Such as Meara who’d turned on her own daughter because she had abilities the queen lacked.
Sickening, truly.
“I will never hold your mother against you. I’m well aware that it’s not your fault that you come from her and to your credit, you’re not heartless or cruel.” Xaydin offered her a kind smile.
An instant later, he was dry.
Scowling, he looked at his brother.
“You’re such an arse that I sometimes forget how much heart you really have.” Masakage picked the rudder up with his powers and returned it to its place. He gestured for Ferris to return to his position.
“If you can do all that, why don’t you just poof yourselves to the shores? Why do you need a boat?”
Xaydin snorted. “And miss your charming company? Why would we do that?”
Muttering under his breath, Ferris shook his head and resumed their journey.
“So what happened?” Masakage asked Xaydin.
“Mardyth wants me to hunt down his son and bring him home.”
One finely arched brow rose. “Well, isn’t your dance card getting filled?”
“Indeed.” He glanced over to Gisela who remained silent. For reasons he definitely didn’t understand, he wanted to comfort her.
What is wrong with me?
And yet he was unable to resist her. Pulling his waterskin out, he moved to sit beside her and offered her a drink.
She scoffed. “Really? Didn’t you get enough water at their palace?”
He laughed. “It was interesting, wasn’t it?”
“You think they have games like the Thassalians?”
The mention of Meara’s favorite entertainment made him want to curse. Her arena was filled with fights to the death…the gorier the better. She loved it. Most of all, she loved pitting creatures against each other who were unmatched. Those who were small and weak up against much larger and accomplished opponents. Those who were more vicious against the meek.
His first fight, he’d been up against a stoneman. He still couldn’t believe he’d survived the fight. It was the only time in his life that he’d really been afraid. Terrified.
How he’d failed to piss his pants, he didn’t know. What Meara hadn’t known then were the gifts his mother’s genetics had provided. He didn’t need physical strength. His telekinesis helped exponentially in fights.
Sadly, they hadn’t been enough to help anyone escape. She only allowed those powers in her arena. Outside…
Meara had paid members of his mother’s nation to make sure those with similar powers in her kingdom couldn’t use them. It’d rendered him powerless, and to this day, he couldn’t stand for his powers to fail him. It was something he had a hard time dealing with.
No one would ever imprison him again.
He’d kill himself first.
But right now, those thoughts fled under the nearness of being with Gisela.
“Is it too much to ask that next time I get pulled underwater and you can’t swim that you refrain from throwing yourself in?”
“Maybe. But remember, I can turn into a fish.”
He tsked. “Being your mother’s hammer, I would have thought you’d be callous toward anyone in distress.”
“As you are?”
