“That’s exactly why you needed new powersss, my dear. You heard the witch—even she believed you could do it.”
“But they knew I had those powers, and it’s like they weren’t even concerned.”
Rasha’s small gasp drags my gaze over. Her mouth has dropped open and her eyes are flaring like fire.
“Nym, he . . .”
I peer back at Myles as his lips promptly clamp closed.
It takes me a minute to latch onto what she’s just deciphered before suddenly it’s somehow floating in my mind too. “The only thing the Elegy’s clear on regarding killing Draewulf is that only an Elemental can do so . . .”
Myles already knew about the Elegy.
I’m at his throat so fast he doesn’t have time to duck away. “You knew. This whole time you knew what the Elegy said and you didn’t say a word. You heard Eogan tell me on that roof that it had begun—that the Elegy was the key—and you didn’t tell me what it was?”
He gurgles and thrashes his hands at me. He even tosses up an image of Eogan beneath my hands.
I squeeze tighter and lower my voice to ice. “How long have you known about the Elegy?”
He glances at Rasha—whether for help or because he knows she’ll see if he’s lying, I can’t tell. “Since visiting Bron three years ago.”
“You blasted—What else do you know about it?”
“Nothing,” he chokes.
His tone is off. His lisp is off.
He’s lying. How could I not have heard it before? In his voice—in his hesitations?
“You’re fibbing,” Rasha says.
I grind my teeth. “What else?”
“Only that Draewulf’s sewing of sinew and bone had begun with the Dark Army. And that only an Elemental can kill him.” He wrenches free of me, panting. “I swear.”
I look at Rasha. Her gaze is narrowed tighter than I’ve ever seen it. As if she’s filleting his insides one piece at a time in pursuit of honesty. After a moment she nods. “He’s telling the truth.”
He glares at both of us and adjusts his cuffs before smoothing his long, thin hands over his pant legs. His attitude calms quickly. Too quickly in fact, as his face takes on that hungry expression again I saw on the roof with Eogan.
“The image you showed me—I was killing Draewulf for you, and then . . . I was killing Eogan too.” I sharpen my tone. “Perhaps it’s time you tell exactly why you’ve been helping me?”
“I assumed that was quite obvious. I need you to kill Draewulf for me. But pardon if I’m also preparing you—”
“What else do you want?”
He stops. Stares hard at my face. And grows more serious than I’ve ever seen him, even as airsickness tugs at his lips. “If Eogan survives the separation—and Draewulf is killed—Eogan will be weak and someone will need to be there to step in. Someone with an immense amount of power to take control of the Dark Army before Isobel can use them. That person will have to do what needs to be done in order to keep the rest of the world from going to hullsss.”
“How compassionate you make your motives sound.” I snort. “Especially considering your and Draewulf’s interests in having me take on another ability.” I lean in. “Are you working with him?”
His expression turns five shades of insulted.
“How did he know?” I push. “How did Draewulf know you’d suggest it? How did he know I’d take it on? He said I’d go back even. Perhaps because you’d make sure—”
“Nym, he’s not working with him,” Rasha whispers. “Draewulf’s been around a long time. He’s excellent at guessing human nature, and he knows how you and Myles both work. My guess is he knew you’d do anything to help Eogan. But with Myles . . .”
I glance past him to her. Her eyes are a terrifying shade of red illuminated by the level of sickly pale her skin has gone. A look of realization dawns. “What?”
“Myles wants Draewulf’s powers,” she says, and her hazy tone is more than horror. It’s shock.
“For what?”
“So he can become like him. To rule in place of Draewulf.”
This? This is his bigger plan he spoke about the last time we were on this ship?
“You want to become Draewulf?” If I wasn’t so disgusted, I’d laugh at the stupidity of it.
“Not become him,” Myles snarls. “Just utilize his abilities to ensure no one like him ever gains control again.”
Does he hear himself? “You do know you sound ludicrous, yes? Not that it matters, because if I can kill Draewulf like you’re so convinced I can, then what’s to stop me from taking you out as well? I don’t care what your ulterior motives are, Myles. I refuse to be part of your endgame. I’ll not help—”
“Except you already have.” Rasha’s eyes are still doing that flaring business, and her smile is sad. “When you absorbed the power. Whatever that witch did—it not only unleashed an ability in you, it attached Myles along with it somehow. Giving him some measure of control over it. Over you.” She continues to study him. “He drank a bit of the potion because he’s just as irresponsible as his parents.”