Page 13 of Iridian

The greedy look in their eyes intensified.

“Remember what you taught me, brother?” I asked Radock. “When dealing with important documents, we never know when we’ll see them again, so it’s important to memorize anything we can, as fast as we can memorize it.” This he’d told me before I went to the Iridian School of Chromatic Magics—at the request ofDavid fucking Hill.

“You memorized it,” Radock said, both afraid and impressed, though he’d never admit it. It wasn’t his habit to allow anybody to see how he really felt about anything.

“I did. And I’m assuming they already told you everything that happened in the Regah chamber so I’m not going to repeat any of it to you—but if you want to find David Hill, you will have to go whereheis going.” To Perria, the place where they buried the Delaetus Army seven centuries ago.

The fucker wanted to actually bring those soldiers back and conquer the world, which was mind-blowing on its own.

But there would be time to think about that.

“So, why didn’t you give it to the Devil then? You said you didn’t know what it was,” Seth asked, and all the others seemed suddenly curious, too. “I mean, you could have spared yourself all the torture.”

“Does it matter?” I said because I didn’t have the patience to explain to them that Ihad,in fact, tried to give the Devil the contents of that script engraved on the marble plaque. I’d turned myself in to do just that, but turns out, the Devil wasn’t interested in the contents at all, only the plaque.

I’d been confused then, but now it made sense—he couldn’t sell David Hill something he already had in the IDD Vault.

“He’s right,” Aurelia finally said. “Taland didn’t steal the script so that means Hill has it. Hill canuseit, if he hasn’t already.” Her eyes squeezed shut. “Goddess, he could be in Perria right now, reviving the dead!”

Everyone in the room shivered visibly.

“Youwilltell us what the Script of Perria contained, right?”

“I will,” I said. “We leave for Madeline Rogan’s mansion right now, we find Rosabel, and then you can have the Script of Perria—and you can keep the bracelet, too.”

“The bracelet is useless to us—we’re not Mud,” Violet said.

“You can’t be serious,” Zach and Radock said at the same time.

If only they had a clue what it was like inside my chest. If only they had a clue of the lengths I’d go to for my girl.

But since they didn’t… “Two options.” I raised two fingers in front of me. “I can take this bracelet and my memory of the script with me right now and leave on my own.Oryou can come with me, and once Rosabel is with us, I will write the whole thing down for you myself.”

I gave my words a moment to sink into their brains.

“So, what’s it going to be, friends?”

In my mind, I was already preparing for them to stay behind. I was already picturing the details of my solo trip to that mansion from wherever the fuck they’d brought me. I’d need clothes and food and water—lots of water. I’d need feathers, too, though I planned to use the bracelet until I got to her. But once I found her, I’d still need to be able to do magic until we got to safety.

“Well, I mean, to be fair, there’s a good chance that the Council is already on her. It’s been almost twelve hours since she ruined the Regah chamber and we made it out.”

Twelve hours.

“She’d be unconscious, I would think, but yes. The Council could very well be onto her already,” said Aurelia.

“And how do you propose we fight off the Council, assuming we don’t even need them for Hill? How do you assume wewinand take your precious Rosabel out?” Violet again, and her voice had turned even more bitter.

“We don’t fight them,” I said, struggling to keep my calm now.Twelve hours.That was a long time.

Could it really be that they’d already gotten to her?

“They’ll want Hill as much as we do. Where is he now?”

“Disappeared,” said Radock. “Nobody knows—not the IDD and not the Council.”

I nodded. “Then I’ll give them the script as well.”

“You said you’d give thatto us,” Zachary insisted.

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