I nodded, still fighting myself. “We can break the blood oath with your blood, willingly given. That’s all we need.”
Hope flared in her expression, eyes lighting up. “That’s all?”
“I think so.” I pulled a vial I kept water in from my pack, hands shaking slightly as I held it out.
Vitoria didn’t hesitate. She drew out a dagger and sliced across her palm. Blood welled immediately, and she held her hand over the vial, letting the drops fall.
“Thank you,” she said as I stoppered it. “For trusting me. For loving me even when you had every reason not to.” Her voice broke slightly.
“We’re friends,” I said simply. “That’s what friends do.”
She jerked suddenly, like someone had yanked an invisible rope. Her hand went to her chest, pressing hard.
“He’s calling. I have to go. But I’ll come back tomorrow. I promise. We’ll figure this out. We’ll break the binding and the oath and?—”
Another jerk. Harder this time.
“I have to go.” She was already moving toward the door. “Tomorrow. I promise.”
Then she was gone, slipping into the hallway and disappearing before either of us could respond.
The pressure from the oath eased immediately. I sagged against the bed, gasping like I’d been holding my breath.
“That was too easy.” Calder’s voice was flat. Hard.
“What?”
“That was too easy, Syn.” He stood, moving toward the door with predatory focus. “She just... showed up? Confessed everything? Gave us exactly what we needed to break the oath? After we crossed countries to find her? She could have told us all that before she left Grimora. She never said how she got here.Whyshe came back here if hermasterhad given her freedom. We’ve known her for years. I’m telling you, something’s not right. And we’re just supposed to trust that we know it all? That breaking the oath won’t trigger something worse?”
My stomach dropped. “We don’thaveto go through with it.”
“Should we follow her?”
I wanted to say yes. Wanted to chase after Vitoria and demand more answers, better explanations, proof that she wasn’t leading us into disaster.
But the oath, even diminished, still hummed in my veins. And Calder’s expression was wild, desperate, fighting something I knew he’d eventually lose.
“No.” The word hurt. “You wanted to kill her. The entire time she was here, you wanted to end it.”
“I did.” No denial. “The only thing stopping me was you being in the way. And next time...” He swallowed hard. “Next time I won’t be able to stop myself. And I’m not sure I can trust my own instincts. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s the oath driving us to distrust her.”
I held the vial up, blood dripping down the side. “What do I do with this?”
“Hide it, Syn. Don’t go anywhere on your own, and for Furies’ sake, stay out of the hunter’s bed. I would never interfere with your happiness, but you’re being foolish.” He left before I could argue.
I moved to the window, pressing my forehead against glass that was somehow warm instead of cold. The city was dark. Vitoria appeared on the street below, moving quickly, her black hair catching the purple glow from floating chalices as she passed. She avoided them carefully, I noticed. Gave each one a wide berth, like getting too close would hurt. Because she was not the Phoenix.
She was not the Phoenix.
This entire thing had been a setup from the beginning, and I needed to keep reminding myself of that. The truth lay somewhere between what we knew and what we thought we knew, and until we had answers, nothing could be done.
I watched until she disappeared around a corner, swallowed by shadows and a city far too perfect.
We had the blood. Had a way to break the oath.
So why did it feel like everything just got worse?
Chapter 46
