Page 64 of The Dragon Queen

Ihaveto.

Exhalingdeeply,Iplacethebookonthetableinfrontofme,holdingitopentothepagesthatstillshineinmyvision.

"TheCrownOfCindersishiddendeepunderground.Inasecretchamberthathasbeenfloodedandfrozenandcutofffromalllight,andfromthebreathofairforcenturies."Convictionbeginstobloomwithinme.MyvoiceresonateswithapowerI'veonlyfeltahandfuloftimesbefore. "ItishiddeninthetunnelsunderlyingtheShadowQueen'stomb."

Theroomthreatenstoeruptintochaosagain,justlikeitdidthefirsttimeIspokethosewords,butthistime,mymatesjumpintolendmemorethanjustsilentsupport.

"Itmakessense,"Rafeinsists.

Jianyushootshimaglanceandnods. "Anditcorrespondswithalloftheotherhintswe'vegleanedfromthetextsthathavebeengatheredinourtravels."

"Ahellofalotbetterthanmostoftheotherideaswe'veputtogether,"Brynnchimesin.

"Butarewesurewe'rereadytodismissthoseotherpossibilities?"Rhiannonasks,lookingaround. "Westillhaveacoupleofweeks.Wecouldkeeplooking."

Huffingoutabreath,Inod. "I'mnotagainstthat."Idigmythumbnailintotheknuckleofmyotherhand. "Buttwoweeksisn'tmuchtime,andbreakingintotheShadowQueen'stombisgoingtorequireourfocus."

"It'ssuicide."Rook'sagitationfinallyboilsoveragain. "That'swherehe'splanninghiswedding,hisritual--allofithingesonthatlocation.IfyouthinktheCitadelwasheavilyguarded,youneedtobeexpectingsomethingahundredtimesworse."

I'maboutreadytoboilover,too. "SowhatamIsupposedtodo?Giveup?Donothing?"

It'snotanoption--andRookknowsit.Flexinghisjaw,hestandsandstalkstowardthewindow. "Ofcoursenot.YoumustclaimtheCrown,andyoumuststoptheShadowKing.But..."

Raisingherbrows,Amyliftshervoiceabovethegrowingtideofmurmuringandwavingherhandsasiftogeteveryonetosimmerdown. "Y'all.Emberhasaplan."Shelookstome. "Right,Ember?"

Iglanceatmymates.Mystomachisstilldoingflip-flops,andmydragonrefusestosettle.

ButIdo.Ihaveaplan.

Aterrible,risky,death-defyingplan.

"Ofcourseshedoes."Stormputshishandonmyarm.Hiseyesaregleamingcrystals,fullofloveandfaith,andit'sallforme.

Ibreatheinthatlove,thatfaith.Carefully,Itapmyfingeragainsttheblack,metallockethangingbetweenmycollarbones. "Wesneakinwhentheyleastexpectit."

Rookturnsbackaround,hiseyeswideningwithalarm. "Youdon'tmean--"

"Whilethey'regatheredfortheritual,"Rhiannonsurmises.

Inod,claspingmyhandstogethertightly. "Exactly."

"Youwon'thavemuchtime,"Freyaspeculates,butshe'sleaningforward,alreadyhalfwaysold.

HighPriestessFangsitsupstraighter. "We'llbuyyouasmuchtimeasyouneed."

Myeyessting,butIblinkawaythethreatoftouchedtears.TheworstpartofthisplanwasthepartwhereIaskedmyfriendstoputthemselvesontheline,butmyfriendsaresoinsightfulthattheyfigureditoutbeforeIhadtoputitintowords.

"Adistraction."Amy'seyeslightup,andsherubsherhandstogetherinexcitement.

"It'llbedangerous,"Iwarn.

Freyasmirks. "Forthem."

"Sothat'sit,then?Yourplan?"Rookissteaming,buthe'sclearlytryingtokeephimselfincheck. "Youandyourmatesusewhatpreciouslittlemagicremainsinthelockettoportalintothetomb,whiletherestofuswageafull-frontalassault?"

Idon'tknowifIlovehistone.ButItiltmyheadupinchallenge. "Doyouhaveabetteridea?"

Rhiannonfixeshimwithasoftlook. "Theyknowwhatthey'redoing,Rook."

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