It was a thought I had been pushing aside since that night. It had weighed heavy on me as it all just felt off. Something hadn’t been right about it from the start, and I couldn’t let it go. I wasn’t sure if I was seeking validation or assurance that I waswrong, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to mention it to my dad, the unofficial leader of the insurgency.
Hazel, who’d been sitting quietly as usual, listened as she ate. Her eyes volleyed back and forth across the table as she absorbed every detail. Aside from her, there wasn’t a more observant person except for Cotton Sjodin.
My father’s brows crinkled, pausing his fork halfway to spear some broccoli. “Perhaps they got interrupted when you and Chrome showed up, then.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But they seemed more inclined to run than stay and fight, which I found unusual as well.” I forked a piece of asparagus and savored the tenderness emitting from it. My mother’s food was far superior to the food in the dining hall where most Kinetics ate. The only time I ate there was if Mom needed a break from the cooking.
“But why would you and Chrome be sent to track them down if they weren’t there to deplete a human’s aura, then?” my dad asked in genuine curiosity.
“I have no idea. It’s what doesn’t make sense to me.” Not to mention the strange guy showing up in the bathroom with Chrome. I still wasn’t completely sold on whether he told Chrome the truth or not. I supposed only time would tell.
“I’ll look into it,” my dad mumbled, scooping up a forkful of corn, the pensive wrinkles never easing up on his forehead. “See what intel had come in leading up to that mission.”
“You did well, darling,” Mom assured me. “You did the best you could. And I’m just so thankful you make it home after every mission safe and alive.”
“Thanks, Mom.” My heart twisted for her, knowing she must fear for my life every mission I was sent on.
I glanced at Hazel, who met my gaze. Thankfully, she held onto my odd inquiry about the princess from earlier. It was times like these that I was really grateful that we shared a closebond as siblings. I didn’t have to worry about her ratting me out to my parents. I tipped my chin, letting her know that I appreciated her silence on the matter.
With a half-hearted eye roll and crooked smile, she returned to her meal. I cleared my throat and focused my attention back on my father. “So, I have a question.”
“What’s that, son?” Dad lifted his penetrating gaze from his plate, meeting my eyes.
“So,” I started, unsure how to broach this topic, “do you know why the princess hasn’t been trained? She’s fourteen and should’ve started a year ago.”
My dad nodded. “Yeah, it’s definitely not the choice I would’ve made if she were my daughter, especially with her being the princess,” he grumbled. His dislike for the king was palpable. He knew there was some shady shit going on between him and the human government, but he needed time to discover it. Regardless, he knew that the king didn’t have our people’s best interests at heart and wanted to put a stop to it. “But he says she needs to be safe and isolated from danger.”
“That,” I said, tilting my head, “goes against everything we stand for. If anything, it puts her at more risk of being unable to protect herself.”
“Agreed.”
“So, what’s the plan?” I asked. “Any new developments lately on intel?”
My father chewed his food. “Bits and pieces here and there. Nothing huge, yet.”
I nodded, understanding the delicate nature of our mission. One wrong move could blow the entire thing, but my chest grew dense. “Well, it feels like something big is coming. Let’s hope we’re not too late.”
Chapter 5
Chrome
“Be ready for dinner in an hour.”
My face remained planted against the icy floor, numb, as my stepfather’s sleek boots clicked across the wooden floor to the door, leaving me alone in my bedroom suite. I could do nothing as he beat me, unleashing his hatred.
I hated my life. I hated myself. I hated it all.
What was the point of being the most powerful being alive if I couldn’t defend myself against those weaker than me? I just had to hold on a bit longer.
Ignoring the all-too-familiar pain, I pushed off the floor and stripped the tight-fitting formal clothes I’d worn to the ceremony before stepping into the shower. I stood under the water, letting the tiled floor morph red from the wounds as I patiently waited for my body to heal.
The beating I just received wasn’t anything different from what I was used to. Pain was company. Rather, the punishments continued to crumble my inner strength inch by inch.
Because I had allowed the Elemental to get away last night at The Phantom, I’d earned Grim’s form of discipline after my branding ceremony.
This had become my norm, and just like they wanted, I was too broken to care anymore. I was their ultimate Warrior that they could control at their will. It had been going on for so long that it was just par for the course every time I slightly stepped out of line.
Since they’d designed my existence, they knew how powerful I could be. The best way to control me was by breaking my soul, robbing me of any outlandish ideas I might’ve had of having free choice.
