Page 31
My heart skips a beat as I think of the mystery tonic I digested. The one from the Outcast that Godric seemed so worried about.
It had only been one drop, but maybe that was enough to throw me into the middle of a Monster Isle vengeance cycle that I shouldn’t have anything to do with.
Did you do this?
I know he can’t hear me, but now I’m second-guessing every conclusion I thought I’d made about him.
“How does that happen?” I ask Arwan as if he might give me a clue that won’t end in a brutal punishment.
He sighs. “Instead of an infinite loop, my life thread has become like a mortal’s string.” He makes a cutting motion with his fingers, then pretends to pick up the invisible thread. “When I follow it now, it leads me to you.”
“Me?” I parrot back.
Gods, I sound like an idiot.
He growls in response. The sound is positively sinful, making me squirm as he mimics following the string until his hand hovers over my chest.
“Specifically, your heart,” he adds. His voice is even lower now, making my fingers curl into the furs in my lap when he finally touches me.
I suck in a breath.
Arwan’s skin is hot and cold at the same time and very… pleasant. I’m not sure if that’s the effect of the magic that lives under his skin or just a general “Arwan” thing that makes him so damn cocky.
I hate that he’s right. He really doesn’t need magic to persuade my body, because my heart is thundering just in response to his touch.
He seems fascinated as he presses his dark fingertips against my skin. I can’t help but close my eyes as sensation swarms me. Everything about Arwan is intense.
A shiver runs up my spine as the brief touch lingers over my left breast, then disappears.
“Our hearts are linked by prophecy,” he says plainly. “Your life is linked to mine, and mine to yours. And since you’re mortal, so, now, am I. Until I figure out why this has happened, and how to undo it, it’s in my best interests to keep you very much alive.”
My eyes fling open as I stare at him, but I can’t find any trace of deception. His breaths are deep and even. His pupils remain steady, and he meets my gaze without hesitation.
I don’t see falsehood or hidden agendas in his eyes, only sincerity.
“You’re telling the truth,” I marvel. Then I frown again. “Why would you tell me this?” If I were an immortal, I’d keep any weaknesses a secret. Especially one like this.
He grins, showing off those edgy teeth that are strangely enticing. “Because I want you to trust me,” he says as if it’s obvious. “We can help each other, but I’m not a cad, Liliana. If I mean to make an ally, I bring an offer to the table and show my cards.” His grin widens, making dimples appear. “Now you know my hand.”
The way he speaks smooths over my rough edges and makes me want to do exactly what he suggests: trust him.
But I know royal tactics, and this, too, could be a trick.
“What’s in it for me?” I ask frankly. “If your life is tied to mine, it’s in my best interests to keep it that way.”
He leans back, giving me a raised brow. He’s learning not to underestimate me, which means I’m showing some of my cards, too. But sometimes information itself is worth the trade.
“You survive the next fourty-eight hours,” he states simply. “Someone will be coming to retrieve you for evaluation soon, and the mortality rate is fifty percent.”
My eyes widen. “What?” Godric hadn’t mentioned anything about a fifty-fifty chance of death this morning.
Although, that’s probably a regular day in his world.
“I can improve the odds, giving you a seventy-five percent chance,” he says, his dimples disappearing now. “It’s the best I can do.”
My lungs constrict, and my heart patters inside my chest. If Arwan can hear it, he doesn’t show it. But the thunder is so loud in my ears I can barely hear my own panicked thoughts. “But that means you’re at risk, too. Why don’t you just get me out of here and make it a hundred percent?”
This could all be a ploy to get me to propose exactly that, but I believe Arwan. I could very well die today, and so could he.
