Page 85 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
“Didn’t you feel the balance? You must have felt the balance.”
Harrow was about to say she didn’t understand again, but the words got stuck because she feared she did. “I thought the darkness was evil,” she tried weakly.
“Dark is not evil. It is deep. The Deep, you call it, yes? Depth is wisdom. Depth is quietude and acceptance.” Nashira shook her head, silvery hair shimmering in the sunlight. “Where is your Deep, shallow one? Did you break the surface and get stuck in the light show? So pretty but so fleeting. And now it’s too late.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
Ignoring her confusion, Nashira turned to Ouro. “We must retrieve him.”
Ouro looked at Harrow. “Where is the wraith?”
“I— He—”
“What’s going on here?” Malaikah interrupted. “You’re all talking gibberish, and somebody needs to start explaining or Harrow and I are leaving.”
“Where’s the wraith?” Ouro asked again.
“I left him behind.” Harrow’s voice was hollow. “Salizar’s got him.”
“What?” Ouro stood suddenly, causing them all to jump. Well, all except Nashira, who was gazing blankly out the window.
“I— He’s a wraith. He k-killed—”
“I know what he did.” Ouro waved an impatient hand like it meant nothing. “Where is he?”
“I left him.” Harrow wrung her hands together. Why did she suddenly feel so guilty? Raith was a killer. Her mother’s killer. “Darya told me what he is. What he did.”
Nashira swung her gaze around, suddenly lucid again. “I warned Darya that if she put too much water on the flames, she would extinguish the fire. Did she listen? Nooo.” Clearly, lucid still meant cryptic.
“Where’s the wraith, Harrow?” Ouro looked angry now.
“Darya told me Salizar was to bring him to her to be…” She swallowed. She couldn’t say it. Bile rose in her throat. “I told her where to find him.”
Malaikah jerked around on the sofa to stare at her. “You— What?”
“He’s the one, Mal.” Harrow was suddenly in a rush to justify her actions. “Darya told me. He killed them, Mal.” The tears threatened to spill again.
“Salizar told me.” Mal reached forward to clasp Harrow’s hand. “I didn’t want to believe him until I talked to you.”
“Who’s the one?” Nashira asked. “Who!”
“Raith is,” Mal said impatiently.
“No, not him. Raith is brand new. Like a child in many ways.” She winked mischievously at Harrow. “And yet decidedly not in others.”
“But he’s awraith.” Did Nashira not understand that?
“Irrelevant! Tell Ouro where to find Dark Half, and I’ll explain, though it’s too late now.”
Confusion made Harrow’s head pound, but she was equally curious to hear what Nashira had to say. What could it hurt to direct Ouro there? “I left him behind in our room at the tavern. But Salizar was already on his way there when I left. They’re likely gone already.”
“Which tavern?” Ouro asked.
“Your tavern,” Malaikah said smugly.
Ouro scowled. “You were in my fucking tavern this whole time? And you led Salizar there? Bloody Shades.”
Nashira chuckled. “Salizar was surprised at what he will find.”
