She turns on her heels and stomps toward him, Creed, and Sevryn.
My fingers flex at my side. Before I can spin around, Yemi grabs my forearm.
“Thayla.”
“What?”
“Go tell her she can stay.”
“What? No. You of all people shouldn’t want to be around her.”
“I’m not saying I want to be around her. I’m saying…” She sighs and slides her hand from my forearm to my fingers. “What Mara did to me was wrong, but she apologized. I’m not saying a sorry excuses actions, but that moment in the forest really opened my eyes to why she is the way she is.”
“Oh, yeah. Pray tell. Why is she an ass to those she believes are below her?”
“Because she was raised that way. She comes from a very dominant line of gods, and rumor around the Attendants is that her family still isn’t proud of her. Her whole life she’s had to prove herself, and I think you were right in assuming she doesn’t want to do that. She’s just never had a different choice.
“Now, she’s asking you for the choice to be away from more people who are abusing and treating her like shit. It sucks being the bigger person, but we’re going to be in this case. Besides, I’m over what she did. You beat the hell out of her in this very Court. That was a pretty good lesson learned if you ask me.”
I sneer at her and the stupid ‘I know I’m right’ smirk on her face. She gives my hand another squeeze before she leaves me standing here while she joins the other Attendants.
Gods damn it.
Stupid fucking empathy.
Yemi and her annoying forgiveness.
It’s also annoying that I’m positive life would be easier if I could just let go of some shit.
“Gladian,” I shout, marching over to them.
Kyzen joins me, questions brewing in his eyes. I don’t answer them or the ones in Creed’s curious smirk.
“What do you want, Godrun? I got places to be, and you got a rotation to start.”
“Don’t tell me what I got to do, asshole. Mara’s staying with me. I need her assistance.”
His nostrils twitch as he glances between us.
“What assistance could you possibly need from her?”
“There’s no one else here other than Kyzen who can spar with me. He’ll be busy with the male Attendants. She’ll be good for my show and tell.”
He grunts. “She doesn’t want to stay here.”
“You didn’t even ask her opinion, you dick.”
“That’s two slurs against me in less than a minute,” he says and I shrug.
“I can come up with a few more if need be.”
Too bad Riven isn’t here. He’d be spouting them off.
The thought draws a slow smile to my lips, and Gladian rolls his eyes as he shifts his attention to Mara.
“Do you want to stay here and help her?”
I keep my focus trained on him and his reaction to whatever answer she gives him.
