Page 2 of A Simple Truth

“You are everything to me, Diamara, you know that,” I whispered back, still not letting go of her hand. “A single word…A single word from you, and I’ll be there.” I tipped her chin up, landing a soft kiss against her forehead, and then quickly departed the room before she could reply.

Without looking back, I marched down the cold halls of the castle, broken rage lining each step. A loud horn echoed through the nearby town covered in fog, as a large Destroyer battalionlazily departed into the night. With a swift leap, I mounted my silver mare, riding away in the opposite direction of my armies, heading for the one place from which there was no coming back.

The strong smellof sage burned my throat, immediately giving me a pounding headache as I hunched over in the small, stuffy room; though, calling this cramped space a room was quite generous. It was truly more of a dusty, old closet.

“It is not often I receive the company of the Emperor’s famous General amidst my kind,” Insanaria cooed with a relaxed smile, motioning me to sit in the empty chair across the tiny, round table. I accepted the invitation, hesitantly pulling out the half-rusted seat, the sword at my hip colliding with the teetering stacks of books that adorned the packed floor.

Insanaria signaled to a young servant girl lurking in the corner with a tray. She hurried over, placing a set of petite, pink, ceramic cups on the table. When my eyes caught on the little cuts covering her arms, she tugged on her sleeves to conceal them before rushing out of the room.

Insanaria glanced pointedly toward the water, and I held in a snarl as I brought the tea to a boil with the wave of my hand.

“I’ve come here of my own volition, not of my brother’s,” I said, stirring the murky liquid with a silver spoon.

“Which begs the question, why does a great Destroyer such as yourself come seeking a poor, exiled Creator such as me, under the cover of the night?” she purred, taking a brief sip from her cup before putting it back down.

“Perhaps it is time Destroyers and Creators unite like never before…” I replied.

“Continue,” Insanaria drawled as she ran her tongue across her alluring lips.

I could still turn back and walk away, thoughts flashed in my mind. But I dismissed them with a single reminder of what my brother had done—what he chose to do while his wife miscarried their child. Anger flickered in my eyes.

No, there was no turning back.

“It’s no secret the Destroyer Emperor has strayed from the True Order, harming his own people, and abolishing vows sacred to Destroyers.”

“Oh, yes, so I’ve heard,” Insanaria added, giving a half-nod for me to continue.

“He still rules over mages. Something, I believe, you were quite adamant about. So, what I propose is a solution to both of our…difficulties.” The traitorous words poured out of me like poison, tainting the air with betrayal. Word after word, sentence after sentence—I had irrevocably written the fate of my older brother, and inevitably, my own.

The untouched tea in my cup had long gone cold.

The betrayal was now sealed forever with word and blood as the silver threads of the unbreakable oath slowly disappeared into thin air above our wrists.

It was done. The choice was made.

I stood up, not wanting to spend another moment in this suffocating place.

“May I ask why? Why betray your own blood, your brother?” Insanaria asked as I headed for the door.

I paused at the threshold, my hand twisting the door handle tighter as I bitterly voiced,

“Why does anyone do anything, Insanaria? For love.”

PART I

SPARKS

1

FINNLEAH

You, Finn, are a Destroyer.Those words ricocheted through my mind, mercilessly cutting straight to my heart as I stood in the middle of the large tent.

“No. No.No!” I took a few steps back, stumbling. My mind short-circuited, my head feeling so heavy, it was difficult to remain upright.

“As surprising as it might be to you, it is true,” the General said as he rested his elbows on the large table.

“How did younotknow you were a Destroyer, is what I want to know,” Zora glowered, “What do you think wielding raw fire makes you? A Seer?” She took a step closer to me, staring at me as my eyes darted between the four strangers. Zora held up a large family ring—Kaius’s ring. “Now, tell us where Kaius is, and we can talk more. But choose your words carefully, or they might be your last.” She narrowed her eyes, giving me a vicious half smirk. She pulled out a long, thin, black chain with two crescent-shaped blades attached at each end and began to spin it around with her finger.

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