Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
He closed his eyes, as if he couldn’t bear to face me. “I can’t.”
I told myself to let the subject drop. Putting pressure on him wasn’t smart. Or honorable. But a question tumbled from me, anyway. “Can’t or won’t?
One second passed. Two. Three. When Jasher opened his eyes, his mask was fixed in place, but still he didn’t look at me. “Will you consider staying in Hakeldama?” he asked in lieu of an answer.
“No.” I refused to lie. No matter how much part of me longed to stay with him, to explore the lives of my parents and aid their people, I wouldn’t. My loyalty belonged to another. “I won’t abandon my father.”
“I understand.” He hesitated only a moment more before he removed the compass and returned the leather strap to my neck. He fingered the ornament, saying, “Keep this with you for now. I like seeing you wear it.”
“Jasher,” I croaked.
He exited the water, leaving me more confused than ever, shaky and sad.
Reprieve over.
CHAPTER 17
THE MONSTRA
Jasher and I bedded down inside a cabana with Leona and Patch sleeping nearby. He wore pants; I wore a shirt. The best and worst combination. I luxuriated in the crook of his arm, warm and safe as I dozed on and off, knowing I would forever yearn for more nights like this.
But one after another, rainbow birds arrived in flocks, covering the surrounding roofs and shattering my sense of tranquility. “Jasher,” I whispered, giving him a little shake. I hadn’t forgotten his face-eating warning.
“They won’t harm us,” he muttered, rolling us to our sides, becoming the big spoon.
Okay. All right. “I trust you.” I also liked him more than I should. Without a doubt, I would forever miss the Tinman who’d seemed to find his heart.
When morning arrived, bringing a lovely golden glow to the oasis, Patch and Leona went swimming. I remained tucked into Jasher’s side, feeling more refreshed than I had in ages. Not even sore muscles nixed my smile as I stretched. But a thought did. To the City of Lux we must go.
I sagged into the ground, my attention dropping to the forever key. My ticket home. If it did what Iris claimed, the Guardian must desire it more than a political prisoner who had no designs on his throne. All I needed was a chance to explain matters and pay for my passage.
I slid my gaze to the irresistible Tinman, and longing shivered in my chest. He slept on his back. With his eyes closed, his usually harsh features soft with sleep, he appeared so boyish and innocent, sublimely at peace.
Soon, we would be forced to say goodbye. I’d have to say goodbye to Nugget, Patch and Leona, too. Friends I’d come to love. Depression knocked, seeking entrance. I barred the door.
Though I refused to remain in this land, I could absolutely savor the days I had left. In fact, I would prepare breakfast for once. Yes, that was exactly what I’d do. Except. Hmm. A strange red glow began to flash beneath the surface of Jasher’s skin, riding the waves inside his veins. A frown formed as I traced a crimson line with the pad of a finger. Sizzling!
He jolted upright, instantly awake, all trace of his serenity erased, and the rainbow birds finally took flight. “Someone will break a law in a village just outside the forest,” he stated, leaping to his feet. “I’m the chosen executioner.”
My guts knotted. Not this again. Leona and Patch were distracted, splashing around, and paid us no heed. “How do you know a crime is about to be committed?” What had those temporary flashes meant?
“Because I do.” He didn’t glance my way as he collected his weapons. “You and the others will stay here.”
The sight of the blood-stained axes emboldened me. “No, I’m coming with you.”
“The offender may have a substitute.”
And I would protest the death, yes. “I’m coming,” I insisted.
“I’d rather you didn’t.” He gathered his toiletries and knelt at the bank of the pool, where he brushed his teeth.
Something is wrong. The unceasing cry filled my mind. He might fear my reaction to the execution of an innocent, but I believed the problem went deeper than that. “I understand you must do what you must do. I won’t like it, but I understand.”
He spit the paste into the water, tugged a shirt over his head, and stood. “That’s right. I must do it. Once a titleholder and a sacrifice reach an agreement, a great exchange takes place. In every way that matters, the sacrifice becomes the offender, and the titleholder is rendered innocent.” He worked his jaw. “There isn’t a way around it.”
Suddenly the problem was clear. A tug of war was taking place in his mind. He didn’t want to do this. And what of the prophecy? “I’m coming,” I repeated.