I take in the glow of blood runes that shimmer in a circlet, suspended midair, as I try to keep my hope from getting quashed, as I try to push away the despair.
It’s proving difficult, because if she’s not here, I have no idea where in Alondria she might be.
“You’re too late,” says a somewhat familiar voice. I spin to find a red-headed female standing behind me, arms crossed like she’s the one I’ve forsaken.
“Piper.”
Recognition slaps me across the head as my gaze adjusts easily to her unmistakable features in the glow of the starlight. Vibrant red curls, wide green eyes. She’s beautiful, yet solemn.
“Something tells me it’s not me you’re looking for.”
“Where’s Blaise? She was with you last.”
Panic crawls in my throat, worry that something might have happened to her.
“She’s gone.”
My breath fogs in the chill of the night. “What do you mean by gone?”
“She left in the middle of the night, two nights ago, intent on delivering a message to Queen Asha before Azrael unleashes his forces on the rest of the world.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, rubbing the back of my neck. I don’t miss the faint smile of vengeance on the female’s lips.
“You knew saying she was gone would make me think she was dead,” I say in irritation.
Piper shrugs. “What’s it to you? You’re the one who almost let her fall into a vat of liquid sunlight. If it weren’t for me, she would be dead.”
I grit my teeth, having nothing good to say to that.
Piper cranes her head at me, taking me in. “What made you change your mind about her?”
I flick my gaze at her. “How do you know I changed my mind?”
“Because when you thought she was dead, you looked like you were contemplating joining her.”
I swallow, unable to look the female in her eyes. “What message is she bringing the queen?”
Piper glares at me. “I suppose if you manage to catch up with her, she can tell you herself.”
“Well, then I best be leaving,” I say, shrugging past the girl, headed south, though I’ll need to stop in an inn on the way. By the way the stars are angled, I can tell it’s almost morning.
A hand grasps on my shoulder. It’s shaking as Piper spins me around to face her. I shrug her off, but there’s something in the way her expression’s changed that makes me regret it. It’s like a mask has fallen off her features, and she’s letting me see the concern underneath.
“She’s going to try to cross the Sahli in a night,” she says, her voice barely a whisper.
“A night?” I ask, my mind immediately swirling in calculation. “But night barely lasts five hours in the desert. And the sand…”
Piper shakes her head.
My chest constricts. “She’ll never make it,” I say, anxiety weaseling its way into my stomach. I find myself running my hands through my hair.
“No,” Piper whispers. “No, I’m afraid she won’t.”
I pause, fingers halfway through my hair. It’s not as though my feelings for Blaise have returned.
That doesn’t mean I want her to die.
I can still see her falling, the crushing realization of my betrayal on her face in the warehouse when I chose ending Abra over saving her.
I hadn’t wanted her to die then, either. But not wanting someone to die is a far cry from love.
“Why are you telling me this? I would have thought you’d want me to run after her, maximize the pain when I realized I was too late.”
Piper blinks. “Because I don’t want you to be too late.”
I frown. “When does she plan to do this?”
“Tomorrow night.”
Tomorrow night. I’ll never make it in time. Not when I’ll have to stop at an inn during the day.
Piper nods, biting her lip, her eyes wide as she stares down at her feet. When she finally looks at me, there’s a grim determination in her eyes. “You can die and come back, right?”
I pause, the question catching me off guard. “Yes. If you snap my neck, my heart will stop for a while, but it’ll always restart.”
Piper stares off into the distance, tapping her foot against the ground. “How do you feel about murder?”
“It’s not my preference.”
