The Art of Truth (TRC #2)

Chapter 18 - A Deal

A/N: I know! I know! This update is very late! Unfortunately, things have been pretty hectic and stressful at university and I haven't been writing anywhere close to as much as I'd have liked. But there is good news! Because I was particularly stressed out yesterday I started writing to relax...and ended up writing past 2 in the morning, because I wrote the END of AoT! Yes, that's right, the END. I looked at it when I was properly awake today and it's usable, though it does need a bit of editing first! As soon as those edits are complete, I'll try and post them a week apart so that when my final exams start in October I won't leave you all hanging! If you've been here up until now, I really appreciate your patience and thank you so much for reading! Read, enjoy, comment, vote and share! Thank you! Next update should be somewhere around 4 October, but no guarentees because that also happens to be Eid weekend! 

~Hikari

Chapter Eighteen – A Deal

 “It wants my life?”  I whispered, shocked. “It’s just a stone...a symbol. What does it want with my life...It can’t kill me, can it?”

“The symbols need power, and nothing is more powerful than a human life. I’m sorry. Using your blood means it now wants yours. If you have it in your possession it will lead you to your death. I’ll keep it with me.”

He bent down and handed the dagger back to me. He slipped the stone back around his neck, tucking it under his shirt and out of sight. I couldn’t help noticing how close it was, how simple it would be to get it back if I really tried. The Lifemark wasn’t done with me yet.

“You used it. That woman. You brought her back,” I murmured.

“Only for a short time before I sent her back. I had to test it out, and it drained all of my energy. I can’t use it again today.”

He pressed a hand to the cut on his cheek, wincing at the pain.

“When did you get so vicious with that blade?” he asked, glancing at the blood on his fingers.

“Sorry,” I said again. I took a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart. “I just wanted it back.”

“You sure you’re not going to kill me in my sleep?”

“Well, no guarantees there,” I said, only half-joking. The Lifemark had a hold on me now, thanks to Kairo. I could feel an invisible tug, pulling me to the symbol that took all my willpower to resist.

 “On the plus side, we’re even with the Conspiracy on symbols. They have two, and we have two.”

“One that’s trying to kill me and another indeterminate power scratched into the body of a crazy woman. And we don’t know how to properly use either. Great.”

I didn’t intend the sarcasm, but it came off harshly.

“It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing,” he said.

I held up my hands, too tired to argue back.

“We’d best get back to the office. You should call Jared and Jen while we’re in the car – they’ll meet us there and we can figure out what to do next,” he said.

I spotted something as we walked to the car. Someone was waiting for us at the entrance to the graveyard. Someone with the hood of his jacket pulled up over distinct, white hair. Art.

Kairo reacted immediately, pulling a gun out from under his shirt and pointing it steadily at Art. Kairo spared a moment to glance at me, his eyes sharp with warning. I stepped behind Kairo, forcing myself to breathe slowly and keep my eyes on the ground. The last time I’d seen Art, he was bleeding from what would otherwise be a fatal wound. A wound I caused.