Page 115 of A Simple Truth

Not me.

I turned my eyes away, no longer bearing to watch as anguish filled my thrashing soul. I wanted to kill him. I wanted him dead, suffering, in pain; but even then, it would not be enough to match the agony within me as my heart cleaved in half.

I ran my swords against the uniform of the dead Royal soldier, speared to the wall through his head, wiping them clean before sheathing them on my back.

I had hoped that finding her, getting her back would fix my bleeding heart, but now, seeing her there with him, it felt like my soul was slowly dying. There wasn’t a single place in the world right now, in the whole universe where I could go, where I could hide from the pure torture within. No, I could be devoured by Hell itself, buried under the eternal infernos and even then, I would blink and still see her with him.

A sharp, frantic scream exploded behind my back, and I whirled to see the cause. It was Viyak’s voice that sent lightning down my spine as he held the limp body of my love, his hoarse voice desperately crying out for help. A large arrow poked through her side, as her precious blood trickled down to the ground.

Whatever hurt, whatever agony I had felt moments before, evolved into pure wrath exploding within me. I couldn’t see; the fury blinded me, my eyes lighting with silver flames as I burned the wounded Royal soldier on top of the wall that shot the arrow, but that wasn’t enough.

They hurt her.The thought screamed in my mind louder.

They hurt her. I burned the wall down, turning rocks into molten dust. Silver infernos came out of my eyes, incinerating anything in sight.

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t blink, couldn’t even think as I burned everything surrounding me.

“Stop! She’ll heal, Gideon. She’ll live!” Zora’s muffled voice sounded from afar, though I could vaguely feel her hands pounding into my chest.

She’ll live,she shouted at me, but all I could see was that crossbow bolt piercing her flesh and the dark drops of crimson spilling on the white soil.

“You are scaring them! Stop it! She’ll live!” Zora roared at me again, but I still didn’t listen, turning every pebble, every boulder, every stone, every cursed wall of this place into ash until there was nothing left.

“Gideon....” Orest’s calm voice sounded just a breath away from my ear, making me pause as I blinked the rage away.

“Fucking hell.” Zora stepped away from me, panting. “Fuck.” She ran her hands across her face. All the people around us stared at me, fear lingering in their eyes. I glanced at the horrified slaves, trembling, and considered burning them too.

“She’ll heal, Gideon,” Orest stated, and I let his voice ground me, anchor me, within the unstoppable obliteration that were my powers.

Yet, the short-lived restraints snapped faster than a dry twig in a forest fire. Nothing could stop the burning fury within me that had awoken at the sight of her wounded body. A couple of the Ten were already by her side, giving me a comforting nod that she was going to be okay.

I was going to burn the world for this. The whole of Esnox would soon be covered in nothing but ash.

“Where are the next mines?” I asked of Orest as my smoke-covered eyes stared at Gia and Yanush, holding Finn up, quickly cauterizing her wound, preparing her for transport.

“Salt Mines, about a ten-minute flight from here,” Orest replied.

“Gideon, we can’t go. We need to go back,” Zora protested, her arms motioning to the fainting slaves.

“I am not asking you to come with me,” I simply stated. “Let’s go,” I ordered Orest, and he nodded.

“Fuck…” Zora groaned, exchanging a silent glance with Orest. “Tori, Cori, and Lulu, stay behind to escort the slaves back with the transports. Gia, stay with Finn.” The twins and Gia nodded, obeying her commands. “The rest, saddle up,” she shouted as the Ten moved in unison.

Our dragonflies hovered in the air as we climbed the thick ropes.

A few of the other riders on the large dragonflies were now approaching with long carriers attached underneath, where soon, the slaves would be loaded on and flown back to the De Villiars, to recover and rest.

With one quick motion, I jumped from the rope straight into the saddle, not bothering to buckle myself in as I pulled on the reins and soared through the clouds, not allowing myself a single glance back.

I flew through the cold, gray sky towards the Salt Mines, succumbing wholly to the painful craving of the Numb until I was far beyond any feelings.

There, by the sea, on the half-dry land, slaves worked, collecting the sea salt. I didn’t bother with formalities, didn’t bother hiding the dragonflies as I released an all-consuming blast of fire on their guards before we even landed.

Zora and Orest and the rest of the Ten shielding whoever they could from the heat of my surrounding fire.

But I didn’t care if they all died. I didn’t care if not even one of them survived.

I jumped out of my saddle straight into the muddied earth, slicing whoever stood in my way. My blazing swords left only death in their wake.

---