Page 25 of In The Dark
“I’m sure I can find a way to make it permanent.”
His smile suddenly falters, as if he can’t help his rising frustration. It flickers across his features momentarily when he clenches his jaw. “Your life is a lie.”
“Nice try.”
“Do you ever ask yourself who you’re assigned to kill? Have you asked why you’re killing them?”
“Why would I care? I take orders from the king. It’s not my position to question him, and I wouldn’t dare to. Not unless I want to be beaten for it.”
“You truly don’t know.” He stills as shock flashes across his face, nostrils flaring. “You’ve been killing my people.”
“Yourpeople? What do you mean,yourpeople?”
He straightens, suddenly towering over me, and he points to his chest with a snarl. “Mypeople. I have been sending my people into this realm to trackyou.King Elion is cruel and hateful. Do not let him make you think otherwise. He has you killing innocents,” he says, exasperated—sad and tired, it seems. “There is so much you don’t know.”
“Then tellme.” My hands clench around my daggers. “Even if they areyourpeople, they don’t belong here. King Elion has hisreasons, and it’s not my position to question him,” I repeat. “Why have you been tracking me? How do you even know who I am?”
He shakes his head, looking off while he rubs the back of his head. “Oh, but you will care, trust me…” He halts, turning his head as if he’s heard something in the distance before turning back to me with a sigh. “I wish we had more time to discuss this tonight, but Ezra and Ren are headed back to the inn, and we can’t risk getting caught. They’ll come looking for you if you don’t show up with an update. There’s too much to tell you, but we can talk again tomorrow,” he says dismissively, ignoring my questions.
And I realize that he knows too much.
“We will discuss it now!” I hiss, my voice shaking with anger. “You brought me out here for what? To taunt me?”
He spins back to me, his tone sharpening. “No, darling, you don’t understand. Wedon’thave time. If they find us here—together—this entire thing falls apart, and I can’t risk that. Iwon’trisk that.” His words come out fast, almost rushed. “Meet me tomorrow night. I’ll explain everything then, but you need to go back before they notice.”
“Do you think I’m going to let some Shadovar convince me to meet with him in private, again? No. I won’t do that because my loyalty isn’t withyou,” I say firmly.
His brows lower as he steps closer. “No? Who is it with, then? Because I don’t think it’s with King Elion. Deep down you must know he’s hiding something just like everyone else in the brotherhood. I have answers about your past that you didn’t even know existed,” he breathes, scanning my face. “I know your parents and where you come from.”
“I’m from Elderheim,” I say, but my breath catches in my throat. I hold his gaze, searching for any sign that he’s lying to me.Is he lying to me?
“Are you?” he asks quietly, challenging me.
He claims to know my parents? How—how is that possible? I’ve been an orphan since I was five, but my memories don’t extend beyond that. Yet over the last several months, I’ve been digging for information regarding who my parents are. Information I want and desperately need for my own sake.
I hate to admit that I want those answers—answers that suddenly trump lying to my brethren. I’ve already been keeping my search to myself for almost a year, so this would be no different.
I groan in frustration, turning away to pace. I’m suddenly conflicted between meeting with him for answers and reporting back to Ezra about what happened tonight.
My pacing finally halts when I face him, only to find him standing with his arms crossed, but a flicker of desperation crosses his features before he looks away. He makes it impossible to say no.
“Fine!” I huff, giving in. “How am I going to distract the other two? I have to tell them something.”
He growls, turning from me. “Don’t trust them. You don’t know everything yet, so please, don’t say anything until you hear it all so you can make that decision for yourself.”
“Of course I trust them. Honestly, you could probably kill Ren, and I wouldn’t say a word about it. I might even help you.” I chuckle at the thought. “Besides, I have to tell them something tonight. I don’t have a choice.”
He turns back around. “Just tell them you might have a lead from tonight and need to go to the Cauldron again, but nothing more or they’ll question it.”
My brows knit at his words as I realize he’s been following us for a while. How could I have not noticed it?
“What, do you think I’ve only had eyes on you?” Alec says with a smug grin.
“You’re fucking annoying.”
He laughs, deep and loud. “That’s a new one. I’ve never been called annoying before.”
But I ignore him and look away, trying to decipher everything that was revealed, as confusing as it is. I’m unsure if I should trust this stranger or stab him. Though my training tells me to lunge at him, my mind somehow forces me to hesitate.Why am I hesitating?