Chosen By Ruin

What Liam Knows

Liam takes two steps closer, onyx eyes pinning mine.

The courtyard suddenly feels smaller.

“Since you want specifics, here you go,” he pauses, then continues, “I want a book Xaden has. The Dragon Rider.”

My brows knit together as I try to make sense of his words, then I scoff, folding my arms. “Then go ask him for it.” I totally don’t understand why he’s telling me he wants a book Xaden has.

The corner of his mouth lifts, and then his tongue clicks softly against his teeth.

“Xaden and I aren’t exactly friends,” he murmurs, lowering his voice as a group of students passes behind us. “And no one else knows the book is with him.”

My spine stiffen. “What I asked is what your…condition for me is. Whatever this is…” I gesture between us. “…has nothing to do with Xaden.”

My chest heaves. I hope it’s not what I’m thinking.

“You’re going to get the book from him. For me.” he clarifies.

And that’s it. What I feared was his point. For a moment, I go silent before I find my voice again.

“Find a way and get it yourself. Why does he even have it if you want it so badly? And if it’s just a book, you can get another copy somewhere else.”

My eyes narrow at him in confusion, then I add,

“And why do you think I’m the one in the best position to help you get the book from him?”

Liam exhales slowly, like I’ve just exhausted him.

“That’s…a lot of questions,” he says flatly. “For someone like me who doesn’t do much words.”

My brows furrow, waiting for his explanation. I actually can’t wait to be out of here. I blame Hannah’s mother.

“But I’ll indulge you.” He says, lifting a finger.

“First- Xaden has it because only the Dravens have access to the academy's private library.”

He lifts another finger.

“Second- I can’t get another copy elsewhere because there isn’t another. It was written over a hundred years ago and only one of it exists.”

My stomach tightens. He lowers his hand.

“And third…” he pauses, his eyes shifting away briefly before returning to me. “You're the perfect person that can get it from him.”

My frown deepens, my confusion worsening. “Why me?”

“Because you live opposite his door.” The words hit me like a physical shove.

My breath catches.

“Wha…what? How do you…” How does he know? I’m not sure even Kayden himself knows I live next to him now. Only Darian and Luna Gwen are aware. But it turns out I was wrong.

Liam’s lips curve into what could be termed as ‘dark amusement.’

“I told you to watch your back on your first day,” he says, reminding me. Not like I ever forgot the threat.

“I’ve been watching. I don’t make empty promises.” He adds.

My pulse spikes. “I don’t think that’s appropriate.” My voice threatens to shake, but I cover up by folding my arms tightly around me with summoned defiance.

His eyes darken, voice lowering further.

“When your need for revenge is strong enough, you don’t take your eyes off your prey.” He justifies, terrifying me.

God. No. I am yet to carry out Alpha Soren’s task that centers on Xaden. And now, Liam wants something from the same Xaden.

Why always him?

“I’m sorry,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “I can’t do that.”

I turn, intending to walk away.

His voice comes lazily, “Well, well. It’ll be interesting to see how everyone reacts when they find out you tried to escape the academy.”

My entire body goes still. Fear catches my throat but anger surges past it. You know what? Liam can go to hell.

I turn back to him sharply.

“Go ahead,” I snap. “Tell them. I’ll deny it.”

His eyes fall into squints for a moment, as if he didn’t expect me to be defensive.

But the expression is immediately gone, replaced with a cold one.

“Really?” He taunts, stepping closer to me.

Then suddenly, just when I’ve mentally decided to walk out on him and focus on what actually matters, he lets out a huge blow that threatens to take me off my feet.

“What if I tell them you’re not Hannah Wales?”

My fingers loosen and the water bottle in my hand slips.

It hits the ground with a hollow crack.

My stomach plummets so hard that I would be vomiting now if I had had breakfast. “You…don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whisper.

Liam smiles like he didn’t just disrupt my emotions and make me feel totally and utterly defenseless.

“That’s the only reason you’re still breathing,” he says tauntingly. “Because I found out you’re not the daughter of the woman who killed my sister.”

My chest tightens painfully. It feels very hard to breathe. I would have preferred when he didn’t know and I was his target.

He leans in and murmurs, “So, who are you?”

My lips part but nothing comes out.

“Don’t lie to me,” he adds, almost gently. “I hate when people think I’m stupid.” A flicker of light crackles at his fingertips.

Lightning.

Is he going to kill me? Like right now? I shift on my feet, my boots suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

My throat dries.

“I’m not asking for your life story or why you’re here,” he continues, every word coming from his mouth making me want to run. Making me want to give it all up.

My heart pounds harder. How did he find out?

“But I know this much,” he says. “Whatever you’re here for… it has something to do with the Dravens.”

He straightens. “That means- helping me get the book from Xaden Draven shouldn’t be difficult.”

I force my voice steady. “What do you even need a dragon book… for?”

His gaze sharpens. “That is none of your business.”

I grit my teeth.

“You saw how Xaden killed that boy last night for trying to wake a dragon.”

The memory flashes vividly and violently in my head.

“If he could do that to someone he knew,” I continue, my voice shaking now, “what do you think he’ll do to me when he finds out I’m trying to steal a dragon book from him?”

I take a step back. “He’ll kill me too.”

For a moment, Liam says nothing. Just when I expect him- hope for him to reason with me, he disappoints me. “You only have a month.”

My breath catches as he adds, “Get that book for me.”

I swallow hard as I think about the possibility of getting close to Xaden- enough to be able to steal a book from him. It’s Zero. “And if I don’t?”

Liam shrugs casually. “Then your little secret won’t be a secret anymore.”

There’s nothing little about the secret. I feel dizzy. “What guarantee do I have that you won’t expose me after I give it to you?” Not like I have even imagined it possible. Xaden would kill me before I could.

Liam turns slightly away from me, as if he’s already done with the conversation.

“You wound me,” he says dryly. “I don’t make empty promises.”

Before I can respond- a shout interrupts us. “Hannah!”

I jerk at the sound.

Sloane rushes toward us, slightly out of breath, her eyes wide.

“This is where you are,” she says quickly. “There’s a meeting happening in the hall right now.”

My stomach drops.

“Luna Gwen is back, and she’s asked for your presence.”

My world tilts in front of me.

My knees almost give out beneath me.

Luna Gwen is back. And she calls for my presence. What if she has figured out from Hannah's parents that I’m not her.

Alpha Soren promised me that her parents don’t know she’s dead yet. They think she’s in this academy. But what if they’ve found out she’s not?

I think this is it. I’ve lost.