Page 31 of Boundless

I blinked and blinked.

“How long have you been living on Earth again?” Because there was no way she’d be able to speak like that, even if it had been a few years. No way would she have come to the conclusion thatmagic is the original programming language,and somehow compare it to technology, unless…

“About twenty-five years, give or take.”

“Holy fuck, that’s a long time,” said Betty before I could.

“How?” I whispered, because if she washereand she had lived here for over two decades…

“I told you, I was bani?—”

“How did you survive all those years in Nerith without magic?” Because Rune said that he would die within months if he came here, and it wasn’t like Rune to lie.

A grin. “Nerith,huh,” said the golem, and I felt my cheeks heating up. I had called Earth by the name Verenthians had given us—notEarth—and I hadn’t even noticed.

“Just answer the question,” I insisted because what the hell did it even matter what name I’d used?

“I’m not fae, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she said. “Fae cannot live outside our realm, but golems sure can. And a bunch of other species.”

I flinched before I could help it. I knew Rune hadn’t lied, but I was still a bit disappointed. There was a part of me that still thought we could somehow come back here,together,and live the rest of our lives on Earth.

“Why, then?”

“Why, what?” the golem asked.

“Why were you banished?”

A moment of silence. “Why wereyou?”

Her eyes immediately moved to my hands. I felt the magic in them. I knew they were lit up.

“Better yet,” the golem said, pointing a finger up without ever looking away from me. “Who made that fae light if you claim you’re not fae?”

Uncomfortablewas a small word right now. I fisted my hands until they hurt, and I forced the magic to retreat. I didn’t think this golem was going to attack us, but if she did, I could handle it. Iwould—Betty was with me. I always lost it extra quickly when the people I cared about were being threatened.

“Listen, Arez. Thank you for taking down those posts. I appreciate it,” I said, and I grabbed Betty’s hand. “It was nice meeting you, but we have to go now.”

“You can’t be serious,” the golem said, and when I made to move forward, she did, too. Stopped right in front of me. Looked up at me with those wide eyes that almost looked green just now. “Hold on a minute—just hold on!”

“I don’t want trouble,” I told her, and I meant it, but…

“I can help you, okay? I can help you!”

Another step forward, and this time it was Betty who stopped me. Pulled at my hand with both hers. “Nilah, wait.” I looked at her with my mouth open. She couldn’t be serious. “Let’s just…let’s just hear her out, okay? Let’s hear her out, is all I’m saying.”

“I can help you, I swear it,” said the golem, both hands raised, and she was unarmed. There was no magic on her, and I could have sworn the skin of her palms was made ofstone.It looked smooth and pale grey, exactly like those stones in Verenthia. Specifically in the Frozen Court.

“Help me how?”

“Verenthia. You’re trying to go back, right? I saw you trying.I’mtrying to go back, too! We can help each other, can’t we?” she said in a rush.

Maybe it was the fear speaking because she was a golem and she was here and she knew my name and it just didn’t add up—but I didn’t want to believe her. I didn’t want to even find outhowshe thought we could help each other.

But Betty was there still, and my hand was between hers. She definitely liked the golem, because she told her, “It’s actuallyveryimportant for Nilah to get to Verenthia right now. A bunch of crazy shit is happening and she needs to go asap. So, we’re all ears.” And she jerked my arms. “Right, Nil?”

As much as my instincts insisted for me to run the hell away from here, I couldn’t. Betty was right. It was important to get to Verenthia right now because Rune was there. Rune could be in trouble. Vair was completely alone. And I still hadn’t learnedthe truth—the fucking truth we’d fought so hard to find. That I’d helped kill a king to find.

Rune would know by now. He would knowwhythe Ice Queen did what she did, and how her death truly happened.