Page 92 of Lightlark
Nothing!she wanted to scream into his face. But then her heart began beating faster, doing a little dance in her chest. This was her chance.
This was the moment she had been waiting for.
She was so excited, so nervous, she didn’t bother glazing the request. “Take me to the Sun Isle library” was all she said. “Let me look inside. Alone.”
Oro frowned. “Why?”
Isla straightened. “I like books. I want to see what your isle has to offer,” she said casually. Then, to draw attention away from her admittedly random request, she added, “Sunlings doread,don’t they? Or do they prefer to spend their time frowning, sulking, and burning things like their ruler?”
That did the trick. He stared down at her like he wanted to throw her off the nearest cliff but finally said, “Fine.”
Something cold plunged into her chest.
He had stabbed her—that was her first thought as her mind went dark and she drifted far, far away.
She was suspended, weightless, a whisper in the night. Free and bound, loose and tethered. Dancing. Falling.
“That’s enough.” Oro. She gasped.
Isla blinked. Oro blinked back—an inch away. Her body was pressed firmly against his, her fingers were laced through his golden hair, and her lips were almost against his lips. He wasn’t holding her at all, but she was clinging to him.
She startled and likely would have fallen back and cracked her head open on the stone if he hadn’t reached for her.
A true Wildling wouldn’t have been so fazed by the king’s proximity, but Isla didn’t have a long list of conquests like the proud temptresses of her realm.
Isla turned to glare at the specter, who floated nearby, beaming. “You’re lucky you’re already dead,” she spat.
Her cheeks burned and she refused to look at Oro again, who said with just as much venom, “You got what you wanted. Now tell us what you know.”
The specter sighed. She sat in an invisible chair. “What you seek is not on Star Isle. Not this time.”This time?Before Oro could leave, she said, “A warning, King. The underbelly of the island is rising up. Darkness is at work ... We feel it.”
“Feel what?” Isla asked.
“Dread.” With a final smile at Oro, the specter disappeared through the wall. Isla wanted to turn to Oro, to scream something at him, but she knew it would make him even more suspicious of her.
Besides, she had finally gotten what she wanted.
Though—it seemed too good to be true. She needed to make Oro fulfill his word tonight, lest he go back on his deal. It was still early. They could go right now. “Great. That was traumatizing,” she said. Her shoulders hiked with a chill as she thought of that ancient being wearing her skin. Even if it was just for a moment. Of being close enough to the wretched king that she could feel his breath against her mouth. “Now you know the heart isn’t on Star Isle. Thanks tome.I’ll admit, it’s valuable information. Must narrow locationsdown significantly.” She looked him right in the eyes. “Now, take me to the library.”
Oro turned and walked back through the Starling forest in silence.
He was really taking her. She couldn’t believe it.
Sun Isle’s was the only library they hadn’t searched. The bondbreaker had to be inside. She could find it and break their curses that very night.
Celeste would be thrilled. She couldn’t wait to tell her—
At the bridge, the king took the wrong turn.
She stopped. “Isn’t your isle that way?”
He just kept going as if he hadn’t heard her.
“You made a promise, King,” she yelled at his back.
“I will take you to the Sun Isle library,” he said over his shoulder. “But I don’t recall specifyingwhen.”His gaze narrowed. “Perhaps when you have helped me find the heart, as promised in our original deal.”
Her fingers spasmed, itching, pleading to choke him. She shook her head, so angry she felt the prickle of tears at the corners of her eyes. She was so close. He hadpromised.Had she not done enough?
