Page 41 of Hero of Havoc

A sense of pride…

Do I feel that?

Maybe.

But it’s twisted in vines, poisoned by the desire for power and control from others, and completely lost due to a lack of knowledge and understanding.

Yeah, that’s not for today.

I want to make my father pay for what he did to me.

Well, technically, I didn’t, but he’s paid a price far heavier than I’m sure he ever assumed he would.

That’s no longer required on the list.

I want to make my father pay for what he did to me.

Next.

I want to whoop Teddy’s butt at fencing.

Hell yes, I do.

I’m not there yet, but training might be an option. An email was sent late last night confirming the usual class had been canceled for the weekend, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still go.

Halfway through the list, and I have one immediate option.

I want to fly on a dragon.

My heart stutters.

That was almost true the other day when Lucky offered. I also promised to see Alaric later, but I’m not just going to blurt it out. Hopefully, Lucky will offer me a ride again another time.

I want to find my place in the world without my parents’ control.

I’m halfway there since one parent is dead, but the other still lingers like a bad odor, trapped in the crevice of my life, insistent on causing me distress.

That’s not a task for today.

I want to love so hard it hurts.

My lips press together as butterflies soar inside of me.

I’m not even thinking about that one right now.

I want to see more than what my sheltered life has confined me to.

This could be anything. Something beyond Heaven’s Ridge, somewhere outside of campus.

I’ve never even considered asking if we can leave the academy. If we can, I could go… anywhere.

Grabbing my device off my nightstand, I don’t wait around to send Ember a message.

Ivy: Hey, am I allowed to leave campus?

I don’t wait for a response; I know her device is a weird contraption that she looks at when she gets a chance, but she doesn’t get to carry it around like I do.

Instead, I return my focus to the final thing on the list.