84. Sloan
EIGHTY-FOUR
SLOAN
Sloan stood quiet, listening to Ashley’s tale.
Envy bubbled to the surface before she could push it back.
If this was Aareth’s wife and her story was true, then they would be reunited and there would be no chance of anything in the future for Aareth and Sloan.
Sloan hated herself for even thinking the thought.
She bottled her personal feelings, burying them deep.
There were more important things to deal with now.
“And then what?” Part of Sloan couldn’t believe she was accepting the story. To her other part, it seemed to make perfect sense. “Leah Noble and the Queen just let you go when you decided you didn’t want a part in what they had planned?”
“I could tell they were growing concerned about me questioning the Legion.” Ashley looked past Sloan, remembering the final act of her imprisonment.
“They brought me a woman with red hair. They told me she was a spy working to undo our cause. I was ordered to kill her. And I did. The woman didn’t even try to fight back.
All she asked for was her daughters be spared.
I knew it was wrong. I still struck her down, because I’m a monster. I’m a monster created, not even born.
“They told me to stay the course.” Ashley paused, furrowing her brow.
If it had been anyone else, Sloan would have guessed they might cry.
Ashley’s expression was rage, not sadness.
“They said soon our enemies, like this woman, would see the end of our blade.
They said the day of the Legion was at hand.
“I escaped that night. Ditching the escorts following me around the city was easier than I thought. I had all the tools to do so at my disposal. The Legion had taught me everything I needed to know about survival. I wandered the streets for days, hiding from the Queen and her sister. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.
I only knew I needed to stop them. I understood not a single citizen was aware of the danger they were in.
I knew if I did nothing, more women and men, more mothers and fathers, would be put to the blade. ”
Ashley’s words infuriated Sloan for the simple fact that she believed them. In the wake of her current conversation, Sloan’s world was about to change forever. At the very least, she believed Ashley thought she was telling the truth.
“I’ll need time.” Sloan still had a hard time believing her own words. “I’ll need time to check out your story.”
“Thank you, Captain, thank you.” Doctor Livingston gave an audible sigh of relief. “I know this is hard to believe?—”
“Hard to believe?” Sloan stopped Doctor Livingston mid-sentence. “This is as close to impossible as one can get.”
“You can start believing and building your case against the Queen and her sister now.” Ashley stepped forward, pointing to the area of her chest over her heart. “Whatever magic was used to resurrect me, it left me without a heartbeat.”
Curiosity more than anything else made Sloan tilt her head and press her ear against Ashley’s chest. Her hand was still on her sword, ready to be used in the blink of an eye if the need arose.
Any sense of awkwardness was dismissed with promises of the impossible.
Sloan pressed her ear against Ashley’s leather shirt. The room was completely silent.
Sloan waited with anticipation. Everything she knew about human anatomy told her she should be hearing the steady rhythmic beat of a healthy heart.
She even willed herself to hear something, anything.
If there was a heartbeat, she might still be able to convince herself that Ashley and the doctor were insane.
But there was nothing besides silence. Ashley’s chest was as still as a tomb.