Page 94 of Heart of the Cursed
Chapter 38
“I’m telling you, the best place to do it, is outside,” Selene said. “It even says that in the book.”
“You don’t have to do it exactly as the book says,” Arun argued. “It’s not safe enough out there.”
Selene closed her eyes. It didn’t matter how many times she explained it to him, Arun wasn’t listening to her. She wanted to launch something at his head. But instead, she settled on taking several deep breaths as she counted to ten.
She’d gone through the book with a fine-tooth comb, looking for a way to perform the spell without having to leave the safety of the bunker, but there wasn’t another way. It had to be outside, and it had to be within a circle of standing stones. It didn’t specify which standing stones, but it was adamant it had to be done within the circle.
Arun knew this. He had scoured the book for a solution along with her, but even he had come up empty.
Selene opened her eyes and looked at him. She knew he was worried about her safety, but he couldn’t protect her forever. And if the spell worked, then he wouldn’t have to.
She knew he wasn’t only worried about her safety. He was concerned about the spell and what it would do to her. There was no mention in the book about what would happen to the person performing the spell, nor was there any mention on what would happen to any halflings.
There was no guarantee that her and all the other halflings wouldn’t be thrown out of the realm along with the rest of them, and that worried him because he didn’t know where she would end up. If that was the case, then she would have to deal with it when the time came, but she couldn’t let it stop her and neither could he.
As much as it hurt both of them, sooner rather than later, he would have to let her go.
“I don’t like it, either,” she said, softening her tone. “But there’s no other way. We can’t risk the spell not working. Too much is riding on it, and too many innocent lives are at stake. We have to find the standing stones and we have to perform the spell within the circle.”
It was Arun’s turn to close his eyes. He sighed heavily before opening them again. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said.
“Nothing will,” she assured him. “Because you and the others will be there to protect me.”
“Every step of the way,” he promised.
Selene hooked her arms around his neck and gazed up at him with a reassuring smile.
“As long as you’re there to protect me, everything will be fine,” she said. “You’ll make sure of it.”
Arun leaned down for a kiss, but they were interrupted before their lips touched.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Dain said.
Arun growled before lifting his head to glare at Dain. Selene giggled at the annoyed look on his face.
“What do you want?” he demanded.
“We were just wondering, when are you two going to let us in on what’s going on?” Dain asked.
They had been so busy arguing over the stone circle, they hadn’t thought to stop and tell everyone else what was happening. Selene had to admit, she had been so preoccupied with trying to convince Arun about the standing stones, that she had completely forgotten the others were even in the bunker.
“We’ll be out in a minute,” Arun growled.
Dain raised his eyebrows. “Don’t be too long. We’re burning daylight in here.”
“Yes, I know,” he snapped.
“No need to bite the messenger,” Dain said as he back away with his hands up. “You wanna bite someone? Bite Taredd, he’s the one that sent me in here.”
Before either of them could reply, Dain turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.
“I know you don’t like it,” she said, gently turning his face to look at her. “But it’s the only way.”
“Fine,” he relented. “But you’re not to leave my side. Not for a single second.”
