Page 14 of A Rising Hope

“So, what now?” I squared my shoulders, giving him a scornful look. “Are you just going to follow me everywhere all day?”

“Today, tomorrow . . . forever, if I deem necessary,” Orest stated, unwavering, commanding.

“And if I oppose such a frivolous and foolish decision?” I argued, clenching my jaw tight.

“Your request will be considered.”

“Well, then I oppose.”

Orest tapped his forefinger on his chin thrice, as if contemplating, before replying, “Your request has been considered and most definitely denied.”

“You are being ridiculous,” I scoffed, twisting on my heels to resume my march down the hall. He, yet again, followed. “Completely unreasonable, wasting your precious time on these silly games,” I hissed under my breath. “You are second in command, Orest. You are Gideon’s right hand and instead of figuring out how in the hell we can kill Insanaria . . . ” I paused my rant as a few other Destroyer soldiers passed us, their grim faces sobering my mind quickly. I turned to face him once again—a grave mistake—my mind chanted his name, craving to taste his body on my lips. “Orest.” I tried to reason with him, with myself. “The Queen killed an entire battalion of Destroyer soldiers. She fucking kidnapped Finn without so much as a blink. Now Gideon is gone too . . . ” My stomach twisted at that truth; my mind was not quite ready to process or comprehend any of that yet. “I am sure there are a lot more pressing items on your list than”—I motioned to the bit of space between us—“whatever this is.”

“You call me unreasonable, but you precisely stated all of my reasons, Zora.” His gaze was firm, and though I knew I had long lost the battle, I still muttered spitefully.

“Yes, because the Mad Queen is going to snatch me up next. After all, she’s always wanted a fireless Destroyer as a pet,” I mocked him, hoping he’d realize how ridiculous this was.

“Whether she will or not, only time will tell. She is theMadQueen after all, and I am not leaving it up to chance.”

“For fuck’s sake.” I shook my head, but he didn’t budge. “Fine. Be difficult.” Now it was me who took a step closer to him as I spat out, cold and heartless, ignoring his heated gaze. “Let’s say she shows up to take me. What is it you think you’d do? She is a fucking Shadow Walker, Orest. She can literally walk through shadows. And even then, we cannot kill her without unleashing her wild magic and killing the entirety of humanity.”

Orest didn’t back down. Of course he wouldn’t. He never did.

His previously roguish smirk turned into something threatening and dark as he leaned into whisper, “And I am a Truth Teller, Commander. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.” His lips brushed my ear. Thrilling goosebumps covered my body at the touch. “I’ll fucking claw you out of her hands if I need to, Zora, but you are not leaving my sight.”

He straightened, adjusting the ends of his tied sleeves, before motioning for me to resume my walk.

And I would have. If I could remember how to walk.

The warmth of his breath still lingered on my skin, making me burn with so much fucking desire I was sure I would drown.

Gods, love, lust, whatever it was, this man had consumed the entirety of my being, my thoughts, my soul.

I pulled on the harsh restraints I kept myself in, the comforting and familiar cage, and took a step away from him, choking on the air in my lungs as I forced myself to inhale.

“Besides”—Orest followed a few steps behind me, his tone returned to a casual and calm cadence—“who says I can’t follow youandtend to my duties as one in command?” He shot an almost untraceable smirk, content to see my acceptance of thisunfortunate defeat. His arm reached above my head, opening the doors to the dining hall, where crowds of worried soldiers gathered, waiting for his direction and command. “After all, I am well versed in multitasking,” he added suggestively, as I watched him enter the room.

9

FINNLEAH

Ilaid still near the window on the large plush bed, surrounded by a countless misshaped pillows pretending to be asleep for what must have been hours.

The cold, silver moonlight spilled onto the thick mauve carpets through the ornate stained-glass windows. Outside, the wild ocean waves roared, propelled with gusts of wind as a storm wrestled with the mysterious fortress that Insanaria called home. The force of nature fought against the lone island lost at sea. Tall and impenetrable and so very alone.

Only cliffs, wind, and dark blue ocean with a moss-covered gray castle nestled in between. Its steep towers catching heavy clouds with its peaks.

Perhaps it should’ve come as a relief to know that there was no one else stranded on this island. No villages or towns. No guards, no servants, no cooks or maids.

No one else here but the Queen.

Only her. And now me.

I blinked faster, forcing myself to stay vigilant and awake, even as exhaustion burrowed through my eyes.

A part of me was glad there was no one else here subjected to her wrath and suffering. And yet another part of me that demanded survival was gutted by that thought. There was no one who I could convince to pass a message or a letter. There was no one who I could befriend or talk to, no one who could help me navigate the intricate details of the Queen and her shadow haunted castle.

I was alone.

---