“Itis, but… there is strength in anger.IfIhad never met your sister,Hadeonwould be dead.”Jun’seyes widened. “ThemanIwas before would have never hesitated.Hewould have rippedHadeonto shreds, no matter the cost, no matter whoIdragged down with me.Myjourney toKoronmight have been my end, but it would have been his as well.Iwould have taken this entire world with me ifIhad needed to.”
“That’s… horrifying,”Junmuttered.
“Yes, just asIwas.Buttell me, have you ever felt the same?Evena spark of that dark desire for retribution?”Atthis, he remained silent. “Throughsuffering, you have grown strong.OfthatIhave no doubt.Leanon your sister, onPallasif you must, but use that strength.Letthat righteous anger guide you.It’sthe key to your survival.”
Itmay be the key to all our survival.Iwould not lay that thought on him.Notyet.
“Lovecan save you, but violence will free you.Ifyou learn to guide that inner anger,Jun,Ihave no doubt you will shift this world just as much as your sister.”
Heheld my gaze, andIcould see the battle being fought inside his mind.Hehad much to think about; much to learn about himself.
“Sleepon it,YourHighness.Tomorrow, we leave for theTorr.”
Chapter 51
Pallas
Theoverland journey to theTorrwas miserable.Everynight the soldiers set up a rickety canvas tent forJunand me, where every insect and miserable creature could come and go freely.Ipulled back the coverlet on my cot one night to find a spider the size of my palm happily waiting within.Ihad screamed so loud thatAvlynhad come running, only to meet me with laughter.Whatwas worse,I’dthrown my shoe at the thing, and turned around to seeSpinnerstaring at me with eight big, hurt eyes.Ihadn’t had time to even try and apologize to him before he sped off into the night.Ihadn’t seen him since.Mysleep had suffered for it.
So, instead,Ilay awake listening toJun’sbreathing and the rustling of every foul creature of the night scraping at the side of my tent.Somehow, this wasn’t drowned out by the rambunctious activities of the soldiers that went on every night, the princess being the loudest and the most obnoxious of them all.
Afterdays of no baths, cold meals, wet feet, and freezing nightsIwas about ready to end it all.Ismelled like horse, dirtybodies, and gods knew what else.Iwas about ready to rip my own skin off if it meantImight feel clean again.
Irolled over on my cot that was harder than stone, trying to drown out the sounds of braying laughter with my wafer-thin pillow when a loud crash broke through what little calmIhad found.Nextto me,Jungave a small snore and rolled over, returning to sleep, butI’dhad it.
Iscrambled off my cot, the meager blanket getting tangled around my legs in my frustration, andItumbled onto the dirt floor.Ihissed and scrambled out of the tent making for the ring of light surrounding the campfire.
Thecrash had come from a huge crate that now lay in scattered pieces around the body ofRaula, who was laughing jovially.Torireached down beside her and picked up a wooden tankard, noticeably empty of the ambrosia that leaked from the nearby barrel.Shechucked it atRaulawith all her strength, and it hit the orcess square in the abdomen.Thewooden vessel shattered andRaulalet out another booming laugh.
“You’regoing to need to do better than that.Weorc aren’t as soft as you fae.”Torilurched around for something else to lob at her when a slurred voice called out from the ground near my feet.
“Don… hic… t encooorage ‘er, she’ll have yuh gettin’ the knives ou… hic… t next.”
Raulaflashed her tusks with a wicked grin, butTori’sface fell, suddenly very sober. “WhogaveNokiambrosia?”Shescrambled over to the prone man.
“Wasjust a little sip,Princess.Didn’tthink it would hurt him.”AsoldierIdidn’t know chuckled, hitting a comrade on the shoulder.Torispun on the man and his face went whiter than the snow at the peaks of theColdMountains. “Ididn’t mean any harm by it!”
“That’s‘YourHighness’to you,CaptainLem.Getout of my sight, now.”Lemscrambled away without so much as a glance back.Toriheaved a sigh as she moved next toNokiand finally noticed me.
“Oh,Pallas?I’msurprised to see you out here after dark.”
“Icouldn’t sleep with all the noise.”Iwas trying to antagonize her, but she clearly wasn’t very interested.Sheknelt in front of the inebriated man with a worried look.Shegently pushed the dark hair back fromNoki’ssweaty face, placing her hand along his forehead to cool him.Hewas barely conscious and mumbling some tuneIhad never heard.
Shescooped him up easily despite him being nearly the same size as her.Shewrapped his knees over one arm, his shoulders the other, and stood with little effort. “Comeon, let’s get you to bed before you do something stupid,” she tutted gently.
“Ithink you mean something stupider,Princess,”Avlyncalled from the other side of the fire.
Shegave them a flippant glare before walking off into the dark, the human male snoring gently in her arms.Inow stood very alone at the edge of the fire light.
“Hey,dijurk, stop skulking and come join us, will you?”Ilooked up.Raulahad found a seat on the ground next toKaleosandOryx, the smaller man huddled under the larger one’s arm in the brisk night air.Raulapatted the ground on her other side, which was directly next toCommanderAvlyn.Raulaflashed her tusks at me in a wicked grin that very clearly communicated she knewIhad been avoiding the commander ever sinceXyr.
Ishuffled from foot-to-foot, unwilling to decide what to do, whenAvlyndid it for me.Theystood from their crossed-leg position with an exaggerated stretch. “I’moff to bed; don’t get too rowdy out here, younglings.”Theypassed by me, laying a hand on my shoulder for a moment and giving me a soft smile before heading into the dark.Icould barely meet their eyes.
“Getover here,dijurk,”Raulahollered.Imeandered over to her and sat down, only to find six pairs of eyes staring at me.
“What?”
“Don’twhatus.Whyare you and the commander acting like this?”Shescowled at me.
