Death Weavers by Brandon Mull Read Free Book Online

Destiny, but I don’t think we gave ourselves away, either.”
    â€œHard to be sure,” Hunter said. “If a friend recognized Mira, an enemy could have as well. Dalton told us that he and Cole brought up the princesses with Yeardly. Any time we tell an echo who we’re looking for, we run the risk of getting discovered by Nazeem.”
    â€œWhat were you doing off in the bushes with an echo, Cole?” Jace asked. “How much did you spill?”
    â€œIt was an old echo,” Cole said. “He was friendly and guessed a lot about me. He could see the damage to my shaping power.”
    â€œIf he could see your power, he might have targeted you,” Hunter said. “Nazeem knows about your damaged power.”
    â€œThe echo didn’t come to me,” Cole said. “I went to him.”
    â€œIf he was any good, he may have positioned himself where you would see him,” Hunter said. “In an ambush, you let your prey approach. How nosy was he?”
    â€œMedium nosy,” Cole said. “I think I got good info from him.”
    â€œWhat?” Mira asked.
    â€œDestiny went to the Cave of Memory,” Cole said, hoping the information would impress them.
    â€œReally?” Mira asked. “How long ago?”
    â€œA few months,” Cole said.
    â€œHe told you this freely?” Hunter asked.
    â€œI have to do a favor for him,” Cole said.
    â€œBut no bindings,” Hunter clarified.
    â€œWell . . . not with punishments attached,” Cole said.
    â€œWait,” Hunter said. “You let him do a binding? I told everybody to avoid bound oaths.”
    â€œThere was no punishment,” Cole repeated.
    â€œI guess, strictly speaking, bound oaths have punishments,” Hunter said. “But if this echo connected the favor to a binding, that’s almost the same thing. What was the binding?”
    Cole found himself unable to explain. After two failed attempts, he managed to reply, “I can’t say.”
    Hunter shared a worried glance with Joe and Mira. “He won’t let you tell? That’s part of the bargain? Who was this echo? What was his name?”
    Once again Cole couldn’t get the words past his lips. “I can’t say.”
    â€œWhat did he look like?” Hunter asked.
    After failing to give details, Cole shrugged. “I can’t.”
    Looking shaken, Hunter wiped his eyes.
    â€œIs this bad?” Jace asked.
    â€œMaybe,” Hunter said. He studied Cole intently. “My guess is the binding seemed innocent?”
    â€œYes,” Cole said, relieved he could spit out that much.
    â€œDo you see any way it could endanger us?” Hunter pressed.
    â€œNo,” Cole said, relieved again. “It was a very simple request.”
    â€œThat’s good at least,” Hunter said. “Did the binding require loyalty from the echo?”
    Cole couldn’t answer. He tried to nod but failed. “I can’t say.”
    â€œYou can’t give us any details?” Hunter guessed.
    â€œYes,” Cole said.
    â€œBut you’re confident it can’t backfire?” Hunter asked.
    â€œYes,” Cole said. “It seemed like the echo did me a favor.”
    â€œWe’re so doomed,” Jace muttered.
    â€œMaybe not,” Hunter said. “Cole isn’t stupid. Since the binding is keeping him from answering my questions, the info he got has to be solid. The binding wouldn’t hold if it was based on a lie.”
    â€œBut he could have been dealing with an agent of Nazeem,” Mira said. “We don’t know what Cole has to do. There could be a trap built into the binding.”
    Hunter looked at Joe, who held up both hands defensively. “I’ve never been to Necronum. You and Mira know much more than me about this place.”
    â€œWe could have been exposed at the shrine in other ways,” Hunter said. “Mira could have been