Her eyes rolled uncontrollably.Just leave me alone!
His words grated against the rawness inside her, pushing past her defenses. She felt the heat rising in her chest, and she desperately wanted to scream at him, to make him see how little his opinion mattered compared to everything else going on.
She lifted her head, glaring at him with something sharper in her steel-blue eyes now. “You’re right.” She said, challenging him. “I don’t get punished. But you do. So, why don’t you run along before Thorn gives you a smack on the wrist?”
Symond flinched, taken aback by her bluntness. His hands flexed at his sides like he wanted to pick up another stick and start whaling on her this time. “You think Thorn’s punishments are just a smack on the wrist?” He said each word slow and through clenched teeth.
Elora propped herself up on her elbows and met his gaze with a calm, almost bored expression. “No,” she replied evenly. “I think they’re exactly what you deserve. And if you’re so afraid of them, maybe you should stoptempting fate.”
His nostrils flared as he stepped closer, the moonlight casting his shadow over her like a looming threat. “You think Tehvan’s protection makes you untouchable?” he hissed.
She plucked absently at the grass beside her, her gaze fixed on some distant point. She wanted to hold on to the numbness that had been shielding her until now.
This was already taking more energy than she had to give. Why did he have to push her? What did he possibly think this was going to accomplish? He can’t hurt her.
“You can try to scare me to your heart’s content, Symond.” She looked up at him, her eyes tired as if his animosity were a pointless, empty threat. Because it was. “You can’t hurt me. Not unless you want to find yourself in Thorn’s office. And you’re so close to finally escaping him, aren’t you?” she murmured as she relaxed further into the grass. “No. You wouldn’t risk it.”
To her surprise, he crouched down beside her, bringing himself to her level. His face was inches from hers, his breath hot against her skin. Even in the low light, she saw the raised scars running along his jaw.
“You think you’ve got me all figured out?” He leaned even closer. “You think I wouldn’t risk it?”
Elora didn’t flinch despite every nerve in her body screaming at her to scoot away from him. She couldn’t do that. A display of fear would only give him what he wanted, and she refused to let that happen.
“I know you won’t. Because Thorn’s grip on you is tighter than you’ll ever admit. You wouldn’t dare lose your chance of escaping him. Not for me. Not for anyone.”
A muscle twitched in his cheek. He leaned over her, his fingers digging into the dirt beside her head. She sensed the desperationbehind his aggression. He thinks he needs to prove himself. But she could barely feel any fear toward him. There was only a dull detachment.He won’t do anything,she reminded herself.He can’t afford to.
“I could hurt you,” he whispered, a challenge simmering beneath the surface. His fingers slightly tugged at a few strands of her hair. She wasn’t sure if he meant to, but she refused to show him that it stung her scalp.
Her expression hardened. If he really thought this would achieve something, then he was a fool. “Do it, then. If you’re so eager to prove something, go ahead. Hurt me.” She didn’t know why she was challenging him. He wasn’t the brightest; he could very well take her up on the offer and throw away his future just to prove a point. But maybe a part of her almost wished that he would take the dare. Allow her to feel something besides the void of grief that’s clouded her mind.
For a moment, the clearing seemed to freeze. Symond’s hand hovered near her face, his fingers twitching. She held his gaze, refusing to blink, daring him to act.
But with a frustrated snarl, Symond pulled back. Leaving deep indentations in the earth as he pushed himself to his feet and stared down at her. She wasn’t sure whether his cowardice brought her relief or disappointment.
“You’re nothing,” he spat, his hazel eyes still burning with barely controlled fury. “Tehvan’s little pet. Just wait until he’s not around to protect you anymore. Let’s see how brave you are then.”
“I guess we’ll see,” she replied calmly. “But for now, you’re the one who should be scared, not me.”
A guttural growl built in his throat. His threats weren’t shaking her, and it was driving him mad. “Maybe you’re right. But one day,you’ll be alone.” He leaned over her, blocking out the moonlight. “And when that day comes, I’ll make sure you know just how worthless you are.”
Elora’s jaw tightened, but she held on to her indifferent expression. “You’re pathetic,” she said, slicing through his threat. “A coward hiding behind your anger, too afraid to face your own fears.”
Symond recoiled, his face twisting with rage, but beneath it, there was a flicker of hurt. He studied her, and for a moment, his anger faltered. “What is wrong with you?” he muttered, resigning his previous temper.
Elora’s mind drifted, the numbness creeping back in like a mist over a lake.What a stupid question. Everything is wrong.She looked at Symond, but it was as if she were seeing right through him.How can he even ask that?
“What’s wrong with me?” she repeated, a bitter edge sneaking into her tone. “I watched my best friend die, Symond. I watched her slip away, and I couldn’t do a damn thing to save her. So, forgive me if I don’t have the energy to play whatever game you think this is. I’m… I’m just done.” Her voice cracked on the last word.
Symond’s expression shifted, the anger in his eyes flickered with something softer. He opened his mouth as if to say something but decided against it. Without another word, he turned sharply on his heel and left.
Chapter 6
Tehvan
Tehvan leaned against the doorframe of Elora’s room, waiting. She should be here by now, but after what happened today… He knew she would probably want to go out to the woods to get away from it all. He didn’t like the idea of her being out there alone, but he’d been monitoring her heartbeat. It was all over the place. Mostly a slow rhythm, typical of when she was upset, but there had been a spark of fear. Her delay only worried him more.
The emptiness of the hallway sounded incredibly loud. The soft creaks of the old building settling and the distant footsteps from the night guard were beginning to sound like warning bells.Where is she?
