Page 157 of Sands of Atonement

Over the next hour, we went over the plan for tonight. We wouldn’t let Targon have any more time to plant his seeds into the heart of the Atrove. There was an event happening tonight in the arena where Targon was going to speak. After going over the plans and ensuring every one of these men knew who they were trusting with this information, they departed from the room.

Casimir and Lazerak hung back.

It was a good plan, but we had to depend on every one of them to remain faithful to me.

One might have considered it idiotic to explain my plans when I wasn’t in control, but I had a feeling this was exactly what they needed in order to trust me again.

I slipped into some of Lazerak’s clean robes, and so did Casimir. We were refreshed, fed, and hydrated. Every moment I had until the moment I left was spent by Eshe’s side, willing her to wake. I checked her entire body, making sure there were no bruises, scrapes, or cuts. I partially did it in hopes that she’d wake in the midst of it and yell at me.

But she didn’t.

I stared at her face, her lips, her brows for as long as I could. I tried to burn her face into my memory. My chest hurt.

When the time came, I whispered to her lips, “I’ll be back.” And I pressed them on hers, breathing her jasmine scent once more.

By the time we made it to the arena, there were a few older Atrovians speaking in hushed voices as we lay back, waiting. My hood was lower, but I had to keep an eye out for anything.

I heard his powerful voice as he walked over to the arena, and my heart stopped briefly.

It must have been a coincidence. I’d never met the man, but for some reason, I felt as though I had.

His long, lanky body stepped up to the platform before leaning over and grabbing a cup from one of the men. That was when it hit me.

This was the man to whom I gave Eshe. I would never forget a face like his.

This was Eshe’s Salazar.

Targon was Salazar. I had known the Atrovian leader since I met Salazar eight years ago. He was there when the explosion happened in Zyriah. He took Eshe from me to Mongah with him, and that was when news had spread that the Atrovian leader had died or gone missing.

Why did he take Eshe?

Chapter 39

Eshe

For the third time, my mouth was so dry when I pried my eyes open.

I groaned as I lifted my upper body.

Something was off, and it wasn’t the way my body felt. This wasn’t the prison chamber I’d been waking up to. This was a completely different space. My heart began to beat faster. I placed my bare feet on the cool stones as I slid from the couch to stand. This wasn’t…

Where was I?

With caution, I walked to the threshold and into another room with a bed and a curtain for a door. My heart soared. I didn’t waste any more time grabbing the white robes from a chair to my right and placed the white robes over my head and shoulders.

I didn’t know how I'd made it here, but if this was my only chance to escape, I wasn’t going to let it pass. The hallways were quiet, but from what I’d learned being here, this was typical for the Atrove. I wondered how large and wide this place really was.

Walking through the cold and dark tunnel, I felt my forehead grow warm with anticipation of getting out, feeling the dry desert before I would find Norrah. I slowed my steps as soon as I heard a loud, booming voice echo through the hallway.

Salazar—Targon.

I pressed my back against the tunnel and crept forward, one foot in front of the other. My fists balled, wishing I had a weapon in my hand. If I did, he would be done.

It would be over.

He killed my family. He killed my lover. He killed my friend. He stole Norrah away from me. I would have my grieving in the next life because I’d die at the hands of the Atrovians, but at least I would have finished what I came here to do. The light at the end of the tunnel showed the center, the arena below. In front of me, at the head of the tunnel, the pathways surrounding the center were full of Atrovians.

There was a meeting of some sort happening.