“For all of us,” Zan says grimly. “They won’t let Nomi go free, now that they suspect she’s been knowingly involved.”
“What can we do?” Teren asks, dread edging into his voice. “Keeping me hidden was one thing when they didn’t know I existed, but now—”
“They can’t have you,” I interrupt him.
“Yora, you wouldn’t have had to fight them if I hadn’t been here—”
“Well now I have, and they’re not going to forget,” I snap. “It’s done.”
Nomi cuts in, “Everyone take a breath, and let’s talk about this with fewer emotions involved—”
“Absolutely the fuck not,” I snarl. “I will not repress myself foryou, either. My emotions just saved your life.”
“And are your emotions going to solve our problems now when there’s no one to fight?”
“They’d better,” I tell her grimly. “And there is always someone to fight.”
“Well maybe save that energy for people who aren’t on your side,” Nomi says, and the sanctimony I read in her tone sets me off again.
“If you want me to not be full of wrath, you arenoton my side.I am wrath incarnate. I am not myself without my anger. Do you want to make Teren smaller, too? Do you think if you can make him small enough to be easily digestible he will be safe?” I snarl. “He won’t, and neither will you—you’ll just be easier to eat.”
Zan steps between us. “Nomi, Teren, go inside please. Store the ice cream, unpack whatever you brought for us. Don’t do anything that will make me bite you.” He looks hard at Teren when he says this last, and Teren clenches his jaw but nods tightly.
“And where will you be?” Nomi asks.
Zan looks at me. “If Yora agrees, we are going to go to the lake to have a discussion at a substantially higher volume than I think you will be comfortable with.”
Despite myself, my eyes crinkle in amusement.
And while I’m still angry—not least that I have to vacate my own house in order to have the space to be my whole self—Zan is right. If Teren leaves now, he might do something stupid out of a misguided sacrificial impulse.
And Zan, at least, is not afraid of my wrath and will not shy from it.
He, I think, might be more my home than the cottage itself.
Andthatis a really distressing thought, considering I know he won’t be able to stay.
The urge to scream again is building.
“Yes,” I say abruptly, and make toward the path.
The same path I took to come here, to take a stand.
The same path the priests took, to force me.
The same path Teren and Nomi took, to dare to dream and have their hopes crushed instead.
Except a little ways into the trees, Zan taps my shoulder. “This way. We’ll cut through the bramble to the lake path.”
I draw up sharply. “It’s a different path? Why didn’t you stop me earlier?”
“And ruin your dramatic exit? Never.”
I snort and follow him.
So maybe I’m stomping a little, but the extra movement does me good; an outlet for all the emotion simmering in me.
“So?” I ask. “Are we talking?”
