Dominoplucked the book from my intractable clasp with humiliating ease. “Fear impedes your ability to decode. You know this.”
Ha! “The joke’s on you, because I don’t know anything anymore. Maybe the battle is pretend. A trick meant to confuse Astan. That’s possible, right?”
“If you don’t exit the library now, you will miss the final train back to the base.”
“But—”
“You can argue with me, or you can return to Cyrus. You cannot do both.”
Return to Cyrus. Yes. Purpose rampaged through my veins, and I popped to my feet. “Let’s go.” I would warn him of the god’s plan, and he would mount an unbeatable defense. Because Cyrus wanted nothing to do with Astan; he’d already chosen Soal.
Guess I did know something, after all.
Domino led me through a maze of hallways scattered with private reading nooks. “Remember there’s always a path to victory, no matter what you read. The answer is here, and we’ll find it.”
Great. Wonderful. “I’m not sure I can trust you with this particular mission. Your dislike of Cyrus clouds your judgment.”
“I told you, I don’t dislike him. And it wouldn’t matter if I did. He’s one of us. I’m willing to die to protect him, just as I’m willing to die for you.”
His ferocity turned his words into a vow. As he steered me forward, I was struck anew by his quiet strength. If he was even half as loyal as he seemed, he might just be the friend I’d been searching for—someone worth trusting, after all. “Thank you, Domino,” I said softly.
“There’s no need to thank me for—”
“Doing your job. I know. But it’s your choice to do it with honor and kindness, and I appreciate that.”
His gaze cut to me for a split second, like he was trying to determine if I was a figment of his imagination.
“I call that look the Arden Effect,” I bragged, earning another of those maybe smiles.
We cut through different exhibits featuring holographic displays of phenomena from around the world, throughout history. He stopped in front of a particular wall with no decorations. The stone—Tsuri—thinned, allowing me to see Ourland beyond it. Bala City, to be exact. Citizens went about their evening, unaware they were being watched from within the Rock as well as outside it.
“I’ll count down the seconds,” Domino said. “You will simply walk out of this room and keep going without pause. I have a hologram of you strolling along a path to this location. That image will vanish as soon as you make contact. You are safe.” He pointed to someone approaching the sidewalk in front of our section of the Rock.
I gasped. Me. It was me. I wore the same pink tank and shorts, my hair braided.
No time to process anything.
“Five. Four. Three. Two.” He gave me a gentle shove, his touch warm and firm, and I stumbled outside.
The hologram walked into me, disappearing for good, igniting a tingling whoosh all over my body. As instructed, I kept moving, awed. I didn’t let myself look back at the Rock as I headed toward the train station.
I descended the steps and joined a growing crowd on the dock. Though I had to force my way through, I made it inside a cart and whisked back to the base, where I holed up in my cell to unpack what I’d learned in the library.
Cyrus. In danger. Perhaps my enemy.
The doom I’d buried overwhelmed my memory garden, as if its roots had invaded every section. It had always pointed to this, hadn’t it? Astan might choose Cyrus as his host ... and Cyrus might say yes.
When was this supposed to happen? And what about the war itself? Finally, I’d learned the truth about what had spurred it, but so many questions remained. At the top of the list: All this for jealousy?Seriously?
What was Astan’s goal, anyway? He must want more than just the destruction of the Rock.
Quaking, I shot the high prince a message.
I need to speak with you ASAP.
I awaited his reply, hoping he’d come visit me. Minutes ticked by. An hour. Curfew arrived, and I was sealed inside my cell.
I tossed and turned all night.
