Her very essence seemed to shimmer, to disintegrate into mist, and then with a quick twirl she vanished, leaving the room dark and cold and quiet as if she had never even been there.
I sank against the wall, my stomach roiling at what I had agreed to.
You willkillWylan Athello—and you will deliver the ring to me before the finale.
I had learned every way to kill a man, and I didn’t know how I would bring myself to follow through with this, but it was my convictions against Nadiyah and my brother’s lives.
And I would choose my family every time.
Even if it meant destroying my own soul in the process.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Analleia
Desmond and Nadiyahnearly lost their minds when they saw the massive bloodstain on the carpet before they saw me, only calming down after I explained I was fine.The pain in my side was bearable, but nothing more.The Enchantress hadn’t thought it necessary to heal me completely, only enough that I wouldn’t die.She wanted this wound to be a reminder that whatever else happened would be far worse if I failed her.
“You need to drop this, Analleia,” Nadiyah advised.“You almost blew our covers and died in the process.Are you here to steal a trinket or to take the life of the king?”
I grimaced, sitting up on the couch.“I don’t have a choice.If I don’t get her that ring I won’t make it to the finale.”
“You should have told us you were going and brought us with you.”Anger filled Desmond’s voice.
I shook my head.“I don’t know if we could have beat him, even with all three of us.He’s too smart.They know there’s three of us here.They would have figured it out, and he would have recognized you, Nadiyah.Taking the two of you with me would have made it worse.”
They both stared at me as if I were incapable of seeing reason.
“You’re going to try to get the ring again, aren’t you?”Now Nadiyah’s voice was angry too.“Why is this so important to you?”
I gritted my teeth.“If I don’t get it for her, she’ll revoke the enchantment on my face.Everyone will remember who I am.They’ll have warrants out before I can leave the city.I won’t be able to enter the seventh ball, and I’ll never get a shot at the king.”
Nadiyah lifted her chin, a scheme forming behind her eyes.“What if we don’t take him out at the seventh ball?”She paused.“What if we take him out at the sixth?”
The idea caught my attention.Maybe I could get out of this situation altogether.
“The king doesn’t attend the sixth ball,” Desmond said.“At least not until the end when the winners are chosen.Since the guests are dispersed throughout the palace, he’s secured in a safe room.That’s the last possible night you or any of us would be able to get near him.”
