Page 67 of Kingdom of Tomorrow
“Go away,” I mumbled and closed my eyes. For once, I didn’t fight sleep. I let it whisk me into its deepest depths.
Chapter Seventeen
Guard your heart, for it steers your life.
—The Book of Soal1.20.4.23
I awoke with a start, bolting upright. The swift movement ignited discomfort in every inch of my body and unbridled a tsunami of memories. Shiloh. The Madness. Pain. Blood.
Death.
A groan rumbled in my throat, trapped. The shock of what had happened was wearing off, taking my precious numbness with it. Shiloh was dead. Because of me.
White-hot tears welled, searing my corneas. I sat atop a plush bed rather than the gurney I’d fallen asleep on. The room I now occupied was twice the size of my cell, with iridescent crystals growing over the walls and medical equipment throughout. An open doorway revealed a bathroom with a private toilet and shower stall. A small planting pot and a reader sat atop a wheelable table.
I was alone with a barrage of tormenting questions. When did Shiloh become infected? He’d tested negative only hours before. What infected him? Not the Rock. There wasn’t a section nearby. Or if there was, I didn’t know about it. Shiloh could have found one. He’d probably been on the hunt, desperate to investigate his theories about the cure. Though why not use the non-Rock Rock Mykal used for study?
Fatigue bubbled from a never-ending well. I curled into a ball, barely resisting the urge to pull the covers over my head. Had Ember learned of her brother’s death? If she didn’t know, she needed to learn. Maybe I could find a way to message her.
I patted for the reader and pulled it to my face. As soon as the device switched on, the glower consumed my screen, her eyes red rimmed.
“Hello, Arden.”
She knew. Every muscle in my body tensed. Live feed. I flopped to my back, breathing out, “I’m so sorry.”
“I warned you, but you refused to believe.” Ember’s lids fluttered shut for a moment. A tear rolled down her cheek. “They killed him.”
My calm frayed, denying my tears no longer an option. She must not have the full story. “I was the one who wielded the weapon, notCured. Me.”
Anger flashed over her features. Her irises blazed. “You were the weapon, not the wielder.”
That ... no. It made no sense.
“He joined us, you know.” She leveled me with a brutal stare. “While you were in Theirland, he accepted an invitation into the Tome Society.”
I absorbed her confession and reeled. “He told me he’d figured out his future.” To learn he’d signed on with the Soalians, to recall how he’d exhibited the same peace as the glowers—puzzle pieces clicked into place.
“You infected him,” I snarled. The worst of the worst? Yes! I should have spilled everything to Cyrus. He’d given me plenty of opportunities.
“I freed him,” Ember snarled back.
“You condemned him.”
“You are a fool!” she screeched. “You know nothing about anything and act as if you know everything.”
Silence stretched, both of us panting. She calmed first, her expression smoothing into polite serenity.
“I gave him his first instruction,” she said. “Told him to leave the base. He wasn’t supposed to be there. But he refused to leave. He decided to remain in his invisible chainsfor you.” Her eyes closed for a moment, and she drew in a shuddering breath. “I’m responsible for overseeing his last request. Your freedom.” Staring at me with swirling irises, she commanded, “Look. See.”
A massive three-story room replaced her, dominating the screen. And my reality. I felt as if I stood among leather-bound books meticulously stacked upon freshly polished shelves.
I didn’t have to wonder what I was seeing. The infamous library of Soal.
“This isn’t real,” I rasped. But I did gawk and marvel. Genuine or not, the sights stunned.
Wooden tables with elaborate carvings displayed treasures from the ages. Musical instruments, vases, and breathtakingly sparkly jewelry. Cushioned couches and chairs were positioned under trees that grew from the floor. Flower-heavy branches extended in every direction.
People glided here and there, moving in sync with soft music waltzing across the airwaves. Plush chairs offered cozy spots to read. I cast my gaze from face to face, searching for anyone I might recognize. A woman and a man sat together on a bench, talking, and I was almost certain I’d seen them in the halls of Fort Bala.
