As a father, he was expected to protect his young. Discipline, sure, but the overarching theme should have been to protect and guide. The Bavadrin before me who spewed such filth at his child was none of the things a father should have been. He never protected her. I understood then that he was only ever a threat to her. Somehow, despite his irrational cruelty, Ariana managed to not follow in those same footsteps.
As soon as the shock of his behavior receded, I waved my hand in the air, signaling the execution to proceed.
Guards moved behind him, forcing him onto his knees. The Leader Superior’s eyes widened, and he snarled, “Don’t ju?—”
A blade found the soft flesh of Fraser’s neck, finally silencing his words. There was a repulsive gurgling sound when he tried to continue speaking despite the slitting of his throat. He reached for his neck, and his eyes widened further, as if he couldn’t believe this outcome. Blood spilled, coating his fingers, dousing the floor, before his body finally fell into the warm red puddle.
Ariana kept her eyes pressed shut, her hands gripping the bottom of her shirt as if she were holding on to the fabric for dear life. I smelled her blood before I saw it dribbling from her eye, as if it were a tear. The Bavadrin leaders were told to always come and go with blood, and it appeared that Ariana had been chosen to lead them. I couldn’t help but feel relief at that knowledge.
Pulling a napkin from my pocket, I held it out before her.
“Take it,” I said when her eyes remained shut, unaware of my offer.
Her eyes snapped open, focusing on the napkin I held,refusing to look anywhere else. After a moment, she reached out for it, bringing it to her cheek. A small gasp escaped from her when she pulled the crimson-stained napkin away. I could nearly hear the blood rushing from her head. She was going to pass out if she remained in the room.
“You may go if you wish.” I offered her an exit.
She stood in an instant, Kole appearing at her side, and then they left without a word. Though they walked from the room, it was as if she ran from it.
With her gone, my shoulders relaxed. I had not realized that I was wound up so tightly.
I surveyed the body on the floor with blood pooling beneath it. Fraser looked so small. It was impressive that such an insignificant and ugly creature could have effectively ruled for such a long time. That he produced an offspring who appeared to care for others over herself while he was the complete opposite.
“Well, that was fun!” Iver balanced on the back two legs of his chair again.
“She did not seem very happy. I’m not sure she will be willing to help us,” Jorn commented while staring at Fraser’s lifeless body.
“She’ll come around.” I sounded a great deal more certain than I felt.
“And how long do you propose we wait for her to do so?” Edmond asked, eager to act. He longed for our attack on the Sidhe, to get our sister back. Edmond and I were closest in age, and he was the closest in age to our sister. Iona’s vanishing was difficult for us all, but Edmond took her disappearance the hardest. And outside of our immediate family, Kole had probably suffered the most.
“Our forces will be that much stronger if Ariana stands with us as opposed to us forcing her hand.” I believed she would want to help us. Even though the Bavadrins were known for their cunning ways, I did not think she was trying to be anything other thanherself. Within that bravery and confidence of hers, there was a gentle kindness that I hoped was who she truly was at her core.
“I agree, but if she takes years to get to that point?—”
“She won’t,” I cut him off. By the sound of my growing irritation, Edmond was wise to leave it at that. I did not know what would need to be done if Ariana did not come to our side quickly. The only saving grace was that our armies were largely not ready. We had been prepared to take the Bavadrins but not prepared for an all-out war against the Sidhe. And that was mostly because we were not ready to defend our home from a much closer threat.
“Clean this up,” I said to no one in particular when looking at the body on the floor. Lysian guards began moving at once.
I stood. Frustration fueled every cell and if I did not find an outlet for it soon, then I might incinerate everything.
“Where are you off to now?” Jorn asked.
“Hunting,” I replied before leaving my brothers.
There were still things that needed taking care of since my return; but they could wait till tomorrow. Recent events had worn down my patience, and I needed time to myself. I needed an escape.
My legs moved automatically, taking me further from the heavy weight of my responsibilities. I questioned my decision to bring the Bavadrin girl to my home. However, my suspicions were correct in assuming she may be the next chosen Leader Superior. It was good that we had her under our control. Still, a small part of me wished she had heeded my warnings and ran before we took her little capitol.
Now the blood of Ariana’s father stained my hands, and I feared she might meet a similar fate. Whether she refuses to help us, and my brothers demand she pay with her life, or she agrees to stand with us, and that action thrusts in to the center of a deadly war, my mind kept arriving at the same conclusion. Despite thetwo paths laid out for her, she was damned. The curious woman who tended my wounds would not survive.
It should not have mattered. In the grand scheme, she was but one Bavadrin girl when many Lysian lives were on the line. Still, I could not shake the unexpected guilt. Like a sharp blade with a broken hilt, the guilt wedged itself between my ribs, and I could not pull it free.
Once outside, I began running till I hit the woods and finally felt a fraction of the freedom I once had. It was a freedom I longed for, but one I would never truly taste again. And with the actions of that night, Ariana too would never taste such freedom, for the lives of her people would forever rest on her shoulders. Though I doubted that she experienced many liberties with a father like hers. Perhaps that was for the best. She was less likely to miss a freedom she never had to begin with.
11
ARIANA
