Dead Sea (Chronicles of Deadworld Book 3) by Debbie Cassidy

Author:Debbie Cassidy [Cassidy, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

There was eagerness and more than a hint of desperation in Rydian’s voice, and my mind was already working on the problem. The answer was so obvious that I let out a short laugh.

“The runes.” I lightly touched Emory’s shoulder. “This must be because of the runes.”

Emory’s frown cleared. “Yes.”

“Runes?” Rydian sat forward in his seat. “Explain.”

I filled him in on my almost demise and the runes Emory had etched into my skin to protect me and help me heal.

“Obsidian squid ink?” The king rubbed his jaw. “Who would have thought it could have such powerful properties.” He canted his head. “Obsidian squid are rare. How did you get the ink?”

Emory shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. But I used the last drops on Echo.”

There was a gleam in Rydian’s eyes as he stood and walked around the table toward me. He towered over me, and I had to step back and lift my chin to meet his eyes. He held out his hand to me, and the look on his face wasn’t commanding, it was almost tentative. I laid my palm against his, and he covered my hand with his larger one.

“Thank you, Echo.” His words were saturated with sincerity.

He knew my name. “What for?”

“For giving me hope.” His lips curved in a soft smile. “You can’t imagine how lonely existence is when you can’t make eye contact with the people around you. So many times I wished I’d just been born blind. Instead, I was able to see and watch everyone avert their gazes every time I entered a room, watch them duck their heads in fear. I was part of the crowd, but it felt as if I was being shunned.”

“You don’t control it?” Deacon sounded stunned. “We always assumed …”

“Yes, and I let you. I preferred for you to think I had control. But no. This has been my curse since birth. My mother was the only one who could look into my eyes and not be terrorized by her own demons. When she was gone, I was truly alone.”

I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be able to see but not be able to have anyone look you in the eye. It was a new kind of torture.

“I’m so sorry.” I squeezed his hand. “That must have been so hard.”

“Thank you.” His gaze was penetrating. “I’d like to show you the palace tomorrow if you’re free.”

This wasn’t about me; it was about the fact that he could connect with me in a way he couldn’t with anyone else. I would be gone in a couple of weeks; the least I could do was give him this.

I grinned at him. “Nope. Not busy. Well, not unless the dwelling is suddenly attacked.”

His smile was stunning. It gave me pause as it transformed his face from austere to compellingly beautiful.

“You should smile more.” The words popped out before I could stop them.

He inclined his head. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

There were no horror vibes coming off this guy.

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