Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
“Please.” Willow’s voice is faint, but we both hear it. I know Korah hears it because she lowers her head, hiding her eyes as she arranges the items neatly on the table. “I get why you don’t like what Vakeeli has become. Trust me, I understand it more than anyone. There’s violence everywhere, darkness, and hardly any regard for women. I can’t imagine what people would do if they got a hold of you. They’d have no respect for all you’ve done, all you’ve created, and that’s not fair seeing as you gave them so much to live with. But…I sense there is a reason you left instead of destroying it all. You still have faith in Vakeeli, just like me and Caz do.”
Korah’s shoulders tense.
“Caz has a family there, and in the short amount of time I’ve been there, his family has become mine too. Plus, my twin brother…he may still be alive somewhere in Vakeeli, and I would hate to not find out if he’s still alive all because Decius decided to kill us. And Caz…he’s trying to make Vakeeli a better place. He and the queen of Vanora are. There are people who want to make it a good world again, but we can’t do that if we don’t put an end to Decius and all this fear. So, I’m begging you, Korah. Will you please help us?”
The room falls into a fizzled silence. One of the candles crackles behind me as I focus on Willow. Tears have lined her eyes, but she blinks them away, awaiting Korah’s response. I have no idea how she can still remain so hopeful after being flat-out rejected.
With an exasperated sigh, Korah turns her head and faces Willow. “It is your empathy that will help this sad boy,” she proclaims.
Love of Vakeeli. If she calls me sad or boy one more time…
Willow smiles at her with shimmering eyes.
“Look, I can’t promise that I can help you defeat Decius. I haven’t been in Vakeeli in over four centuries, so my energy is not what it once was.”
“Well tell us how to kill him,” I insist. “There has to be a way. He may be powerful, but he’s not immortal. The other Tethers died because of him. That means he can die too; it may just require more of something.”
Korah walks past me to get to a shelf, taking down a thick green tome. It’s bound in leather and engraved with her name on the front cover. She carries it to the table and opens it, spreading the yellowing pages and revealing paragraphs of cursive script. None of it is written in modern word. It’s all in ancient Vakeeli symbols and letters. I only know some of it, but not all, and I wish I’d paid attention more with those tutors Magnus hired instead of picking fights with them.
“Hassha and I found out the wood of a Trench tree doused in Regal blood can weaken him. It’s why the Trench has practically become a wasteland. He tried burning all the trees, but after so many years, I believe there are still some that can be found. Shape the wood into a spear or any weapon with a pointed tip, have Hassha add a little blood, stab him with it, and he will weaken—possibly even die. We tried it once and it kept him down for centuries, but somehow, he returned. By the time we realized it, our lives had changed, and we didn’t want to deal with Selah’s creatures anymore, so we went into hiding. Wood from a Trench tree could work because it’s his origins—he was born there and was overseer of The Trench. It’s where his roots are, you see, so anything from there has a possibility of defeating him if mixed with our blood. We are the creators of Vakeeli, and what we create, we can also destroy.”
“Sure, all right. I just can’t believe you haven’t gone back for your sister. She’s your family,” I mutter.
“My sister and I didn’t want to die for Selah’s mistakes,” she snaps, fixing her gaze on me. “We told her to test it out with one of the Tethered, not run off and make seven of those abominations. She’d drained all of her energy creating the Tethered, and we knew it was going to take years for her to gather that much energy back.” She looks between us. “No offense. You two seem decent enough.”
“Do you think Selah is still alive?” Willow asks.
Korah gives her a funny look—one I can’t discern. “I know she’s still alive.”
I consider telling her that I know where Selah is with what The Council told me with Inferno Isle, but I’m not sure it would matter. I’m the only one who can awaken her—whether Decius is alive or not. If she senses there’s another way of getting to Selah without having to interfere with Decius, she may not be so willing to help us end him, and I can’t risk that, so I step away, studying the mirror on the wall instead.