Page 99 of Tears for a Broken Sky
Vael’s nostrils flared. “The gods havedecreed—”
“The gods do not run Varrowmere.” Ashton’s voice turned lethal.“I do.”
The silence that followed wasn’t quiet. It thrummed with tension. With prophecy. With rage.
Vael stepped back, his eyes narrowing with fury. “Youdareto challenge me?” he asked, voice low and dangerous.
Ashton only smiled. “Lighten up, Vael. I’ll get you Elira.” Then, with a lazy wave of his hand, he added, “And as a gesture of goodwill—you can have Thorne.”
His fingers flicked toward me. I turned automatically.
Vael’s brow rose. “You wish togiveme the mind mage?”
“I’ll lend him to you. Call it a... temporary arrangement,” Ashton said breezily.
Vasquez stepped forward, lowering his voice. “Are you sure, sir? Is he ready?”
Ashton’s smile sharpened. “Let’s find out.”
He looked at me. “Thorne. Tell me—what is your job?”
I didn’t hesitate. “To hunt traitors and kill them.”
“And who are the traitors?”
My voice was flat. Cold. “Anyone who dares go against the crown.”
A beat passed.
Then: “Leo. Phoenix. Slade.” A pause.
“Elira.”
The silence that followed was not empty.
Something in me recoiled. Quietly. Distantly. Like a whisper pressed behind glass.
But I said nothing. Because that was not my role anymore.
Ashton turned, triumphant. “Kill the Shades who defy me. Bring me Elira. And you will be rewarded.”
“Yes, sir,” I said.
“As you can see—” Ashton grinned at Vael. “What a good dog.”
“Fine,” Vael said.
“Vasquez will lead our ships with yours. But you can keep Thorne with you. For now.”
His tone held no praise. No trust. Just cold calculation.
As if I were a tool. A sword passed from one hand to the next.
And I was.
I knew that.
That was the point.
