Page 36 of The Queen’s Shadow

“It’s true, look,” I said, holding the sword out to show him. He prowled forward, his motorcycle boots somehow silent on the stone floor.

He snatched the blade out of my hand and examined it closely, as if checking to make sure it wasn’t a fake.

“Kitten… how the fuck did you pull this off?” He glanced up at me, something close to awe on his face.

“What is a Bond Breaker?” Jeremy asked, leaning forward to look at the strange blade.

“It has the power to sever slavery bonds.” Meredith explained, her voice still breathy with excitement. “It used to belong to Prince Amon. He sacrificed it in exchange for information on how to wake The Origin several weeks ago. We thought it had been lost forever.”

Jeremy raised his eyebrows. “Well, that’s great news.” He said, looking at me with cautious hope. “This means when we find your friends, we can free them, correct?”

My heart swelled. He was really trying to understand all of this. Jeremy was a meat and potatoes kind of man. He was a straight shooter, who liked to follow the rules and keep things in order. I knew this transition was not easy for him, but he was truly trying to adapt and fit into this new world. My new world.

“Yes, and that’s not all.” I said, beaming. “When I found the sword, I also discovered an entire cave made up of the material it was forged from. Enough to equip an army.”

“Fuck.” Rycon breathed. We stared at each other, equally devilish smiles curling on each of our faces.

We were going to make that fucking bitch pay.

I placed the sword reverently on the table in the pit just as Dossidian and Conrad sliced through The Veil. I was so excited to tell them the news that I nearly pounced on them as they arrived. I hugged Conrad tight before launching into a retelling of last night’s events.

Conrad and Dossidian both listened as I explained all that had happened while I was away. When I finally finished, I was out of breath and nearly quivering with excitement.

“Where is the slave?” I asked, “Is she awake? If so, let’s see if we can free her!”

Dossidian, Conrad and Meredith all exchanged an awkward look, and I felt some of the exhilaration drain from me.

“What? What is it?” I asked, frowning. Rycon also frowned from where he had collapsed onto one of the benches in the pit. He seemed to quickly be recovering from his hangover, but the dark circles under his eyes still hadn’t completely faded. He must have really overdone it, to be feeling this shitty.

“Rayven, dis is all great news.” Conrad said carefully, and I tensed.

“But…” I said, suddenly suspicious. Why did I feel like he was about to tell me something I wasn’t going to like?

“Wi have some tings to update yuh on.” He was watching me carefully, and it looked like his heart was breaking.

No. No, no, no.

Whatever it was, I didn’t want to hear it. I couldn’t take anymore heartbreak.

“Conrad… don’t. Please, I can’t take anymore bad news.” I said, my voice shaking. He looked like he was physically in pain, and Dossidian took pity on him and stepped in.

“We met the Sorcerer General through one of those machines humans use to communicate.” He informed me.

“A phone?” Rycon asked dryly.

“No, it is larger, like looking through a small window to where the other person sits.”

“A computer?” Rycon guessed again.

“Aye, a computer,” Dossidian nodded, clearly happy to have the correct word for the device. I stomped down my growing irritation. I didn’t care about the fucking method of communication. I wanted to know what was so bad that it could possibly ruin the excitement of discovering both Bond Breaker, and a massive supply of shadowstone.

“What did she say?” I asked, doing my best not to bite the words out.

“She has… relieved me of mi duties as yuh ward.” He said carefully. “She has summoned both Meredith and mi to go back to La Cima della Giustizia. We have forty-eight hours to comply.”

I felt as if someone had pulled a rug out from under my feet. The world was spinning and panic took hold of me. No.

No.