He hated the woman.
“You have heard that correctly. Any prisoner will now have the option to fight for this soul sent from above. Because, after all, forgiveness is what we must embrace in order to propel us forward. The Redemption will begin soon, and it will be viewed by all.” Her voice was reminiscent of screws on paper. Sharp and harsh.
Sharon reached for the device in Griffin’s hands, but he squeezed it tighter as the camera panned outwards. As his mother came into view. Her familiar, deep green eyes, dull and tired. Her face gaunt. She stood beside the King of Luscinia, her head bowed downwards.
“Do you understand?”
The words startled Griffin and he released the device, looking up at Sharon.
“No,” he admitted. “What is going on?”
“The country is unbalanced,” Sharon spoke sharply. “Too many men and even more keep coming to Violencia. It won’t be much longer until the people in Violencia notice, if they haven’t already. The Sacred Trinity are losing citizens quickly, they need a way to turn it around. To offer a reward.”
“But it’s only for prisoners.” Griffin’s eyes were glassy, but he blinked it away. He could not show weakness here. From what he gathered, no one knew his connection to the King’s new wife, and he planned to keep it that way.
“Yes. More men willwantto be prisoners. It will create organized chaos that the Priestess can use as she wishes. And then they can utilize the games to provide unfounded hope.” Sharon smiled widely, the wrinkles around her eyes digging deeply into her face.
Unfounded hope.
It was too similar to what Drago had told him before, but it was clear his brother was not involved in the decisions. That he was simply there to show the mockery of support.
“And then eventually…” Sharon stuffed the phone back into its hiding place before turning around. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they did the same thing in Violencia.”
Griffin’s heart pounded in his chest at the implications. At what this all meant.
It wasn’t good.
Soon they would normalize murder. Fighting to the literal death for a single encounter with a woman.
And it would be broadcast live for everyone to watch.
To ignite hope.
And then extinguish it.
Present Day - Grypheem
Griffin’s mind cycled as he came back to the present. To what he had just witnessed. The King and prince on the other side of the river. To the one other person with them.
My mother. She was there.
He felt his heart constrict in his chest painfully, the air in his lungs turned to lava as he attempted to control himself.
Raven’s breathing turned steady, pulling him out of his spiraling. He refocused, rolling through the last succession of events. What they meant.
“They killed him,” Julian murmured.
Griffin met his eyes, noted the chaotic energy in their depths, before opening his mouth to answer. “They did. He hurt a Cherished, and did so publicly. The sentence is always the same, they must contend with the Iron Mother.”
“TheIron Mother?” Julian hissed between his teeth. “That was a metal cylinder of torture!” His attention flicked down to Raven as she curled closer to Griffin.
Griffin welcomed the comfort, the knowledge that she was in his arms. It solidified her safety…for now.
He stared out the window as they continued down a stretch of road. It was unpaved, rocky, and jarring.Familiar.
Only a few more hours and they would arrive at the castle…but then what?
“What of Sharon? The other creator? Why was she not treated the same?” Julian muttered as he reached down and rubbed his thigh.
