Death Marked (Death Sworn #2)
Leah Cypess
DEDICATION
To Shoshana, Hadassah, and David
CHAPTER
1
The mirror shattered into a hundred pieces, a sudden explosion followed by a cascade of jagged shards. Ileni whirled, throwing her hands up in front of her face, but nothing hit her: no sharp pieces of glass, no sting of cut flesh. After a moment, she lowered her arms and crossed them over her chest.
The broken fragments of glass hovered in the air, glimmering with rainbow colors. Then they faded back into the mirror, smoothing into a shiny, unbroken oval.
“Impressive,” Ileni said. She had no idea who she was talking to, but it wasn’t difficult to sound unafraid. After six weeks in the Assassins’ Caves and three days as a prisoner of imperial sorcerers, false courage was second nature to her. “But since I’m the only one here, it seems a waste of effort.”
The colors flattened into a vaguely human-shaped form. Before she could make out the face, the form spoke. “Absalm said this was the only spell that could get through the Academy’s wards.”
Ileni froze. She dug her fingers into her upper arms.
The image in the mirror sharpened, revealing a blond young man with dark eyes. His grimly set mouth curved up slightly in the hint of a smile. “You were expecting someone else?”
Ileni tilted her head. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. Given that I am, as you pointed out, in a rather heavily warded room.”
She almost—almost—managed to keep her voice cool. But it shook just a little, and of course Sorin noticed. The slight curve turned into a real smile. “It’s good to see you, Ileni.”
She pressed her lips together before they could betray her with an answering smile. “How did you know where I was?”
His smile deepened.
Ileni’s jaw clenched. “You shouldn’t be trying to contact me. You might have pushed this spell through the wards, but the imperial sorcerers will know it happened.”
His eyes narrowed. “Will that put you in danger?”
More danger than I’m in already? “No. I can protect myself.”
“I hope you’re right.” He leaned forward a fraction. “I’m glad you’re alive.”
Ileni forced a laugh. “Why, thank you. I’m glad I’m alive, too.”
“I wasn’t sure you would be.” He seemed about to say more, and her breath froze in her throat. He must know, now, that she had killed his master. He knew, and yet he had said, I’m glad you’re alive.
She hadn’t realized, until this moment, how afraid she had been of him finding out. Not because he would kill her—she should have been afraid of that, but she hadn’t been. She had only been afraid he would hate her.
Sorin shook his head slightly. “Things have been complicated here. I couldn’t force Absalm to track you down until now.”
“Force him?” Ileni stepped closer to the mirror. She was sure he could hear the sound of her heart hammering, but there was nothing she could do about that. She didn’t know herself if it was from excitement or fear. “I like the sound of that. You have been busy, haven’t you?”
“So have you. How did you manage to infiltrate the Imperial Academy itself?” The admiration in his voice was genuine, and Ileni was dismayed at the thrill that ran through her. She had left him behind. She was supposed to be past this. Even if it had only been three days.
Irritation sharpened her voice. “I’m not infiltrating anything. I’m not on your side, Sorin. Don’t forget that.”
His expression didn’t change. “How did you get in, then? What did you tell them?”
Nothing. I’m a prisoner. The truth twitched at the edge of her tongue. If she said it, he would save her. He would find a way.
Instead she said, “It’s not important.”
“Isn’t it?” His mouth tightened. “Do they know—”
“That I have no magic of my own anymore?” She got it out without a tremor. She was proud of that. “Yes. It’s not exactly something I could hide. Not here.”
A silence fell between them, and stretched too long. Ileni was acutely aware that she was finding it hard to breathe. Sorin’s eyes searched her face, looking for—what? She didn’t know, and she also didn’t know whether he was finding it.
He seemed different, somehow. Just a week ago, he had been teaching her to fight and making her laugh and kissing her in hidden corridors. But the face in the mirror was inscrutable and dangerous. If even Absalm was following his commands, he must have swiftly secured his position as the new master of the assassins. He had always been a killer, but now he was a leader of killers.
“So,” she said finally, when she couldn’t bear it anymore. “You just wanted to check on me?”
He let out a breath. “Yes. And to see if you needed help.”
She almost laughed at that—or maybe it was a sob. She couldn’t ask him for help. They really weren’t on the same side. “I don’t. Thank you for the dagger, though.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, with a light bow.
Ileni had found the dagger in her backpack the first time she opened it on the mountain path. She had no idea how Sorin had put it there without her noticing, but she had immediately stuck it into her boot. It was still there, alien and heavy, yet comforting at the same time.