Page 47 of Heart of the Cursed
Arun frowned. “How are you going to do that if you die?”
Selene poked her finger in his chest. “I’m going to come back and haunt you.”
Arun bit his tongue to stop himself from laughing.
“It’s a good job you’re not going to die, then, isn’t it?” he grinned.
“So you say,” she said, sounding doubtful. “Can you take on five Ogres by yourself? Because I’m not going to be much help against them.”
“Don’t worry, we’re not going in alone.”
Selene tilted her head. “Who’s gonna be stupid enough to go with us? Scrap that. Who would want to help us after they find outwhywe’re looking for the book?”
“To answer your first question, I know two people that are… as you say… stupid enough to help,” he said. “And to answer your second question, at least one of them would be more than willing to help because they, like you, have had enough of all the death and destruction.”
“How do you know that?”
“He told me.”
Selene frowned. “Why would he tell you?”
“Because he knows I feel the same way,” he admitted.
Both of Selene’s eyebrows shot up as she gaped at him. Arun leaned forward, gently placed a finger against her chin, and closed her mouth.
“Don’t look so surprised,” he said. “You’re not the only one that’s had enough of it. I’ve been surround by death and destruction since before you were born. So, I assure you, I’ve seen more than my fair share.”
Selene shook her head as she pulled away, breaking contact with him, and put some space between them. “You’d be surprised at how much I’ve seen. I’m not as young as I look, you know.”
As soon as the last word left her mouth, he could see she regretted it. Arun didn’t have a clue what she was, but knowing her age might help narrow it down. But then again, it might not. There were a lot of creatures that had incredibly long lifespans, himself included.
“Before you ask again, I don’t know what I am,” she huffed. “But you’re right, I’m not Human, or at least, not fully.”
“How old are you?”
“If you really must know,” she said. “I’ll be ninety-nine in the spring.”
It was Arun’s turn to gape at her. Copying what he’d done moments ago, Selene reached forward and closed his mouth.
“Well, you’re definitely not a full Human,” he said.
Selene rolled her eyes. “No shit, Sherlock. If I was, I’d be dead by now. So, are you any closer to figuring out what I am?”
Arun shook his head. “I don’t have a clue. You’re not like any of the beings I know or have heard about, and that’s all of them.”
“Obviously, not.”
“You’re right,” he conceded. “Obviously, there is at least one species I don’t know about.”
Selene shrugged her shoulders. “It doesn’t matter what I am. If you want to figure it out later, go ahead, but we’ve got more important things to worry about at the moment.”
“We can do both at the same time,” he offered.
Arun couldn’t deny he was intrigued to know what she was. He wanted to find out for himselfandher, but he wouldn’t let it get in the way of her mission. That came first and foremost.
“No, we can’t,” she said. “We don’t have time.”
There was a lot more going on than she was letting on, but whether or not she would tell him was a different matter. Arun hoped she would, but only time would tell.
