“Wait, where are you going?” I replied as he moved to climb back up the ridge.
“I know Myst is looking for your friends. She’ll be useful in that respect. I, on the other hand, have to patch things up with Haldor and see if I can earn his favor again.”
“Whoa. After he did that to you?” I pointed at his wounds.
Brandon smirked. “I let him do it. Hopefully, he got the hint. Stay safe, Astra. I will find you again soon.”
Before I could say anything else, he vanished, the darkness dissipating in the cold mountain air. I was alone again, my mind already wandering in one too many directions. A new day was upon us. A dark day, but new. We’d finally taken a few steps forward, though the absence of Isabelle, Voss, and Chantal still hurt me.
I’d met Brandon, at last. I’d thanked him. I’d cursed him. And now, I wondered when I would see him again. There was so much about this place I didn’t understand, but one thing was indisputably clear. Whatever the island planned to throw at us, we would rise to the challenge. And with the sympathies of one Valkyrie and one Berserker in our favor, too.
Tristan
I was tired. As the third night settled over a reborn Dain, I found that I was exhausted. Spending a few days in bed didn’t sound like a bad idea, but Unending and I had to keep going. We’d killed Death’s former lover and we’d stolen the Mixer, all to serve Anunit, this rogue Reaper whose endgame still eluded us. The city no longer had a temple, though it had hopes of a better tomorrow now that Shezin was gone for good. Death would reassign Reapers to this world to look after it. One had already come to Dain to retrieve her memories—more would follow, soon enough.
A funeral pyre burned in the city square where we’d killed him. The Dainians had seen fit to bid him farewell. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have bothered, but the Dainians had clearly not seen much wickedness in their lives. I’d dealt with the likes of the Spirit Bender, after all.
“I wonder what Death is thinking right now,” I mused as we stopped by the bridge where Anunit had first brought us over. It would be midnight soon, and our second trial would officially end. “About Shezin and her memories and all this.”
Unending seemed to be wondering the same. “I imagine she’s intrigued. Without a memory of those emotions, curiosity would be a reasonable response. I doubt she’ll put the memories back inside her, though. I’ll bet she’ll just watch them, then put them away.”
“You think?”
“Remember how badly it must’ve hurt for her to remove them,” Unending replied. “As for this whole trial malarkey? I don’t know. I’ll bet she regrets leaving Shezin here with all his gifts. She probably meant well, maybe thought to keep him contained… But boy, did that blow up in her face.”
Around us, life was resuming a more normal rhythm. The night was silent, though cheers and laughter did occasionally erupt from the nearby taverns. Most people were sleeping and dreaming, preparing themselves for a new day. Unending and I were preparing ourselves too, though for something else.
“Where is she?” Unending muttered, turning around a few times. “I’m losing my patience. It’s been three days. Three very long and confusing days. I almost believed Shezin to be godlike when he threw us out of that temple, you know? My perception had gotten skewed. That became painfully obvious when the stone giants tossed him over like a bad pebble.”
“It took you a while,” Anunit replied as she came up the street toward us. “But I’m glad you reached the same conclusion regarding Shezin.”
I frowned at her. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Oh, me?” she giggled and revealed her new upgraded scythe. Anunit had used the Mixer to combine the weapons of Reapers she’d helped before with her own. It was a big piece now, with a long handle and a half-moon blade that carried rose gold reflexes along its sharp edge. The closer Anunit got, the better I could see the variations in color along the handle—remnants of the original scythes. She wore the Mixer as a bracelet, and she was all smiles, clearly content with her accomplishments thus far. “I’ve been taking care of a few things…”
“Nice toothpick,” Unending replied dryly.
“Nicely done with Shezin,” the Reaper said, switching to a more serious tone. “The world is better off without him.”
“Why’d you wait so long to kill him?” I asked. “Why didn’t you use him perhaps as a goodwill ticket for Death? She might have appreciated your support.”
“Don’t be silly. I don’t clean up Death’s messes in exchange for her mercy,” Anunit spat. “That’s what you two are for. Besides, I’ve revealed some of her deepest, darkest secrets. Do you still see her the same as before?”
Unending sighed, crossing her arms. “Where are you going with this, exactly? What’s your endgame, Anunit? These trials you’re giving us clearly serve more than one purpose.”
“I thought you’d never ask. Think about it this way,” she said. “I’m merely the individual pulling the shroud from over your eyes, so that you may see better.”
“So, Death lied about the soul fae, and she kept Joy’s existence a secret. Big whoop,” I interjected, still unsure of the Reaper’s angle. “She didn’t even know about Shezin anymore because she’d discarded every memory she had of him. We found the baubles in his room and figured it out. Death doesn’t know what she cannot remember. That doesn’t exactly count as a secret, does it?”
Anunit narrowed her galaxy eyes at me. “Sure, let’s go with that. But by the time these trials are over, you will absolutely understand what my ultimate goal is. And you will not disagree with my premise, either. I promise you that.”
Unending scoffed and moved away from the bridge. “Okay. Fine. We’re still here. What’s the third trial? Let’s get this over with, already.”
“Your third trial involves releasing the very first Reaper ever made.”
That got our attention. Anunit held her head high as she spoke, eyes glistening with stars as she awaited Unending’s full reaction—she knew the initial silence was only the beginning. Crickets chirped somewhere nearby, and the waters rushed beneath the wind with soft swooshes and rumbles. Other than that, only my heartbeat could be heard.
“Excuse me?” Unending finally said.
“Oh, you really thought you were the first,” Anunit sighed, and I detected a hint of malice in the way she dragged this along. Whether it was purely for dramatic effect or something else entirely, it got on my nerves. What scared me the most was that she’d been right until now, so what were the odds she’d lie about the third trial? “Unending, you were not the first Reaper Death ever made. She deceived you. She deceived you all.”
“What… what are you talking about?” I managed, while my beloved Unending remained speechless, her full lips slightly parted from the shock.
“The first Reaper ever created was the World Crusher. And it’s your task to find her,” Anunit declared beneath the three diaphanous moons that shone over the kingdom of Dain.
Was she telling the truth? Or was she lying and sending us on a wild goose chase? So far, Death had come across as the true deceiver, and Anunit as nothing more than a sullen and resentful Reaper who didn’t mind airing out her maker’s dirty laundry. Unending and I were pawns in some kind of sick and twisted game between these two, but walking away from this wasn’t an option.
We wanted the truth. We deserved the truth. And if Death wasn’t ready to give it to us, if she was perfectly fine with us walking down this spiraling road through her past, then so be it. We’d get to the truth ourselves.
ASOV 90: A Ruler of Clones
Dear Shaddict,
Thank you for reading A Sanctuary of Foes!
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Read more by Bella Forrest
DARKLIGHT
(Paranormal romance)
Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
Darktide (Book 5)
Darkbirth (Book 6)
Darkfall (Book 7)
Darkwilds (Book 8)
HARLEY MERLIN
(Fantasy/romance)
Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn’s Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie (Book 16)
Finch Merlin and the Legend of the Luminary (Book 17)
Persie Merlin and Leviathan’s Gift (Book 18)
Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere (Book 19)
THE GENDER GAME
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)
THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)
THE CHILD THIEF
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)
HOTBLOODS
(Supernatural adventure/romance. Completed series.)
Hotbloods (Book 1)
Coldbloods (Book 2)
Renegades (Book 3)
Venturers (Book 4)
Traitors (Book 5)
Allies (Book 6)
Invaders (Book 7)
Stargazers (Book 8)
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES
(Supernatural romance/adventure)
Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story
A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)
A Shade of Blood (Book 2)
A Castle of Sand (Book 3)
A Shadow of Light (Book 4)
A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)
A Gate of Night (Book 6)
A Break of Day (Book 7)
Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story
A Shade of Novak (Book 8)
A Bond of Blood (Book 9)
A Spell of Time (Book 10)
A Chase of Prey (Book 11)
A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)
A Turn of Tides (Book 13)
A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)
A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)
An End of Night (Book 16)
Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…
A Wind of Change (Book 17)
A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)
A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)
A Hero of Realms (Book 20)
A Vial of Life (Book 21)
A Fork of Paths (Book 22)
A Flight of Souls (Book 23)
A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)
Series 4: A Clan of Novaks
A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)
A World of New (Book 26)
A Web of Lies (Book 27)
A Touch of Truth (Book 28)
An Hour of Need (Book 29)
A Game of Risk (Book 30)
A Twist of Fates (Book 31)
A Day of Glory (Book 32)
Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians
A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)
A Sword of Chance (Book 34)
A Race of Trials (Book 35)
A King of Shadow (Book 36)
An Empire of Stones (Book 37)
A Power of Old (Book 38)
A Rip of Realms (Book 39)
A Throne of Fire (Book 40)
A Tide of War (Book 41)
Series 6: A Gift of Three
A Gift of Three (Book 42)
A House of Mysteries (Book 43)
A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)
A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)
A Ride of Peril (Book 46)
A Passage of Threats (Book 47)
A Tip of Balance (Book 48)
A Shield of Glass (Book 49)
A Clash of Storms (Book 50)
Series 7: A Call of Vampires
A Call of Vampires (Book 51)
A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)
A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)
A Den of Tricks (Book 54)
A City of Lies (Book 55)
A League of Exiles (Book 56)
A Charge of Allies (Book 57)
A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)
A Battle of Souls (Book 59)
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A Land of Perfects (Book 61)
A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)
A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)
A Camp of Savages (Book 64)
A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)
An Edge of Malice (Book 66)
A Dome of Blood (Book 67)
A Purge of Nature (Book 68)
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A Breed of Elements (Book 70)
A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)
A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)
A Search for Death (Book 73)
A Piece of Scythe (Book 74)
A Blade of Thieron (Book 75)
A Phantom of Truth (Book 76)
A Fate of Time (Book 77)
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An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A Shard of Soul (Book 85)
A Break of Seals (Book 86)
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An Isle of Mirrors (Book 88)
A Sanctuary of Foes (Book 89)
A Ruler of Clones (Book 90)
A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY
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A Shade of Dragon 2
A Shade of Dragon 3
A Shade of Kiev 1
A Shade of Kiev 2
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A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY
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THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR
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The Breaker (Book 2)
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Beautiful Monster 2
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Write, Edit, KILL
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A Shade of Vampire 89: A Sanctuary of Foes Page 23