Page 110 of Tale of the Heart Queen

He’s not in love with my plan but conceded it was kind of the only option we had.

“So we’ve brought you something I think will convince you.”

“What could you possibly—”

Her words cut off as I dig into the pocket of my tunic and pull out the ark of Aphelion. I’m banking on the notion that Cloris doesn’t know I stole the others from Zerra, worried she’ll demand the rest from me too. How often does she converse with her goddess, and why hasn’t that goddess found me again?

Last time, Cloris told us Zerra was dying because everyone was using their magic with impunity and draining her. Cloris had part of the story but not all of it, which leads me to believe she isn’t as in with her goddess as she thinks. It also makes me think Zerra is feeding different truths to different people, hoping to prevent anyone from having leverage to use against her. Perhaps she’s more clever than she seems.

Cloris stares at the ark in my outstretched hand and then at me. “You’re giving this to me?”

“In exchange for the knowledge of how Nadir and I can bond,” I say.

She’s trying to keep her cool, but the manic light in her eyes gives her away. She wants this so badly she can taste it.

Cloris inhales a sharp breath and straightens her shoulders.

“Our bargain was for the ark of Heart.”

“Which is currently somewhere in The Aurora in the hands of the king,” I say. “You said you’ve been searching for all of them, so I’m offering you this one.”

I study her face. There’s nothing to suggest she knows I have the others, only that intense longing for the object cradled in my hand.

She shakes her head and peers up at me. “I want this and the ark of Heart for the knowledge you seek.”

I suspected this would be her ask. Give an inch, and they always ask for a mile.

“Fine,” I say, tucking the ark back into my pocket. I take Nadir’s hand. “Then we’ll be on our way.”

We turn to leave, but she calls out as I predicted she would. “Wait.”

“What?” I ask.

“Listen,” Nadir says, dropping my hand and stepping towards her. He’s taller than her by a good foot, plus he’s fucking scary when he’s pissed. She takes the smallest step back at his approach, though she tries to cover it up. “We can find this information out from someone else. If you know, then someone else knows too. But there is only one ark of Aphelion to be had. So you’ll take Lor’s offer, or you can fuck right off. We have things to do, and you’re wasting our time.”

Cloris’s eyes flash with fury, but she must hear the sense in Nadir’s words. Her jaw clenches, and she holds out her bony, trembling hand.

“Fine. Give it to me, and I’ll tell you.”

Nadir snorts but defers to me, glancing over his shoulder in question.

I move to stand next to him. “No. You’re going first because, as he just pointed out, you’re getting the better end of the bargain,” I say.

Technically, it’s true. We might be able to find this information on our own, but we’re also running out of time.

“How do I know you won’t run as soon as I tell you?” she asks.

“Of the two of us, you are the one who’s been trying to screw me over. You’re the one who’s been lying to everyone. So I’m the more trustworthy one in this relationship.” I hold up a hand. “You have my word that we will not run.”

Cloris lets out a long, slow breath.

“Very well,” she says and then smiles in a way that suggests neither of us will like this answer. “It’s very simple. You will need both Artefacts, and there are a series of lines to recite in addition to those required of a normal bonding.”

“What lines?”

“I don’t have them memorized, but you’ll find them in a book known as the Book of Night.”

“Where will we find that?” Nadir asks, and Cloris shrugs.