Page 185 of The Crown’s Temptation

"I need you to trust me," he said.

I laughed. "I tried that before."

"Something is different about you."

"Yes," I said. "Death will do that to a person."

"Something else," he said.

I looked at him. "Yes."

We were inches apart. I felt him grow hard, felt the warmth pressing against my leg and I was not disgusted or offended or hurt or amused. I stepped back and he knew that I felt him and neither of us said anything about it.

"You should call that human girl over," I said. "Have her service you."

"What if I do not want her?” He held my eyes. "I do not know who to trust."

I smiled. "Well. It certainly should not be me."

I turned to leave. At the door I stopped.

"I learned much while I was here," I said. "But do you know what I learned best?"

"What?" he said.

"I am not my mother."

I left him there.

CHAPTER 41

The Siakar

The next night, I told Colsar all I had been able to learn about the amulet and Dali and Teorin and everything else happening in Darkway Palace.

“There is something else,” I said slowly. “But I do not want you to be upset with me.”

He frowned. “What is it?”

“The other night, I made Eravic take me to Thrykis.” I told him how I had killed Fyris and left Avaneer to take the blame, how I had seen Master Forsamin and met his brother, who had been the one making my foul-tasting treatments this entire time.

I drew in a deep breath. “I did not tell you right away because I was worried you would be upset at me for taking the risk, and I do not want there to be tension between us. Not now.”

“I need to tell you something else about the Arrolyn.”

His expression changed immediately. “What about it?”

“Eravic can activate it.”

He went still.

“It is not as simple as gaining power,” I said. “There are risks.”

“What kind of risks?”

I looked down at my hands.

“The activation takes three days. And during those three days, I may not be entirely myself.”