My fear heightens when he pulls out a dagger from his vest and holds it at his side. I suck in a breath, scuffling backward.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Zaira. Remember?” He trains his eyes on mine. “I never would.”
I swallow hard and nod, pleased by the warmth in his voice. “Okay.”
Thane drops his mask so I can see his whole face, doing so in a way to show he means no harm. It’s a handsome face. One I enjoyed kissing only this morning. I relax.
Finally, he looks back at the tome, turning his dagger over in his hand, awe still in his eyes.
“I’ll always hate that Seferin ruined my life,” he says, shaking his head. “I looked for many ways to return his ill favor—to ruin him, too. The Sunderstone he had us steal contains some of the strongest, blackest magic. When I found out he was planning to use it to overthrow the kingdom and kill the queen, that felt like the perfect opportunity. All that gloating he did—boasting to the guild, building the Grim. Giving them all that false hope. Without the stone, he’d accomplish none of it.”
He runs his fingers over his blade, as if testing its edge. “I used the knowledge of his plans to my advantage. I was going to ruin the very thing he was after, so one night, I took my blades and killed the general. Then I killed the other superiors. And then I killed thirty-seven of the assassins they’d trained and recruited. Right after that, I ran away again and took the Sunderstone with me.”
“Thane,” I breathe, heart pounding and aching for him at the same time. Now I understand completely why Maliek and The Shadow Guild were coming after him so hard. “Why didn’t you tell me all of this before? I—I don’t even know what to say right now.”
“There isn’t much you can say,” he replies.
“So…if he’s looking for you, why were you in Meriva that day? At the Tilted Crystal? So many people are a part of the Grim there.”
“Because I was visiting Koa’s grave.” He lowers his dagger to his thigh. “And I wanted to see Helena.”
“Oh.”
“I also wanted to get a lead on Seferin because I want to kill him. I’ve been in hiding for the past year. I was tired of hiding. I wanted him to know that I was looking for him. I knew he’d catch wind of my appearance.”
“But you’ll die if he catches you.”
“I didn’t care… I was ready to leave this world so long as it meant taking him out with me…but then I walked into that tavern and metyou.”
His eyes meet mine, and warmth floods through my chest.
“With you,” he continues, “I saw how much hurt he’s caused beyond me. With you, it all became clear. I knew exactly what to do in order to end his worthless life. The plan came so suddenly. I couldn’t let it slip through my fingers.”
My hearts sinks, and a wave of sadness rinses through me. With that comment, he makes me feel like I’m simply a means to an end. Nothing more. It’s disheartening. Once he kills Seferin, what comes next? I know I shouldn’t wonder this, as we’re not supposed to get too invested in each other, but what will I become to him when it’s all said and done?
My mind circles back to Analla. She’s why I’m in this temple, and I’m not leaving until I get what I came for. I can’t let my emotions get in the way when I’m this close.
I lift my chin and take a deep breath. If I make the tome his, he’ll be able to help me get the prosperity stones and maybe even kill Seferin. Both are massive wins…but this doesn’t make his confession hurt any less.
This thing between us is not supposed to be deep, I remind myself.
But it feels like it.
“Well, we should get this over with, then.” I gesture to the tome. “You need my blood, right?”
He nods. “Just a drop or two will do. Hopefully, it works.”
“Okay.” I start to walk his way but pause when his eyes spark and his shoulders tense.
“Zaira, look out!” he shouts as he runs toward me.
Out of thin air, someone grabs me from behind and wrangles me into their arms. The sharp, cold edge of a blade presses to my throat. When I see the glowing blue hands, I know exactly who it is we’re dealing with.
Maliek.
He’s back.
Chapter 55
