Page 32 of Kingdom of Tomorrow (Book of Arden #1)

Guard your heart, for it steers your life.

I awoke with a start, bolting upright. The swift movement ignited discomfort in every inch of my body and unbridled a tsunami of memories. Shiloh. The Madness. Pain. Blood.

Death.

A groan rumbled in my throat, trapped. The shock of what had happened was wearing off, taking my precious numbness with it. Shiloh was dead. Because of me.

White-hot tears welled, searing my corneas.

I sat atop a plush bed rather than the gurney I’d fallen asleep on.

The room I now occupied was twice the size of my cell, with iridescent crystals growing over the walls and medical equipment throughout.

An open doorway revealed a bathroom with a private toilet and shower stall.

A small planting pot and a reader sat atop a wheelable table.

I was alone with a barrage of tormenting questions.

When did Shiloh become infected? He’d tested negative only hours before.

What infected him? Not the Rock. There wasn’t a section nearby.

Or if there was, I didn’t know about it.

Shiloh could have found one. He’d probably been on the hunt, desperate to investigate his theories about the cure.

Though why not use the non-Rock Rock Mykal used for study?

Fatigue bubbled from a never-ending well. I curled into a ball, barely resisting the urge to pull the covers over my head. Had Ember learned of her brother’s death? If she didn’t know, she needed to learn. Maybe I could find a way to message her.

I patted for the reader and pulled it to my face. As soon as the device switched on, the glower consumed my screen, her eyes red rimmed.

“Hello, Arden.”

She knew. Every muscle in my body tensed. Live feed. I flopped to my back, breathing out, “I’m so sorry.”

“I warned you, but you refused to believe.” Ember’s lids fluttered shut for a moment. A tear rolled down her cheek. “They killed him.”

My calm frayed, denying my tears no longer an option. She must not have the full story. “I was the one who wielded the weapon, not Cured . Me.”

Anger flashed over her features. Her irises blazed. “You were the weapon, not the wielder.”

That ... no. It made no sense.

“He joined us, you know.” She leveled me with a brutal stare. “While you were in Theirland, he accepted an invitation into the Tome Society.”

I absorbed her confession and reeled. “He told me he’d figured out his future.” To learn he’d signed on with the Soalians, to recall how he’d exhibited the same peace as the glowers—puzzle pieces clicked into place.

“You infected him,” I snarled. The worst of the worst? Yes! I should have spilled everything to Cyrus. He’d given me plenty of opportunities.

“I freed him,” Ember snarled back.

“You condemned him.”

“You are a fool!” she screeched. “You know nothing about anything and act as if you know everything.”

Silence stretched, both of us panting. She calmed first, her expression smoothing into polite serenity.

“I gave him his first instruction,” she said.

“Told him to leave the base. He wasn’t supposed to be there.

But he refused to leave. He decided to remain in his invisible chains for you .

” Her eyes closed for a moment, and she drew in a shuddering breath.

“I’m responsible for overseeing his last request. Your freedom.

” Staring at me with swirling irises, she commanded, “Look. See.”

A massive three-story room replaced her, dominating the screen. And my reality. I felt as if I stood among leather-bound books meticulously stacked upon freshly polished shelves.

I didn’t have to wonder what I was seeing. The infamous library of Soal.

“This isn’t real,” I rasped. But I did gawk and marvel. Genuine or not, the sights stunned.

Wooden tables with elaborate carvings displayed treasures from the ages. Musical instruments, vases, and breathtakingly sparkly jewelry. Cushioned couches and chairs were positioned under trees that grew from the floor. Flower-heavy branches extended in every direction.

People glided here and there, moving in sync with soft music waltzing across the airwaves.

Plush chairs offered cozy spots to read.

I cast my gaze from face to face, searching for anyone I might recognize.

A woman and a man sat together on a bench, talking, and I was almost certain I’d seen them in the halls of Fort Bala.

A soft feminine voice overshadowed the music, inviting people to listen to Meg on the Reg in an hour.

This is realer than anything you’ve ever seen before. Ember’s voice filled my head. Come. See more.

My view swept forward with dizzying speed, stopping inside a small empty room. A single book waited on a table. The intricately decorated cover read The Book of Arden .

One half of my being shouted, Run! Leave this place. The other whispered, Open. Read. What was written inside it?

I reached out ... and the screen blanked.

“Bring it back,” I commanded with a huff.

Ember’s image returned, determination fierce. “Only members of the Tome Society are able to open their books. Soal is eager for you to begin your story.”

She wanted to make this a recruiting moment? Fine. I only cared about information. “Now I know you’re delusional. A god wouldn’t desire someone like me on his team.”

“Come talk to him. Ask him why.” She cleared her throat and raised her face. “Arden Roosa, this is your second invitation. Will you join the Tome Society?”

“No.” Nothing more needed to be said on my part.

“Very well.” She sighed. “I’ll ask you once more, then never again. Until next time.” The screen went blank.

Teeth grinding, I threw the reader against the wall. Glass shattered and tinkled over the floor, but I felt no satisfaction. I rolled into a fetal position and closed my eyes, empty inside.

A light thump of footsteps registered. Defenses activated, and I bolted upright, ready to punch.

“Easy.” Cyrus approached me slowly, palms out in a gesture of innocence. He sat at my side. The bed dipped, and he gently patted my arm. “You’re safe with me.”

Exhaustion had aged him at least a decade. “Safe.” I almost laughed. No one was ever truly safe in either world. “Where am I?”

“A recovery room.”

As if I could ever recover from this.

He stroked my hair, but I flinched from the touch. No, thank you. I hadn’t deserved comfort before, and I didn’t deserve it now.

Hurt flashed over his features, there and gone. Drawing his hand away, he softly asked, “How are you?”

I’d been irrevocably changed by what had occurred, as if someone had reached inside my chest, cut out my heart, and transplanted a new one. From fragile porcelain to steel wrapped with barbed wire. I merely said, “I’m fine.”

“Are you thirsty? Hungry?”

“Just curious.”

He frowned with concern. “You slept nineteen hours. You should be starved.”

Nineteen hours. Wow. I’d lost an entire day.

His gaze slid to the broken reader on the floor. He tilted his head. “Read something you didn’t like?”

Instead of explaining my mistreatment of the device, I asked, “Where’s Mykal? How is she ?”

“Shaken and bruised but improved. At her request, she was transported to a treatment facility in Bala City, where she’ll remain until she’s ready to return. That option is available to you as well.”

Part of me wanted to take time to heal and accept. The rest of me insisted I train. Forget top lady. I wished only to become too strong to defeat.

“I’m ready for class,” I stated. “Or I will be after a shower.” I kicked my legs over the mattress.

“You can go to class if you wish, but we’ll finish our conversation first.” His tone firmed at the end, leaving no doubt he’d issued a command.

I stood anyway. “If you want me to stay in the bed, you’ll have to chain me.”

He didn’t protest as I padded into the bathroom, shut the door, and turned the lock. Let him punish me for it later. Better yet, let him leave. A set of folded fatigues waited at the edge of the sink. Brand new toiletries filled a basket.

With the twist of a knob, water sprayed from the upper spout of the stall and heated rapidly. I stripped, trying not to notice the bruises, cuts, and smears of dried blood marring my skin. How much was mine, and how much was Shiloh’s?

I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth. As scalding water rained, I soaped up, rinsed off, and thought of my medic. He’d been such a wonderful person. So kind and supportive. Protective and dependable. And funny. His smile had lit the room.

Why hadn’t I kissed him while I’d had the chance? Now he was gone, and I’d never get to see him again. I hadn’t even told him about lemonade.

Maybe my heart wasn’t steel after all. Fresh tears trickled down my cheeks. I swiped at the droplets with rigid fingers. How dare Ember suggest Cured used me to kill the medic? She merely attempted to shift blame from herself. The infection had come from her, no doubt about it.

Although, she had warned me of a coming execution.

I flattened my hands against the stall wall and ducked my head under the water.

Why warn me of her own plan? Unless she had planned to kill him and had issued the warning in order to say Told you so.

But why oversee his death at all? The outcome didn’t benefit her or the Soalians in any way. Did it?

Appendages beginning to prune, I switched off the water, dried, and dressed. A glance at my reflection in the steam-proof mirror above the sink revealed a bruised, ashen girl with red-rimmed eyes. A lady-in-training on her own, with zero allies. Trust no one. Get strong.

Nose in the air, I exited the bathroom. Cyrus sat at the foot of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed.

He flipped up his gaze and demanded, “Tell me everything, Arden.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” Currently, he was the one with answers, not me. “Shiloh gained access to my cell, where I was chained and vulnerable. You saw the results.”

Shame pulsed from Cyrus. “Medics are given unrestricted entry in case of emergencies.”