Page 149 of Tale of the Heart Queen

“I don’t care anymore,” Rion hissed. “This isn’t worth it. I’m done.”

I knew you were weak.

Rion chuckled darkly and took a swig from the bottle.

“No, that shit won’t work on me anymore. I’m done being manipulated.”

He tipped the bottle back and drank deeply. Finally, he could feel the effects leaking into his blood. Another bottle, and maybe he’d finally be able to stop thinking and stop this churn of thoughts in his head threatening to destroy him bit by bit.

You loved a woman once, came the voice, which had Rion grinding to a stop, choking on his drink. Rachel, was it?

His body tensed, muscles seizing with confusion. “What does that have to do with anything?”

She died?

“How do you know that?”

I know many things. Have you not gleaned this by now?

“Do you know where she is?”

A long pause nearly had Rion climbing out of his skin. Herric was the Lord of the Underworld. He could speak with the dead. Rion reached for the Torch as though he could strangle the words out of it.

I know, Herric finally said.

“Where?” Rion asked, hardly daring to believe it.

She is here. With me.

The air in Rion’s lungs turned to mud.

I wanted it to be a surprise when you found your way to me. But she lives in the Underworld, and when you open the door, you will be able to see her and perhaps . . . Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Rion’s gaze narrowed in suspicion. It couldn’t be true, but he wanted to believe it so much. What was Herric implying? Could he bring her back? He’d give up his crown this time. He’d give up anything to be with her. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He’d have to find some way to deal with Meora, but she probably wouldn’t even notice anyway.

If there was anything he’d learned in his discoveries of virulence, it was that anything was possible if you knew what questions to ask and, more importantly, where to look.

She said to tell you she still loves the taste of butterscotch.

Those words almost had Rion swallowing his tongue. Butterscotch. A quiet cabin in the Cinta Wilds at the height of summer, surrounded by fields of wildflowers. Rachel naked in his bed, her gleaming brown skin kissed by the sun. They’d been sharing ice cream, and one thing led to another before he found himself licking it off every inch of her body before she’d returned the favor. The hairs on his arms stirred at the memory.

He’d never been able to stand the smell of butterscotch after she’d left.

“What do you need?” Rion asked, running his hands through his hair and tugging on it so hard the roots ached.

The girl. The ark. You know what I want.

Open the Underworld and let me out.

CHAPTER 52

GABRIEL

The sky flashes with silver lightning against dark grey clouds. This has been happening for the past hour, but this storm brings us no rain, only a thick sense of foreboding.

A note arrived yesterday from Nadir confirming they had all the rulers together and that they’d be destroying the arks today.

I sense we’re witnessing the outcome of that act.