“Was it a political decision when my father put shackles around my wrists? Was itpoliticalwhen Kakias instructed hot blades cut my flesh?” I roared. “Everything claims to be political, but not everything must be.” Some things should be innocent choices, not tangled up in the motives of clans and strikes against enemies.
“Those were all matters of strategy, Malakai,” she soothed. “They were twisted, decided upon for perverse reasons, but it boils down to powers and policy and pride. I won’t make my decisions based on their actions.”
“That’s what you’re doing!”
“Not in the same way. I’m choosing not to punish him for his mother’s actions, but I will if he gives us his own reason to. If he’s lying to us, he’ll?—”
“It would punish her, not him,” I seethed.
“There might be a better way to enact revenge.”
“She’s right,” Cypherion agreed, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Look at it, Mali. Not hurting Barrett, allowing him to help us—that might strike Kakias even deeper.” Ophelia nodded at Cyph. In that one action, I was more isolated than ever.
“So now we’re suddenly not onlynothurting him, we’re giving him free rein?”
“No.” Ophelia’s tone turned harsh. “I never said that.”
“You might as well have.”
“If what he says is true, we need his insight into the Engrossians. How their armies train, their movements.”
“I’ll never ally with him.”
“You don’t have to. But I can’t squander what could be a chance to cut off a very real threat before they arrive. A shot at survival.”
What did they know of fighting for survival? I’d learned not to rely on others for that.
“I don’t trust him,” I growled.
“I don’t either, yet.” But she was considering it. And that was enough to twist my heart. Enough to squeeze the life right out of it.
“He might not be so bad,” Tolek offered.
I glowered at him, unsure who I was even looking at.
He raised his hands. “I’m aware of everything he stands for, everything he is a reminder of. But you don’t know him.”
“Neither do you,” I spat.
“No, I don’t. We won’t ever, though, if we don’t consider this information. Think of what we’d be turning away.”
“We’d be giving him a chance toruin us.”
“Malakai has a point,” Jezebel said. Finally, someone fucking agreed with me. She pushed back her chair. “He could be playing us, loyal to his mother.”
“That’s a risk,” Ophelia agreed. “It’s always a risk, and I’m not going to trust him outright.”
But she wasn’t going tonot trust himeither.
“If it truly is authentic, we need to move on the Southern Pass,” Cyph said.
“He seemed genuine when I stitched him up,” Santorina said. “He was grateful.”
“He has a unique position as heir. Both a bargaining chip and an undeniable wealth of knowledge.” Tolek ran a hand over his scruff. “I vote he stays.”
“It’s not a fucking vote!” I snapped.
They all froze.
