you are the man in black everyone’s been whispering about, then.”
He says nothing to that. He doesn’t have to. I can sense it. There’s danger written all over him.
“So, will you help me get there or not? I just need someone to watch my back. That’s it. Everything else, like lodging and eating, I’ll take care of myself.”
