AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A knife! Why do I require a knife?”
“The curse is embedded in his skin. You will have to cut it out.”
“Are you insane?” I shrieked. “I’m not doing that.”
“Calm yourself,” she snapped. “I’m well aware of your squeamishness when it comes time to make the necessary sacrifices. That is why my ally also acquired a healing potion.”
I glanced at the vial beside it.
“That healer woman is much less strict about those. She hands them out freely. You will have to hurt the boy, yes, but the pain will be short-lived. One swallow of that potion, and he’ll be healed.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”
“There is no other way to bring down the barrier. Your mother has suffered for two years. Will you truly delay her freedom because you refuse to let some boy you don’t know suffer for two minutes?”
I hesitated. Selene had a point. A terrible, heartless point, but still, a valid one. It would hurt, but then I’d heal him immediately. I’d also be as gentle as possible. If I could tell himI was doing this to save my mom, he’d probably give it to me himself.
“If it helps you decide, you should know curses are illegal. His possession of it puts everyone in danger, and risks his imprisonment, or even his execution, if caught. You are taking something from him that he should not have in the first place.”
“That’s true,” I whispered, reaching for the dagger. “I mean, if he’s not supposed to have it, what difference does it make if I take it to save my mom? He shouldn’t be carting around curses if he knows it’s dangerous to everyone around him. Doesn’t sound like he’s a good guy.”
“He’s not. He’s awful. Rude, superior, and bullying to every lowly Sisyphean that crosses his path. He’s not above lying, cheating, or blackmail if it gets him what he wants.”
“Ugh,” I cried. “What a bastard.”
“Shall we? You’ve waited long enough.”
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the vial, then the dagger.
I was silent slipping through the hallway. Selene’s voice in my ear led me to the end of the corridor, and then up the staircase into a hall much more decorated and decadent than the one I left behind.
Wow. This must be where the Titans sleep.
“Is this guy a Titan?” I hissed. “What do I do if he wakes up and turns me into a pigeon?”
“He will not hurt you.”
“How do you know that? Did one of your allies do something? Do you have Vasili in your pocket too, and he made sure this guy stays asleep?”
“This is the door,” she said, pulling me up short. “Get it done.”
Her voice faded, and my rapid-fire questions did not bring her back. She was done being helpful for the night.
Body tense, I tried the knob and was surprised to find it unlocked. I slipped inside and paused on the rug, letting my eyes adjust. If I could whistle in appreciation, I would’ve.
This dorm room was like nothing that existed in the mundane dominion. No college or military college or equivalent school in my world spent tens of thousands on a space rowdy young men and women would be using. Actually, I’m pretty sure they deliberately bought cheap crap because they figured we break, puke, and have sex on everything.
Not that anything in here looks broken, puked on, or covered in bodily fluids.I padded deeper inside.He’s quite clean for a douchebag.
The douchebag in question spread out on the bed, hands on either side of his head and resting on the pillows. Bit of an awkward, unnatural way to sleep, but more convenient for me. His wrist, and the glinting charm, were clearly visible in the moonlight.
Quieter than quiet, I moved to the left side of the bed.
“He’s going to wake up,” I whispered.
“I told you. He will not harm you. Now, enough with your delays. Get on with it!”
I winced. Her impatience was obvious. She believed her three-thousand-year imprisonment ended tonight, and she wasn’t about to let me delay another second, which made me believe she wouldn’t have brought me all this way just to be murdered by a Titan.
