Page 118 of Revenge of the Forgotten

Khort puffed steam. “You can’t be serious.”

Vega stood, the chair scraping against the floor in a shrill shriek. “Yes, I am serious. We don’t win this thing without him, Khort.”

“So you’re just going to go running back into the arms of the man who has stabbed you in the back, killed you, and brutalized you any chance he’s gotten?” Khort clenched his fists, the conversation they’d had this morning apparently going up in smoke like it’d never happened.

Arlet spoke up before Vega could. “Oh my gods! This isn’t what this is about.”

Vega felt the brush of his lips, the way Bridger’s hands gripped her hips and pulled her against his body. “For fuck’s sake!” She threw her hands up in the air, her voice rising an octave. “For once, can you push aside the knowledge that I chose him and focus on the facts?”

Arlet cringed at Vega’s retort, air escaping her mouth on an exhale.

Khort completely froze, his green eyes turning to slits again. “I’m done worrying about your doltish choice, Vega. I’m now concerned with how it’s affecting the people in our world, and how allowing Bridger a free pass because he’s a tortured soul, as if your sister hasn’t maimed us all, will get more people killed in the process.”

“People die in war, and there’s no sense in pretending this isn’t going to end in a war. The citizens of Tolevarre are going to die. It’s inevitable. Imagine what Bridger and the soldiers who would follow him could do for us, for this rebellion,” Arlet offered and moved herself in front of Vega, blocking her path to Khort. “This isn’t how we settle things, and I’ll be damned if we start now.”

Vega’s jaw clenched. “Your jealousy is getting to you. Think about what I’m saying, Khort. Bridger is one of us. I’m not forgiving him for anything, but Marlena will win if we don’t figure this out. Together. All of us.”

Khort stormed to the door, looking back for a split second. “Find another way. I refuse to let that back-stabbing, no good son of a bitch back in.” He slammed the door so hard the weapons hanging on the wall fell off their hooks.

Vega gawked, running a hand through her hair.

“Give him some time. He’ll come around.” Arlet rested her hand on Vega’s shoulder, giving her that squeeze she loved so much.

“We don’t even have a plan. I don’t even know how we could do it or if it would work.” Vega’s eyes were planted on the door Khort had just stormed through, hoping he would return if she stared long enough.

“We can come up with a plan later.” Arlet let go of Vega’s shoulder. “Did you eat?”

Vega nodded.

“Good. Let’s train.” Arlet handed Vega a sword. The weight pulled Vega’s arms down, the tip hitting the floor. “We have a lot of work to do.”

47

Castra’s hall lights hadn’t turned on yet. Keeping some semblance of normalcy under here while also managing electricity use was essential. Controlling the lighting in the underwater compound was the least that could be done to ensure the people who lived here had somewhat of an ordinary internal clock.

That didn’t mean there weren’t early birds who got up and started their day before the lights kicked on at five in the morning. The early risers usually stuck to the inside of their rooms, spending their mornings with whatever routines they had built.

Two small lanterns sat by the sparring mats, flickering with her blue lightning to give her a beam to work by. Every day, she was returning to the strong fighter she used to be, tapping into the skills she’d lost while trapped on Earth.

Vega was already pouring sweat when the generators came to life and the lights came on. She fell to the mat with a huff, watching the punching bag swing above her from a chain.

Her muscles screamed, on fire from another hour of training. It had been two weeks since she’d returned from being held captive, and her nights were haunted by nightmares of her sister, of failing the people she loved. Most mornings, she woke up screaming, worried about waking her neighbors.

Arlet came in the first couple of times, racked with panic.

Khort never did.

They hadn’t talked since she’d admitted they needed Bridger’s help.

Vega took a sizeable inhale through her nose and released the breath through her mouth. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, groaning as she pushed herself off the floor to get some water from the ewer across the room.

The door to the training room swung open as Vega downed her second cup of water, and in walked Khort and a few of the other rebel warriors.

“Do you ever sleep?” Leo asked, migrating over to her. His hair was the color of wet bark, his eyes glittering with specks of crimson over almost-black irises. He’d come from Ardor a few years ago, escaping the mining camps he’d been imprisoned in when he refused to join Marlena’s army before Bridger took over.

Khort ignored her.

She rolled her eyes but forced a smile as Leo approached. “Mmm, not much,” she admitted.

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