“Not good enough! You made enemies in that arena. Males I would never want asmyenemies. But worst of all, you made an enemy of the Storm. What is your next move?”
“I thought I’d win. I beat Sebastian Splendor. That means I’m good enough.”
I swallow a laugh. “Look around you and have another think about that.”
His gaze darts around the empty room and meets the Elven Command. As much as I’ve lost all respect for them, they present a picture of regal power. Sebastian’s grandfather, in particular, doesn’t look impressed.
The male says, “I only did what they wanted.”
“Yes, but do you think they’re going to protect you? Is your father going to protect you? Isanyonegoing to protect you… from me?”
Let this sniveling idiot make it through the trials. I’ll be happy to kill him. Without realizing, my hand has moved to my thigh, seeking the steel resting there and the power that comes with it. I wonder if an electrified dagger could break through the shield…
He shakes his head, compelled to answer. “No. They won’t.”
I lean forward. “Then what is your next move?”
“I… don’t know.” He presses his lips together, visibly fighting the impulse to speak. His fingernails dig into the heartstone so hard they’re bleeding. “I don’t like this. I can’t stop saying what I’m thinking.”
“It’s called the truth.”
“I don’t like it.” He tugs at the chair, breathing hard. He’s panicking but I have no sympathy for him.
He says, “Am I going to die?”
I want to scream at him, but I swallow it down. “Yes.”
“I don’t want to die here.”
“Then don’t. It’s your choice.”
His hands quake against the armrests, banging against them. “I don’t want to go home. I hate it there.”
“Then don’t do that either.”
He jolts like I shot electricity through him. “What?”
I consider the floor, unable to stand looking at him. “Find a new home. You must have made it through the endurance test somehow. Find another mountain to climb.”
“Brute strength,” he says. “It’s all I’m good for… my father says.”
Ah, nothing like a label to define a male’s belief about who he is. “Then use it to kick him out.”
His leg stops jiggling. “What?”
“Your father. Go home and give him the boot. I don’t think the Elven Command will object. Let him live with the pigs where he belongs. Be a better master to your workers. Be a better son for your mother.”
He stares at me through the shield. The cogs may be turning slowly in his mind, but they are finally turning. “If I do that, will you show me mercy?”
“I’ll do better than that: I won’t give you another thought.”
He tilts his head, appraising me. “Okay then.”
He shifts gears. Again, it’s slow, but he gets there. “You’re more complex than I thought you were.”
I sigh. “Thank you, Harmon. For telling me the truth.”
He steps out of the chair. This time he takes a knee and bows before leaving the room. I swallow the unpleasant taste in my mouth and think calming thoughts to wipe that interaction from my mind.
