We’ve all avoided the thought.
The doubt became even clearer on all our faces when Darlander was a major disappointment, followed by today the only thing we sensed was some shit made by gods once upon a time when they bartered blessings.
“It can’t be impossible. If we fail, war will break out in the Abandon and we’re not ready for that.”
He scoffs. “Didn’t stop you twenty years ago.”
My head slowly pivots toward him. “Don’t fucking go there. You know, as well as I, war was not our intention. You’re just as much at fault for what happened as we are.”
“Me? Are you serious right now?”
“Deadly. Drop this conversation now. I’m tolerating you at best because of Yemi, but that will wear thin if you push me.”
“You selfish fucking asshole. Your tolerance will wear thin? How the hell do you think I feel being trapped in a carriage with the fuckers who left me for dead not once but twice. Fuck you, Creed. Seriously.”
My eyes blaze white as his flare red.
“Weleft youfor dead?”
My punch cracks across his jaw as soon as the words leave my lips. I put years of betrayal behind that swing.
“You were the single soul we told our plan to, and you told your fucking father.”
He staggers back, spitting out a wad of blood before charging me. My back hits the ground and I use my feet to flip him over me.
We jump up, breathing heavily before we lunge at each other again.
“I didn’t tell my father shit,” he roars, and his fist collides with my shoulder as I duck out of the way. “You sent me a fucking letter changing the meeting location. You left me behind.”
My fist freezes mid-swing, and confusion flickers across my mind. I dodge his incoming strike again, drop down, and swipe his legs from underneath him.
He hits the ground, ready to jump back up, but I back away, staring at him in disbelief.
“I didn’t send you anything. Our plan never changed.”
“Taurnshit,” he shouts, wiping his mouth across his arm. “The night before we were to leave, a note from you appeared under my pillow, just as our messages always did. It told me the plans changed and to meet you all at the outskirts, a mile away from the Godsdawn stronghold. I showed up and fucking waited. My father and a small army arrived instead.”
“And that’s when you told him where we were.”
The accusation drips from my mouth. My chest tightens unbearably as years of betrayal, what-ifs, and the replaying of everything that could’ve gone differently run through my mind.
The air between us grows suffocating as our powers thrum to be set free. Our hands rise toward one another at the same time.
“Creed, stop.”
Thayla’s palms cup my cheeks as her eyes widen and her back bows. The small whimper that leaves her lips blocks out Yemi’s and Sevryn’s shout.
My power dissolves in thin air as I stare at the brightening in her eyes. Her soul alights with pain, either caused by him or me, and I can’t ignore it.
I cup the back of her neck, slamming my mouth to hers.
The power starting to pulse off her fucking rocks me to my core.
It vibrates through every inch of me, and my soul surrounds hers, cocooning it as tightly as it possibly can.
I tug it, soothe it, caress it. I do everything I can to settle it down.
A shiver passes through her as Riven’s harmony glides over both of us. His hand is gripping my shoulder with bruising strength, and I don’t know if it’s because it’s taking a lot to settle her down or because he’s trying to help both of us.
