Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“Go on then.” Korah flings one of her hands backward, and a sword appears within it, the blade brimming with purple flames. “Try to kill me.”
Selah watches her sister, eyes flicking from the sword to her face.
“You can boast with your energy all you want for now, but I will kill you, Korah,” Selah snarls. There’s enough ice in her voice to freeze this island over.
When Selah vanishes, Rowan gasps and Korah spins around, searching the area. When she doesn’t see her, she lowers her gaze to mine and floats down to grip mine and Rowan’s shoulders.
A strong wind whips around us, and I feel a drop in my stomach and a sourness coating my throat. Once again, I taste the salty air, smell the black water, hear the waves crashing.
I land flat on my stomach on one of Blackwater’s shores, the waves licking at my boots and the sand digging into my palms. Rowan drops onto his back as if he’s been spit out of the sky’s mouth. Groaning, he rolls onto his side while I settle my breathing as best as I can. I feel eyes on the back of my head as I push up on my hands and rest on my knees.
When I look over my shoulder, I see Korah floating above us.
“All you had to do was trust me,” she says, and I’m shocked to see the hurt in her eyes. There’s pain in them—as if my lack of trust is enough to ruin her. To break her heart. Perhaps it has.
Because of me, Selah is now awake. All those doubts I had about Korah and Hassha are gone, and though I still don’t fully trust them, I damn sure trust them more than the Regal who just tried to murder me.
“I had no choice but to go to that island, Korah. I had to at least try! They have my mate. It was that or—”
“Doesn’t matter.” She scoffs, giving me a thorough onceover with sparked eyes. “I fear Yuri was wrong by choosing you.”
Then, just like Selah, she vanishes too.
THIRTY-TWO
THE REGALS
The island brews with a chaos that has never spurred before.
The warriors are on guard as they shout for the women and children to meet at the shore.
From above, Hassha watches it all happen. She feels her tribe’s desperation, their confusion, their fear.
She promised to protect them—it has been an oath of hers for as long as any of them can remember—but she can’t help feeling like she’s failing.
She’s lost Lilith, one of her best warriors. A woman she’d practically raised. She refuses to lose any more of her people.
“Mum!” Maia screams beneath her. Hassha’s eyes dart to one of her daughters. From where she floats, she can see her little girl’s eyes are full of tears. From a short distance, Minka appears as well, rushing toward her twin on the sand.
Hassha flies down, landing and wrapping both of them in her arms. Heat pools behind her eyelids. She can feel them so much—their strong emotions coursing through them. No longer are they fueled with joy. They’re riddled with terror.
“Mum, please come with us,” Maia pleads, peering up at Hassha with glistening eyes.
“I can’t go with you, darling.” Hassha blinks away her tears. “In order to keep you safe, you have to go into hiding with the rest of the tribe.”
“But I can fight,” Minka counters. Her bottom lip trembles as she grips the handle of her sword.
Hassha can only smile. “My brave warrior Minka.” She rubs her thumb over the stray tear on her cheek. “You can fight. This I know. But this battle is not yours. It’s one I started a long time ago, and now I must finish it.”
Hassha’s eyes shift upward when she spots Carra near a palm tree. With a sigh, she plants kisses on both girls’ heads then sends them off with their caretaker.
“Protect them at all costs,” Hassha demands of Carra.
“I’ll do so with my life,” Carra promises, taking the girls by hand and rushing to the shoreline.
When the girls look back, an ache develops in Hassha’s chest. It feels like her heart is splintering to pieces. It’s only done this once before, after an unbearable loss many, many years ago.
Hassha floats into the sky again and scans the island, making sure no one is left behind. When she doesn’t find a trace, she drops her eyes to Milandra and a row of warriors.
“It’s time,” she declares.
Milandra nods, though reluctant. Hassha smiles and plants a whisper into Milandra’s mind. Don’t worry about me. Worry about keeping our people safe.
Milandra’s nostrils flare, but she nods again then shouts an order for the warriors to surround the women and children. Once everyone is lined up at the shore, Hassha raises her hands to part the ocean.
She grunts. Water is much harder for her to control, but she manages, using copious amounts of energy so her tribe will have safe passage.