“Oh, like you’ve never fought with your brother before…” Will’s words die down, but it’s too late – Max’s face falls as if they physically struck him. “Max I–” He tries, but when a scorch lands near his feet, he quickly shuts up.
Millie looks down at the burn mark and then back up at Will, who can’t meet her eyes.
“What happened?” She growls, and when he doesn’t answer her, she turns to me and repeats the question. This time more firmly.
“Nothing important,” I grumble, and he looks over at me, surprised. His mouths a reluctant ‘thank you’ before seeing himself outside. Millie glares my way and gives a final glance at the charred ground, storming off after Max.
She makes it two steps when I call out, “Mill–” Slowly, she turns to look back at me. “How is he?” I ask carefully.
“He’s… well, he’s handling this about as well as you are. But instead of killing other people, he’s slowly killing himself.” The words land hard in my chest. “I think the only reason he’s hung on as long as he has is the obligation he feels towards Eveera.”
I pull my lip in between my teeth, the edge of them running along the freshly healed skin. “Not for you?”
Millie’s eyebrows shoot up to her hairline, “why would he stick around for me?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I’m only asking.”
“Well, don’t.”
“Okay.”
Her face softens for a moment before she whispers, “okay.” I watch her retreating back, the tension lining through her shoulders as she makes her way back to Max. She’s exhausted – we all are.
And none of us will get any rest until Eveera is back in our grasp.
“We’re not leaving until we agree on what to do with her.”
The five of us have to come up with some sort of agreement when it comes to Pruella being in our possession.
“Why don’t we just leave her somewhere in the city once we get there?” Will asks.
“Because she’ll know where we are,” Bennett supplies. “We’re in danger enough already once we step foot into any kind of town or city. We don’t know where Eiser and Baelor have stashed spies.”
I nod my head in agreement. “Not to mention they’re most likely already looking for her.”
“Nobody is looking for me.” The high-pitched voice echoes against the walls of the rocky overhang, our heads all snapping to look at where the princess is secured.
Sparks crackle to my right, and from the corner of my eye, I see Millie’s hand sliding over Max’s. “And we’re supposed to trust your word on that?” He grits out, energy charging through his voice as his Wield desperately tries to find a way out.
Pruella smooths down the pleats of her dress as best she can with her bound wrists. “No, you don’t have to trust my word. But you did kill every individual who could have backed it up. However, for whatever it’s worth to the five of you, there really isnolooking for me. There’s no one even aware I’m missing.”
I scoff loudly, “you are Baelor’s prized possession. Hisheir–”
“Power is my father’s most prized possession. Which is something he currently has plenty to keep him well occupied. Besides, when has being someone’sheirever meant that they valued them?” Her lips purse with the bitterness of her words, her red brow lifting awkwardly in my direction.
“I vote you just kill her. What’s one more fucking target on our backs right?” Max spits before turning away from the group.
“Rorin,” Will warns. “We can send for Armond when we get to the city. He can Void her back with him.”
Certainly, the diplomatic route.The voice inside my head chides. Although Eveera would likely be furious if I allowed Pruella anywhere near Obsidian without her explicit consent. I start to shake my head in disagreement with that suggestion when he adds, “you are king now. Do you want to be as bad as your fatherandhers? Or do you want to better – someone worthy of the title?”
With no decision made on the princess yet, we opted to camp here for another night. Max was furious – each time he glanced in Pruella’s direction, sparks danced out of his palms, each time scorching dangerously close to the princess’s feet.
After the fourth time, Millie made the wise decision and removed Max from our shared space.
I drop my head against the cool sandstone and wait for my eyelids to fall heavy. When they do, instead of seeing stars or utter blackness, I find myself squirming underneath the hold of two very angry golden irises.
–
