Page 57 of War of Her Heart

“So are you no closer to finding the object?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Adar.

She paused for a moment before simply shaking her head no.

“What will happen if you never find it?” I asked.

“He will be weak enough to kill. And I’m sure whoever is behind this will come forward to kill him themselves.”

My stomach dropped at what she said.

Bronwen sat up straighter as she said, “But don’t worry. If it comes to that, which it won’t because we will find it, but if it does, I will bring hell to this world before I let something happen to him.”

I didn’t know how she could do that, but I believed her.

After we finished eating, Bronwen left to do some finishing touches on the decor for Lulenacht, which was tonight, and I decided to go to the library.

I had not yet been able to explore the massive library the way I wanted to. The last time I was in there, I only made it through a few sections before Sebastian interrupted that. I wanted to read the title of every book that filled the two-story walls and find one that I could sit for hours and read—one that I hadn’t read before. Yara had only brought me books about the Night Realm and the rest of the volumes of theBook of Healers.I didn’t ask her for anything different because I already felt guilty for having her bring them to me in the first place.

I headed straight for the right wall this time and found one in the first section that sparked my interest just by the look of it. It was an older book, based on the wear on the binding. One half of the front was covered with etches of fire and the other half, water.

A few chairs sat at one end of the library. I chose the one tucked in the corner hoping that if anyone came in, they wouldn’t notice me so I could read undisturbed.

It told a story of two feuding tribes who were polar opposites. One tribe controlled fire while the other controlled water. They feuded for thousands of years causing mass destruction to the homeland they shared.

“Did you have enough alone time yesterday or are you going to kick me out of my own library?”

I had managed to get almost a quarter through the book by the time he interrupted me.

“I guess you can stay,” I said before I continued reading.

Silence filled the air, and I looked up, thinking he must have left or had gone to another part of the library.

Nope. He was just standing there, looking down at me.

“What?” I meant to say that with more of a bite than I did, but instead it was more of a murmur as his dusty-blue eyes seemed to stare straight into my soul.

“How’s your heart?” he asked with a smug look on his face.

I slammed my book shut. “Seriously?” There was the bite.

“Have you ever skipped a pill just to see what would happen?”

“Do you not see me trying to read a book?” I asked while I waved the book at him.

Ignoring my not-so-subtle hint to leave me alone, he said, “Have you, though?”

“Um, no. I do not wish to die.”

“But you won’t,” he said as he shook his head.

“Yes I will! My father said—”

“What your father said is bullshit. I,” he paused and let out a sigh before continuing, “I have spent countless hours contacting healers and reading bloody books trying to find proof. Proof that your heart is broken and that you need those pills.”

“And?”

“And the only explanation I can come up with is if your mother was human, and I don’t believe your father traveled through the Sea of Mavrola to fuck a human.”

I rolled my eyes.

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