“Why do you care?” he called after her.
She halted. Good question. Why did she?
Perhaps it was because—in some strange, twisted way—she felt a sense of connection with him after what they’d experienced in his father’s office. Did she like him? No. Did she want to be his friend? Not at all. But she’d glimpsed a tiny bit of humanity in him that night when he’d collapsed with tears in his eyes at the sight of Celine.
Slowly, she turned around and made her way back to him.
“I care because I think there’s more to you than what you show everyone else. I care, because I think you do too.”
“Then you are more naïve than I thought.” He stalked toward her. “There are two things I care about. Getting my father off the throne. And ending this ridiculous war.”
“Why do you care if this war ends? It hasn’t affected you.”
“You just don’t give up, do you?” he asked.
She put her hands on her hips and remained silent.
“What do you want to hear? That I want to save Eorhan? That I care about the fae and our people? Is that it? Or that I’m more honorable than my father? I’ll run the kingdom with kindness and compassion?” Jareth stepped closer. “You’re a damned fool, Ava. Not everyone cares the way you think they should. My goal? Myonlygoal?” He lowered his voice. “Is revenge.”
“Revenge on your father.”
He tipped his head.
“It won’t bring her back, you know.”
He took another step forward, his face now inches from hers and violence in his eyes. “Donotspeak about her.”
“I’m sorry Orion did that…I?—”
“Enough. One more word and I’ll—” He paused.
Ava tilted her head. “You’ll what? I’m not scared of you.”
“Go back to your friends and stop doing whatever it is you’re trying to do.”
She ignored him. “Why do you want to end the war?”
“Because it will be much easier to run a kingdom without a war going on, don’t you think?”
Ava stared him down. There was anger in his eyes. Anger and hatred and pain that seemed to hover beneath it. “Alright then. I guess I was mistaken. You truly only care about yourself.”
He sneered at her. “And it’s best you don’t forget that.”
She trudged away, calling over her shoulder, “Then you’re exactly like your father.”
36
The wind tugged at Ava’s tunic as the party rode through the ever-changing landscape, now approaching the outskirts of the Wastelands. Miles of endless sand dunes were visible in the distance, hardly any trees to be found. Rock formations peppered the terrain, not large enough to be called mountains, but…perhaps buttes?
Casimir halted their party. “We must abandon the horses and continue on foot. The sand will be too soft and deep. ”
Three soldiers dismounted and gathered the horses, waiting for Ava to make a portal so they could return to Mosshaven.
Luna approached on soft paws, rubbing against Ava’s leg.
“Are you going to be alright in this desert?”Ava asked.
Of course. All the animals will be fine. It’s just the horses that will struggle. Their hooves are much too clunky.
