He swung a leg over Caia's back and slid to the ground. His face a mask of fury as he limped toward Brisa, uncaring as she back pedaled.
If she wouldn't come willingly, he'd put her on Caia by force, consequences be damned.
"Do you think it makes me happy that I left her there?" Jason spat. "She is the only person who has ever believed in me. The only person who has ever called me family, and I left her there—for you!"
Brisa sniffled as she watched Jason warily. He couldn't find it in himself to care that he was scaring her.
She was the reason for this. All of it.
"If not for you, she could have made it out of there. It's your fault I had to leave her behind."
Brisa stepped back every time he moved forward, ignoring the stabs of pain in his ankle.
Lost in his rage, he didn't notice the way she sunk in on herself as if to protect herself from him. He didn't see the lost expression that replaced her anger or the way she deflated as if not even her body wanted to hold her up.
All he knew was that there was a bubble in his chest that kept expanding. Relentless as it pushed out all reason in favor of pure, raw emotion.
Until he couldn't think or breathe.
Violence hovered. The need for action when it was far too late for anything to be done.
Brisa curled in on herself, her only working wing coming around to shield her. "I'm sorry."
The apology brought Jason up short. Shock filled him at Brisa's state, the distress written in every line of her body.
He was forced to confront what he'd done. The devastation his words brought. It extinguished the last of his anger, leaving him empty and cold.
Eva would be so disappointed in him right now.
Brisa wasn't the reason all this happened, and Eva would have hated him making her feel like she was. The only people to blame were their enemies—and Jason.
He'd done this. He'd been the one to climb on Caia's back and ride away.
He was a coward.
He thought he'd changed. That the time spent with Eva and Caden had somehow made him into someone new.
Someone honorable and brave.
Yet his first brush with danger and he’d cracked. Worse, he was still shifting blame to others for his own mistakes rather than taking responsibility.
He made himself sick.
"I hate what has happened," Jason said with a forced calm. "But Eva chose to protect you. The best and only thing we can do right now is rendezvous with our warriors and mount a rescue."
Brisa's wing shifted to show a glimpse of her face.
She was listening.
Good.
"It's the only way we're going to help Eva." For Jason that was the only thing that mattered.
An impatient nicker came from Caia as the mare gave them a look that called them both idiots.
"That horse is strange," Brisa said.
Her words surprised a chuckle out of Jason. "You're not the only one who thinks that."
