“Where is the tome now?”
“I hid it, but if you free her, I can lead you to it.”
“Hmm.” Seferin steps sideways.
I glance at him.
He’s staring at the bookcase behind his desk, filled to the brim with leather-bound books. In an instant, he steps away from me and teleports to the other side of the room before I can blink.
“You know, for a while, I couldn’t figure out what Valkor was thinking by traveling to The Shallows. Then it hit me that he was going for the tome. I figured surely he wouldn’t succeed in acquiring it. Any sorcerer in their right mind would never consider the risk worth it, and I didn’t think there was a mortal’s blood worthy enough to secure Azidel’s tome. Even if there were, that mortal had to be one hundred percent willing to offer their blood to obtain it. Do you know what that means, Zaira?”
I shift in my chair. “No.”
“It means a mortal cannot be forced into the Temple of Elphar to retrieve it for a sorcerer. The mortal must willingly enter, and they must trust the sorcerer who presents it to them. If it were the case of any person being able to get it, the tome would’ve been taken a long time ago. But no.” Seferin waves a finger in the air with a sly smile. “This person has to be there because their whole heartdesiresto be. This person has to have more hope in their heart than fear, and even less hatred. The tome sought the blood of a mortal who cares for others much more than they care for themselves, just as Azidel’s wife had.”
I frown, confused.
Sensing my confusion, Seferin continues.
“Azidel’s wife was a selfless woman, if you didn’t know. She risked her life in order to spare Azidel’s so he could have enough time to secure the tome in the temple before Xaimur could come for him. He succeeded because of her sacrifice. And all this time, you were the perfect match to her.” Seferin provides a wicked chuckle. “If there is one thing about Valkor, he hasalwaysbeen the perfect student. Always the one to understand the most complex situations and remember the tiniest of details. Great at getting people to trust him, too. After all, we let him roam freely among us, just to have him turn around and slaughter nearly half of our guild.”
Seferin appears next to me again.
“Well, I don’t care about Thane or the tome. You can have it,” I tell him. “Just please let my sister go. I’m willing to do anything for her.”
I avoid his eyes as he pushes some of my hair back in a gentler way than I expected. Then he runs his cool knuckles over my cheek.
I turn away.
Not yet.
Seferin scans me with his devious eyes, a hint of curiosity burning in his vision. “I should take back what I said. You’re no simple mortal at all,” he murmurs near my ear. “You areexactlywhat I need to elevate my status in Thelanor even more. You are what I like to callthe perfect source. Your sister should never have been the one I kept in my dungeon.”
He snaps his fingers. “The cell is unlocked. Bring Analla to me,” he orders.
Maliek brushes the seductive girls off and rushes them out of the room as he goes.
Seferin places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a possessive squeeze. Now that I know her cell is unlocked, I don’t brush him off. I straighten in my chair as he gives me a thorough observation. A chill slides down my spine at the sight of his faint smile that hardly reaches his cold, emotionless eyes.
Something about this situation amuses him far too much.
All the while, I’m counting how many seconds he keeps his hand on me.
It’s been seven seconds now.
I sense he’s about to pull away, so I grab his hand and hold it in mine, softening my gaze. “Thank you for this,” I say, clinging to him. “For showing her a little mercy.”
Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven—
He says nothing in response, just stares down at me with all-consuming eyes. Then he snatches his hand away.
Does he know I’m bluffing? That I don’t actually have the tome?
Eleven seconds. That’s how long he touched me.
With the mindflare, I send another thought to Thane.Now.
Several minutes later, Analla appears with Maliek gripping her by the hair. In her hand is the liphanet crystal.
