Izzy took advantage of that pause.
“Your parents imprisoned you? Why?”
This was why I shouldn’t let my anger speak for me. Now I had to answer a question I didn’t want to.
I gave the abridged version.
“I opposed working with Valnea. We should never havelistened to her. I thought it best to wage open war on the elves, not sneak around helping one elf gain power over another, with the promise of more elven deaths in the future. For that, I was imprisoned.” That was the truth, if not all of it. It was the part Osserime had played in all of that which made my blood boil with resentment.
“That sucks, I’m sorry,” Izzy said, shaking her head.
I didn’t need her sympathy.
“But to be clear, you don’t want to wage open war on the elves anymore, right?” she asked.
“I never said that,” I admitted. “Why else do you think I want to lead our armies against Valnea? Her force will be primarily elves.”
“So, you aren’t fighting for freedom, just revenge.” And I couldn’t quite say why the look of reproach in her eyes stung me so much. “Typical.”
“I am fighting for freedom: for my people… and all those who’ve suffered under the elves.” That sounded reasonable, didn’t it? But Izzy seemed to sense my evasion, eyeing me.
She sighed. “I need time to think about this. And yes, I know we don’t have time, but you’re going to give me some anyway. This is abigdecision.And…you’ll need to get over whatever hang-up you have about bossing everyone around and learn to work with me, work with all of us. That’s the only way this is going to happen. I may be the next queen, butI’mnot a dictator.”
That stung too. I didn’t want to be a dictator, I just didn’t want others dictating how my life would be, and the only way I could think to do that, was to have utter control over every aspect of my life.
Izzy kept going. “And that means I’m going to consult with others and maybe put others in charge of things that I don’t know anything about. And maybe that means you getto be general, but not unless everyone I trust agrees that’s the best decision. Got it?”
I ground my teeth at her firm stance. I didn’t like any of this. This is not how I’d hoped this conversation would go. Why couldn’t she agree to marry me and be done with it?
Because she was no pushover.
And a part of me respected her for it. Hell, as infuriating as she was, a part of me really liked arguing with her. She felt like a good match for me, strength for strength, will for will.
“I could walk away, go and live a quiet life with my sister, then you’d have no titans at all,” I said, testing her.
“But you won’t.” She stepped closer to me. Those sea-green eyes — so filled with her blazing spirit — were level with the bottom of my chest, so she had to crane her neck to meet my gaze. “Because youwantthis fight as much as Idon’twant to fight. And we’ll need people who have your fire.”
Fuck if she wasn’t right.
“You have till morning,” I said, mostly because I wanted to give a hard ultimatum.
Before she could argue, I stormed out. I needed to get away from her. She’d been so close, and for some reason I’d wanted nothing more than to grab her, lift her off her feet, and kiss her. And that infuriated me.
How could she affect me like that?
Where had those feelings come from?
She made me feel… vulnerable. Wanting her gave her power over me. I’d given that power to Osserime and she’d abused it. I wouldn’t let another woman captivate my heart or mind.
And yet… I couldn’t stop thinking about Izzy as I returned to my small residence. She was justso different!
She was an elf, she had their strength and pride, but none of the arrogance or haughty superiority. She had never once, while we’d talked, tried to dominate me or use force like Saldrea. She was powerful but didn’t revel in her power. Hell, half the time it sounded like she didn’t want to rule at all.
And that baffled me.
What sort of person didn’t want to use their power to rule over others?
A good person…
