But, it wasn’t just that. I was furious athim. It was as if the dream were not simply a dream but something that truly happened, and now, I stood before him thinking,How dare you dosomething like that? I will not be some pawn for you to use and play with as you see fit.My anger continued to grow. I was not just some lovely Bavadrin doll they could poke at and use. I was the Leader Superior. I was a conjuror, and I was a person with worth.
Erik’s gaze dropped to the ground, and I tensed, preparing myself for his rage, but it did not come. Instead, he lowered himself into a squat, propping his elbows on his knees, and looked up at me. He was trying to appear smaller and less intimidating. Though it did nothing to lessen the threat of his presence.
It was possibly the most foolish thing I had ever seen him do.
There was no way getting close to the ground could ever shift the vortex of the power dynamic we were in. In an instant, he could have my throat in his hands before I could even blink. Despite my conjuring abilities, I doubted I would win against Erik if we had to fight at that very moment with so little distance between one another. If he truly wanted me dead, then he was probably one of the few people I had ever met who was capable of so easily making that desire a reality.
“I deserve your anger, and I will take it.” He finally spoke, looking up at me. “But I ask you to please tell me the truth.”
He remained incredibly still except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest. His response was calm and controlled. Some of my anger wavered, but it was far from extinguished.
“Fine, you want the truth, then I will give it,” I began, hesitating for a moment. My instinct was always to not show fear, to show no sign of weakness. Yet Erik asked for raw truths, and so that was what I would provide.
I licked my dry lips and continued, “I have feared you since the very moment I first laid my eyes on you in our dungeon.” Erik’s jaw clenched, but he did not say a word. “It was not just that you were a Lysian, something I had never seen before, but there was something powerful surrounding you. I didn’t understand it then, didn’t understand your position or abilities, but I felt it crackle inthe surrounding air. Right away, I sensed the danger when near you. It felt as though we were all sheep who had brought a wolf into our home without even realizing it, and though you were caged, it may as well have been made of straw. And then I learned you were a conjuror and capable of destroying everything I ever cared for.”
His gaze physically froze me, and we stared at one another with my truths laid out for him to see. He always assumed I had no fear. It was clear by the way he tried to constantly bring it out of me. Hewantedme to fear him. I wonder if it upset him that I wouldn’t outright tremble in his presence. He had mistaken my calm and courage for fearlessness, yet that was far from the truth, and now he knew it.
“And now?” Erik asked, his voice low.
“And now?” I shrugged. What did he want? “I suppose the fear is still there in ways. It’s different, though. You can still destroy everything of mine, but I don’t think that it’s something you would do unprovoked. I guess my biggest concern is not knowing what you are thinking or what you are going to do.”
“You always seemed so fearless.” He looked at the ground, speaking as if it were a thought passing through his mind that he hadn’t intended to make heard.
I knew it. He assumed I had zero regard for the danger I had been in. He probably thought I was half nuts for not fearing him.
“To be completely fearless is to be reckless,” I answered.
He nodded and rose.
His eyes lifted slowly to meet mine, and his head followed until he stood fully upright. “I want to make you a promise, Ariana. I will not harm you, and I will not allow for harm to unjustly come to your people.”
My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t expected him to say anything like that. Were his words the truth? It was possible that he could have been lying, but I found myself believing him.
“Why now?” I asked.
“Honestly?” His lip curved up at the side, though it did not touch his eyes. It looked more cruel than happy.
I nodded,yes.
“I usually get a thrill from others’ fear of me. Some part of me craves it. Yet, I find myself not wanting that from you. At least not anymore.” He looked down towards where the others likely had camp fully set up by now. “You probably think I’m twisted in some way.”
I took a single step towards him and froze when he turned back to face me. “To desire power is not abnormal, especially in your Lysian culture and with your position. I have told you before that I have seen monsters up close, and that is not what I have seen of you, nor your kind.”
“Was I in the dream you just had?” He pressed the question he wanted to know this entire time.
My cursed heart beat faster from embarrassment, which he would likely confuse with distress. “Yes.”
It was as if a band had been wrapped around us, invisibly pulling us towards each other, and it just snapped. Erik twirled away from me, grabbed the horse, and shoved the reins in my direction. “Take the horse and join the others. I’ll go on foot from here.”
“That’s unnecessary,” I said, surprised at the abrupt change.
“Please, just do as I asked.” His voice turned reserved and cold. He withdrew from me.
Something about him seemed defeated. It was strange to witness him in such a manner. Not knowing the best way to handle him when he was in that uncommon state, I settled for simply doing what he asked.
When I took the reins, Erik began walking in the opposite direction of the camp. He moved with a silent and powerful grace until he disappeared into the wild.
It didn’t take long for me to find my way to the camp the Lysians had set up.
