“I’m aware,” the General says, his eyes softening. “We don’t approve of his ways.”
There’s a gaping maw in my chest. I cross my arms, trying to shield myself from my own vulnerability.
“Why did you bring me here today? Clearly King Francis isn’t a fan of your idea to attract more humans to Ekios.”
The General exchange a glance with the Taaslord. Then he says, “I had to see where your loyalties lie.”
I blink. No fucking way. It was a test?
“You thought I was…a spy he sent?”
Neither men say anything. Silence is an answer enough.
I scoff. “I am not a spy for King Francis.”
“Oh, I know that now. But I had to be certain, Ezkai Phoenix. A lone human girl coming from Wetra, from a prominent loyalist family, to join Order of Ezkai, and succeeding at it for the first time in the history… I’m sure you can understand my suspicion.”
“You knew my father.” I shake my head. “You said I was safe here because of the promise you made to him.”
Here I thought it was Daegel’s connection to Caligos that was forcing the General to keep me at an arm’s length, when it turns out it may have been all my own doing.
“And I meant it.” The General drops his feet and leans forward to brace his elbows in the table. “Now that I’m sure about your loyalty and where it lies, we can accomplish great things together. However, I can tell there’s something you’re not being honest about, Ezkai Phoenix.”
My heart races. I try to calm it down by breathing deeply. I fail.
“I don’t think I understand, sir.”
He eyes me for a long moment. The silence stretches between us. Sweat drips down my spine. I don’t say anything, though.
Finally, the General speaks. “Your vitals during that meeting were concerning. Someone who feels this strongly about another person…well, it must be more than simple dislike or disagreement about their politics and morals. So tell me, Ezkai Phoenix, why does King Francis bother you so much?”
Fuck.Of course me loosing my temper wouldn’t go unnoticed. Not by this man.
For a beat, my lungs seize breathing.
Can I lie?
I blink at him. The General’s face is neutral and open. Dark eyes watch me with curiosity.
There’s something in his gaze that makes me feel…like I can tell him anything.
I’ve kept everything inside me, locked neatly in a box at the back of my mind. Something that’s mine.
Truth be told, I’m terrified to open it. To let someone else in.
To let them see what lies behind all those walls I’ve build around me.
Before I know it, my lips are moving and words I least expect spill out of my mouth. “King Francis ordered my family’s death. They’re gone because of him. I survived by mere accident. As I watched my family’s home burn with them inside that night at the hand of Axel Dukas and the Royal Guard, I swore to avenge their death. That’s why I’m here, in Ekios. Why I joined the Order of Ezkai. So I could gain enough power to destroy King Francis.”
I snap my mouth shut, eyes wide.
What the fuck was that?It’s the first time I’ve admitted my true intentions to anyone. I glance between the Taaslord and the General. Both of their faces are neutral, no judgment or disgust in their features.
For a brief moment, relief I don’t expect floods me. It’s as if a fraction of the weight I’ve been carrying on my shoulders has lifted. I can breathe a little lighter.
The Taaslord watches me with kind eyes, which throws me off. I bristle at the silence that stretches.
The General laces his fingers. “Finally. Nothing is more precious than honesty, Ezkai Phoenix.”
