Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
No. No! Stumbling back, she gave her head a vehement shake. Laban told her he wasn’t under her father’s command. And even if he were, he would never. He adored his daughter, just as Isla adored her daddy. And yet...
Deep breath in. Out. Roux wasn’t a liar in any way, shape, or form. He’d always given her the truth, no matter the cost to himself. He’d confessed about the interrogation. He’d even told her about his fear of playing host to Laban. Today she’d learned the male she’d trusted for years had lied to her from the beginning, hiding what her father had done to him for the sake of his pride.
Her lungs emptied. What Roux claimed did make sense. Laban and Roux possessing the same heart explained why the Astra had seemed so familiar to her the day of his arrival. It also explained how she could have two consorts, when such an occurrence was impossible.
What if...Erebus had controlled Laban’s will? What if the two had tricked her into believing the manticore was her consort? What if Laban wasn’t strong enough to fight the god’s control?
How easily he could harm Isla. And in ways no one would see coming. Not Blythe, and certainly not Isla. Which made it the perfect plan on her father’s part. Thank goodness the child hadn’t yet learned about Laban’s survival.
A whimper caught in the back of Blythe’s throat, the truth suddenly clear. Erebus had tricked her all right. But not using Roux.
With hot tears streaming down her cheeks, she rasped, “I believe you.”
32
THE HEART
Roux blinked at his crying gravita, feeling as if he were both dying and reviving inside. “I don’t understand.” A hint of wonder invaded his jumble of emotions. “You believe me?”
“Yes,” she croaked.
He scooped an about-to-crumble Blythe against his chest and flashed to his bedroom. He laid her upon the mattress and crawled in beside her, baffled.
She’d chosen to trust him, without proof. Did she—could she—love him? Even a little?
Could he make this easier on her, even in the smallest way? “I am so sorry, Lyla. So very sorry. I wish there’d been another way.”
“Don’t be sorry. You did the right thing. You protected Isla.” She rolled on top of him, burying her face in the hollow of his throat. “Besides that, I’m the one who owes you an apology. I made your life miserable, but all along, you were my consort. The one I should have defended.”
“Not me. Mars.” A fact he both celebrated and despised.
“No. Not Mars. You. Mars was a tool. You, Warden, are a treasure.”
He almost couldn’t process the compliment. A treasure? Him?
Overcome, he enfolded her in his arms. “If you think I would change anything that has happened, you are wrong. You have Isla. Now I have you both.”
She only sobbed harder. Never having comforted a crying female before, he wasn’t sure how to proceed. But he loved this specific female, and he only wished to see her happy. Therefore, he gave it his best. As gently as possible, Roux wiped her tears away. He stroked her hair. Kissed her brow. Offered soft words of assurance.
“You are a warrior, Lyla. A goddess. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever encountered. I will do everything in my power to help you get through this. Isla, too. This I now truly comprehend—pain is no match for love.”
After a while, she calmed. Exhaling a shuddering breath, she traced an X over his chest. “You are pretty wonderful, you know that, Roux?”
His eyes widened. First a treasure, now wonderful. “I’m unsure how to respond.”
She took pity on him and changed the subject. “We probably need to talk about the blessing task before we exchange accolades.”
Yes. “I won’t be killing you. That is an unshakable certainty.”
“Condemn yourself and the other Astra to five hundred years of defeat, allowing Erebus to ascend? No. That doesn’t work for me. Not after what you’ve done for me, Isla, and yes, Laban. Besides, I like having you around.”
As a strangled sound brewed in the back of his throat, he scrubbed a hand down his face. “I can’t hurt you.” Not ever again. “I won’t.”
“And that’s exactly what my father is counting on. After everything he’s done, we cannot allow him to win. Maybe, if I cut out my own heart with trinite, sacrificing myself, I’ll revive as Taliyah did during Roc’s task.”
“No. I have to be the one to wield the blade.” A cold sweat spread across his skin. “Maybe...maybe we can gift the Ation crown to another, and I can kill her? You haven’t donned the circlet yet, so you aren’t technically queen. There’s time.”
She shook her head with assurance. “I’m the only Ation female here, and I earned that headpiece. It’s mine. But don’t worry. I have another idea about how to handle our situation. Something an oracle said is rattling around in the back of my mind, and I think I’m beginning to understand what she meant. I just need to ponder it further.”