Page 224 of The Throne Seeker

The end of the tunnel opened into a small, dark room. The faint rushing that reached her ears intensified into a roar—an underground river, she realized—a swift and forceful one at that.

A strong presence came over her. A wave of…energy. Powerful and ancient.

Not a moment later, a deep buzzing noise filled her ears, drowning out the roaring water. Rose’s vision sharpened even as she entered the dark.

Roman locked his eyes on hers, startled.

Her brows pinched. “What is it?”

“Your eyes are glowing,” Roman said, staring at them in awe.

Her fingertips brushed the soft skin under her eye. Another heightened ability to add to the list. She didn’t have time to dwellon it as her gaze settled on the source of the humming: a small, shiny object perched on a rocky pedestal at the room’s center, matching the talisman Roman had just described.

A snake-like feeling slithered in her veins, threatening to take over her limbs?—

She recoiled from the power, taking a step back.

“Is that the talisman?” she whispered as if it could hear her.

Roman seemed unaffected by its aura. “Yes,” he said, then looked at her, noticing her hesitation. “What’s wrong?”

“Can’t you hear that?”

“Hear what? The river?”

“No, that humming sound.”

He shook his head.

Rose’s gaze returned to the talisman, resting innocently on the gray stone pedestal. Its intricate golden chain held a glorious sun-shaped red stone. She initially thought it was a solid color, but upon closer inspection, she discovered flecks of yellow, orange, and red shimmering within.

She heard it…callingto her, whispering, urging her to come closer, to touch it—to wear it. It drew her siren in like a moth to a flame.

It scared the living hell out of her.

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, preventing them from doing something they shouldn’t. “I feel like it’s… like it’s alive somehow,” she whispered.

“You canfeelit?” Roman asked in surprise.

“Yes. Whatever it is, it’s powerful, dangerous, and incredibly dark.”

Roman took a few steps towards the talisman, unaware of the danger it held within its ruby depths.

“I think I’ve connected the dots.” He turned back to face her. “When my father sent me and my brothers to Corrin, I lied to you. It wasn’t just to train troops. It was to protect this, thoughI didn’t know it at the time. Not long after you left last year, my father told us about an important object that had long been hidden. Said it was vital to Vallor’s survival. I didn’t know what it was or why it was so important. Only that it needed to be protected at all costs. When my father discovered a group of men were looking for it, he made a decoy—a fake replica. He ordered my brothers and I to take it to Corrin to see if it would draw this mysterious enemy out of the shadows, and it did. As soon as we left the city unprotected, they came. They burned it to the ground, only to find the fake talisman.”

Goose bumps raised on her skin. And not from the cold. “The same men looking forme?”

“We can’t know for certain,” he replied, “but I’d bet my life on it. It’s all too much of a coincidence, and I don’t think they are men. I think they may be sirens, too.”

“So all this time, you think the Blood King has been searching for the talisman? To be reunited with it?”

Roman nodded slowly. “And for some reason… you.”

Rose suddenly felt small. “What do we do?”

“I’m not sure. But at least we finally have an idea of who this enemy is and what he wants. We just need to find out more.”

It was all so much to take in, but she finally had answers.