Page 19 of This Shattered Star

“There are many things worthy of interest.”

“Is that so? Name one, then.”

“Freedom.”

I hummed absently. “I do suppose there is a certain freedom in death.”

His scoff echoed down the tower. “Not that kind of freedom.” Two taps with the back of his hand against my hip was the only warning I got before he nudged me out of the way. He took the lead up the steps, only to stop after three of them. He then turned to face me and braced a hand against the wall to block my passage. “They say the skies were endless before Maverick’s rule. Before the Veil.”

My eyes rolled of their own accord. “Naturally.”

“Do you not find it unfair that we get to see so little of it? Do you never give thought to how different things were before Maverick put the Veil in place?”

“Little value can be found in such ideologies, especially those tied to a past we cannot change. I much prefer spending my energy on things Icanchange. Now move.”

He did no such thing.

I sighed. “If you are so curious, there are many history books on the topic that could stoke your fantasies.”

The hardness in his features melted a fraction. Almost as if giving way to sorrow. “I’m not taking about books, little viper. I’m asking you what you think.”

My hand shot out, gripping his ankle tightly enough that I could feel the curve of his bones through his boots. “I don’t have any thoughts on what went on before Maverick, and neither should the son of his Second,” I growled. “And you would do well to take whatever you think you just called me out of your mouth before I pull. I will not stop you from the tumble you take.”

Kodhan blinked once. Twice. The corner of his lips twitched upwards, but shot down just as quickly. “I hope you’re aware of the fact that you are one real piece of work.”

“You’re the one that forced us into this,” I reminded him, letting go of his ankle.

Only when I raised my palms in the air did he continue.

“Violent. All sharp edges, unafraid to bite,” he said as he neared the last step. “Anyone would agree you practically brought that name upon yourself.”

“No one in their right mind would agree with you,” I snapped.

“You wound me.”

We counted ten different levels separating the tower. Their doors were accompanied by a circular clock poised atop them, pointing to the same hour, the same minute. Only one hand moved, ticking away seconds that did nothing to push the others forward.

“At least now we know where the ticking noise comes from.” He pointed to the clock above our heads. “Twelve past three. That could be when we need to get to the Dome.”

“There might be clues in one of the other wings,” I guessed, frowning. “One that could’ve already been found.”

He reached up and tried to pry the clock from the wall. It didn’t move an inch, no matter how hard he pulled.

Sighing, he wiped his hands across his thighs, dirtying them with smudges of dust. “We should be fine to find the others first. Maybe they’ve figured out something we haven’t.”

“Yes, maybe…” My eyes drifted back up to the clock, still frozen in time.

There were ten separate wings and twenty of us. It would make sense for the others to be split into pairs like Kodhan and I had been. But whatdidn’tmake sense was the hour. Or rather, the minutes that refused to move forward.

There had to be a trigger of some sort.

But there was nothing else in this tower worthy of mention other than us competitors.

A horrible thought occurred to me then. Perhaps not all of us were meant to escape this tower alive.

I instinctively ran my fingers over the hilt of Kodhan’s dagger. It didn’t have the same smooth feel as the ones I usually carried, but it was reassuring, nonetheless.

“You have an idea. Spit it out.” A sure demand, unwavering and without any room for negotiation. The kind made from someone who almost never heard the wordno.Kodhan never needed toaskfor things. All he needed to do was take.