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Mirkon was watching her with a deeper sense of sympathy. “Sounds like you have your own problems without us heaping our nonsense on top.”
“What’s been done to you all isn’t fair either.” Gwen pulled her legs under her as she shifted forward to scratch Eod between the ears. “Caught in the middle of a bunch of asshole elementals waging war on each other for no good reason. That isn’t right. I just don’t know how to fix it. I don’t agree with Mordred, or what he did, but…I see why he resorted to it in the end.”
The cart was silent for a moment, save for the plod of the horse’s hooves and the creak of the wooden cartwheels on the dense dirt road. It wasn’t exactly the smoothest ride in the world, but she’d take it over having to walk the whole way. Flying would require, one, her figuring out how to actually do that without crashing into shit—and two, it would mean leaving Eod behind, and she wouldn’t ever do that if she could help it.
So, cart it was.
They rode in silence for a moment before Lina broke it again. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to put up with any of this.”
“Thanks. But…I guess, I wished for something interesting to happen to me. I should’ve been more specific.”
Lina snorted. The woman seemed a bit sarcastic and maybe a little bitey—no pun intended—but Gwen liked her. “So, what’re you going to do?”
“Make it up as I go and do my best, I suppose. I don’t know what other option I have.”
“Sometimes, that’s all we can do. Do our best and hope for the best.” Mirkon reached out and patted her on the calf. “Try not to think too much about how you’re our only hope.”
“Mirk,” Lina snapped.
Gwen laughed. For some reason, it was extremely comical to her that she was suddenly the savior of the “normal” folk of Avalon. Comical, ridiculous, tragic, and extremely funny. Letting out a long, ragged sigh, she smiled. “We’re screwed, you know.”
“I’ve been trying to tell these two idiots that for years before the Iron Crystal sent us into hiding. Shame they don’t listen.” Lina playfully nudged her shoulder. “They just keep pushing us along, one foot in front of the other.”
“One foot in front of the other.” Gwen let out a breath. All this time since coming to Avalon, she had been trying to come up with a plan. And it never got her anywhere except into deeper shit. Maybe she should just go along with the flow, for once. Maybe it was all right not to have a scheme or an idea—just to throw herself into the fray with an agenda and nothing more.
She had to save this world from war.
Somehow.
One way or the other.
TEN
Mordred slowed his horse to a walk as he approached the elementals standing in the center of the road. To say that he was surprised to see who it was, in particular, was to put it mildly.
When he grew close, he stopped his steed. “Greetings, Lady Thorn. I hope this day finds you well.” Though he did his best to keep his voice even, he knew his sarcasm was leaking through.
The woman in question was eyeing him warily. Her cadre of other elementals, he did not know by name. He recognized a few from the failed siege of his keep, however. Thorn grimaced and looked away as if her next words caused her physical pain. “We wish to talk.”
He laughed. He did not need to elaborate further.
Thorn continued to look utterly disgusted. “We have no desire to be imprisoned again.”
“I did not suppose you would.” He was glad he still wore his helm. She did not need to see the roll of his eyes. “Do you have anything of use to say to me?”
“Nor do we wish to see the world burn at the hands of the Ash King.” Thorn clenched her fists as she shifted her weight from one bare foot to the other. She looked, as she always did, as though she had recently just crawled out from under a garbage heap.
“That comes as a surprise to me, seeing as you were standing beside him at the failed attack of my home.” Mordred was curious as to where this conversation was leading. Wherever it was, it was against Thorn’s better judgment. Or, perhaps, the elemental felt as though she had no better choice. Either way, it was at least interesting.
“The enemy of my enemy.” Thorn sneered. “This world cannot suffer both of you.”
“You would be surprised to find that I agree. I march against the demon—not the elementals. You may do as you wish. But if you threaten my campaign to see that bastard rid from this world, you will find yourself in the Iron Crystal once more.” He was not one to make idle threats. And he suspected Thorn knew it.
She spat on the ground at the mention of the Iron Crystal. A flash of fear—of some great horror—flickered across her features. “You cannot imagine what it is like to suffer that fate. You cannot fathom what you have done to me—to my people. To your people.”
“If you were all not so keen on terrorizing Avalon, perhaps it would not have been necessary. I hope to avoid it a second time.” He tightened his gauntlet on the horse’s reins. “But know that I will not hesitate.”
“Nor did I believe for a second you would.” Thorn shot him a vicious glare. “You have no heart—no ounce of sympathy in your soul for the suffering you inflict on others.”
