Page 148 of Sands of Atonement

“What? I want her here with me. Why isn’t she here?” I took a step forward, but the Atrovian was already closing the door. I ran the rest of the way until my palm hit the back of the door. “Salazar! Get me Norrah!”

I fell on my knees and clutched the fabric in front of my chest.

No, no, no.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t see clearly. I was seeing red and darkness. My head dropped at the back of the door, and I slammed it on there over and over again.

Norrah.

I did this. I took her here, into the lair of the enemy.

That evening, Salazar came to my chamber, bearing a tray of tea and food. I threw questions at him.

“The fringe from days ago, at the oasis, I need to know—was that you?” I demanded an answer. “Were those your men?”

He placed the tray on the table near the bed.

“Eat first, questions after. I won’t have my daughter unwell after days of traveling in the heat,” he said with authority. “I can’t take care of this place, the countries, the foreign affairs if I can’t take care of my own daughter, can I?”

I sat down with a glare and took a bite of bread as quickly as possible so I could get my answers. I stared at him across the table, my head pounding.

“It was I,” he answered my question.

I paused my eating only for a moment. I knew it was.

“Where are they?” The food was becoming harder to chew as he eyed it. I took a sip of the warm, refreshing tea. It helped the bread go down much more easily since all of this conversation was also a little hard to swallow.

“Ezra and Casimir? Ezra, who was the leader of the Atrove?” he asked, and I held in my gasp. “Oh yes, I found out when I followed the Atrove’s right-hand man to the oasis. Then it all clicked when I saw Ezra.”

“He still is.” I leaned back in my chair, with my legs sprawled out. I was fucking exhausted.

“Not anymore, my darling.” Salazar smirked. “When I realized you were gone, I was coming back to tell you the truth, that you were my daughter, and explain what had happened all those years ago. But then, being back in the sands… I… I missed it. The power. The control. It was mine.” He curled his fist. “It still is mine. Being part of something so much greater was a thrill, and I realized I missed that. Even at my old age… I realized that I can still feel that, I can still be the man I used to be. I need to feel that again.”

I swallowed.

The pattern made sense with Salazar. Whether I wanted to acknowledge it or not, people who enjoy learning were unpredictable. People who loved to go deeper and deeper… were never satisfied. They were always searching and learning for someone who knew.

Oh, Salazar.

I raised my heavy eyes to meet his.

I didn’t know why, but I had a feeling that having him be the leader of the Atrove wasn’t what the desert countries needed.

Shaking my head, something in me unfolded. “What about Tarrie?” My heart beat sped. “And Bea? You’re just going to abandon them?”

His lips twitched as if thinking about them brought him happiness.

“I have my plans for them. Don’t you worry about it. Just like I have plans for you. You used to trust me. You’ll learn to do so again.”

I had no words, staring at the floor. My mouth felt like sand, and a dark, empty feeling began to fill my heart.

“I left my men when I saw you and Norrah riding out. I took the long way around and waited so you wouldn’t consider me part of the attack. I couldn’t have you resisting your own father, could I?”

“Why?”

“Why what?” he asked, quirking a brow at me, taking a bite of the bread after dipping it in oil.

“Why did you attack?”