Page 121 of A Simple Truth

“If someone toldme a year ago that we’d be here, free, alive, sitting on the soft grass and chatting on a nice sunny day” —he looked up at a blossoming apple tree above— “I’d say they were insane. And yet, here we are.”

“Nah, you’d believe them. You were always a big dreamer, Vi. I was the skeptic.” I chuckled.

“I was a dreamer once, wasn’t I?” Viyak wiped away his tears, his face lighting up with a big smile as Aurelia enthusiastically twirled with a poor guest.

“What are you going to do now?” I asked, aware of the heavy question.

“I don’t know. I think I’ll stay around here for a while, helping other people recover too. The De Villiars are helping us adjust to the new world, but with the war it’s not safe for us to return home.” Viyak scratched his short-haired head. “To be honest, some days I just want to rest. I never realized how tired I was. Day in and day out I survived in the Rock Quarries, and now that I have a moment to breathe, I am so exhausted. I sleep for half a day, I eat. Sometimes, I just spend what’s left of my day walking down to the ocean and listening to the waves.” He let out an uneven breath. “Lady De Villiar started painting lessons for us. Turns out, I rather like painting. I am not good at it by any means, but the paint is so much more vivid and vibrant than the grays of the Quarries, and I have so many things in my mind that are shaped in color, eager to get out, that I find myself painting for hours at a time.” He pulled a few petals off the dandelions buried in the grass. “Perhaps, when the war is over, I’ll try to find my brother. I haven’t seen him or his family in years. And a part of me wonders if there is even anyone left to return to. If they even remember me...” He nervously scratched his forearm, the loose, wrinkled skin moving like fabric with the motion. “You know, after all this time, I’ve learned that I am not afraid of darkness, I am just afraid to be alone. And I haven’t been alonein over four years. At first, I thought constantly being chained with someone was designed to make me go insane, but over the years, I’ve grown to find comfort in the knowledge that even on my darkest days, I wasn’t alone.” He pointed with his chin to the bundle of refugees hiding under the shade from a large tree. “Most of us still find ourselves each night cuddled up against each other on the floor, unable to sleep in a bed, or to sleep alone. But I know that one day, it won’t be like this. We will grow and we will recover. I just hope that by then, when I am alone, I can, for once, not be afraid.”

“You will always have me, Vi,” I said and meant it. “Don’t think that I had gone back to the Rock Quarries just to ditch you the next day.” I winked at him. Xentar shouted my name from afar, signaling it was time for me to go. I rose up, shaking off my pants, then extending my hand to Viyak, helping him up, “As long as I live, you’ll always have me. You won’t be alone,” I reassured him.

“You’ve grown into a beautiful woman, Finn. Not just outside, but inside,” Viyak said as we strolled back, pausing at the garden’s threshold as I gave him a hug.

“It’s not a goodbye hug, by the way,” I mumbled to him as I held onto him a little bit longer. “I will come back and visit you each day.”

“I will look forward to it.” Viyak smiled and before I walked away, he added, “I am not sure if you’ll see the Destroyer General but tell him thanks from us. From me.”

“Thanks?” My brows furrowed with confusion and my heart skipped a beat at the mention of Gideon.

“Yes, he came to visit us all after we got transported. After you got wounded, he stopped by to let me know you were okay since he found out we were close.”

“Oh, that’s nice of him.” I tried to hide a bit of surprise in my voice.

“Yes, he said that he knew you cared a lot about my well-being and that, although you were not able to come visit me, he wanted to extend the same courtesy to make sure I was well taken care of. He was very nice, but I have to say, that man is absolutely terrifying.”

“He really is, isn’t he?” The corner of my mouth tugged upward at the warm memories of the Lord of Death.

“He cares deeply for you, Finn,” Viyak prompted, as his eyes landed on me.

“It’s not like that…” I objected, unsure what to say.

“I might have been enslaved for the past four years, but Fate didn’t leave me blind.” Viyak cocked an eyebrow in amusement.

“It’s more complicated than that,” I countered, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

“I only survived in the Quarries for as long as I have, because I learned to read what other people can’t see.” Vi held my gaze and I listened to him. “Remember after you got whipped and I put your ribbon-like flesh together, with all those bits of rags the slaves donated? You told me then that if I could heal you, I could heal anything after that. That I had a Healer’s touch.”

“You really do.” I nodded, clearly recalling the feverish days of what I thought were my last.

“Some of your wounds run so deep, Finn, that even if I tried, I couldn’t heal them. But I think he could…”

“Vi…” I shook my head, pulling my eyes away from him.

“You told me that if you survived the whipping, you’d listen to all of my advice. So let me give you one last piece.” I reluctantly returned my eyes to him, as he said, “Sometimes we hold on to our hurt for so long, that it becomes somewhat of a comfort to us. I know that you’ve been hurt before. I know that it was done by Destroyers too. But don’t let your past dictate your future.” His lanky arms wrapped around my shoulders, giving me a quick squeeze. “Look around us, Finn.” Viyak motionedto a few slaves now excitedly dancing together with Aurelia. “For whatever reason, Fate granted us a second chance at life. Don’t let fear rob you of your happiness. Just as Aurelia said, sometimes you have to jump before you learn how to fly,” he shared, his words settling deep within me. “Just promise to think about it.”

“I’ll try,” I answered, already following Xentar down the narrow path leading back to the shore.

72

GIDEON

The little drops of mahogany blood slithered around the extensive map of Esnox, laid out on a nice cherry-wood table. My eyes impatiently followed them until they finally scattered between a few cities and towns. Hosam had yet to gather all the Destroyer armies and start the counterattack.

Rather pathetic.

“How disappointing,” I mumbled to myself, my frown sodden with annoyance.

With a loud clap, Liriya appeared in the room, carrying a small messenger hawk in her large, demon claws. She flew over my head, dropping the dead bird straight onto my map, smudging the little droplets of blood into the paper.

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