Page 47 of A Rising Hope

“Oh relax, Freckles, I’ll behave . . . for now, of course.” She called back her powers, but not before sending Orest a triumphant leer. Her eyes darted back to me. “Wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your new friends, would we?”

Her arm jerked, and flames sparked at my fingertips.

She scoffed.

“Always so uptight.”

Priya melodramatically moved her thick braid behind her, stowing the dagger to the sewed in sheath on her thigh. She released a long sigh, folding her arms as she looked at the three of us, assessing.

“They do not make slaves like they used to,” she stated, with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“What are you doing here, Priya?” My patience finally ran out and my tone matched the notion. Direct, unwavering, unyielding. “Last thing I remember, you wanted nothing to do with the Destroyers or the Rebellion.”

“Ugh, believe me, I still stand by that.” Her lips turned thin. “But I’ve come to offer you your job back. I must admit nobody washes the laundry as well as you used to.” She stared at Zora, her eyes flashed with a bit of craze, “I’ve killed so many slaves in the last few months for ruining my silks. I simply grew tiresome of it,” she confessed. The muscle in my temple twitched, because I wasn’t sure if she was exaggerating or telling the truth. “I domiss my lavender smelling silks.” Priya dramatically pursed her lips and batted her lashes at me. A blink and her demeanor shifted to the dangerous assassin that she was as she added, “It’s quite the misfortune considering it’ll take ages to replace my silks since that bitch thorn Queen murdered Laviticus.”

“The Queen killed Laviticus?” My brows furrowed deep as her words reached me.

Priya nodded; her eyes darkened with the undeniable craving of revenge. The only confirmation I needed of the truthfulness of her words.

I understood it then.

Priya’s murder list never ended, but this time, it overlapped with mine.

“So, what do you say, Freckles? Are you up for one more adventure?”

Our eyes met.

We had our differences; I knew that. Some scars ran deep enough that perhaps only time could rectify them.

But there was something comforting about having her by my side. Especially now.

Because if I were to tell her I was about to burn the world to ash, she, with a scoff and a hiss, would be the one handing me the match.

And what I was setting out to do was so much worse than flames and burning the planet down. But Priya was just crazy enough to come along without too many questions.

I folded my arms, giving her a slight nod.

“Let’s go kill the bitch.”

35

FINNLEAH

“Be careful, Liriya,” I murmured to the demon-bird, carrying a small sack in her beak. The bird swung her wings with a few full strokes before disappearing. A loud clap recoiled through the depth of the night. The last remnants of smoke from the campfires laced in the star-covered sky. My hand lingered on my chest, feeling the empty spot where only minutes ago Tuluma’s necklace was nestled close to my heart. I strolled back to the camp, extending my hand to feel the tall grass brush my fingertips, grounding me.

I fought a yawn and ignored the burning in my eyes from the exhaustion. I stopped counting the hours I had been awake. Sleep was no longer relevant. My thoughts knotted and tangled, but somehow remained focused on my clear goals.

Kill the Queen, bring Gideon back.

It seemed so simple and yet so complicated.

His letter was buried deep in my pocket, his words burning a hole in my heart. Anger spiked to new levels each time I lent even a thought to his demand to be happy. To be happy and make due without him?

I shook my head, grinding my teeth. I was going to find him in whatever hell he had descended into, and I would make him answer for that. I’d make him suffer for eternity for that. The rage sparked within me, and I welcomed it.

I had spent the entire afternoon and then far into the night dealing with all the duties of Ruler of Esnox, quickly realizing that perhaps I’d be willing to lock myself in an everlasting prison just as well to avoid these new responsibilities. I wiggled my wrist, recalling the stacks of papers I had to sign. The signature I devised to sign a million decrees was far too long. No wonder Gideon signed with G. B.

I trailed through the camp listening to the chirping of crickets, life feeling so oddly normal. A simple late summer night, no different from the ones I spent stargazing with Tuluma, ones that I’d spent dreaming of my future so many years ago. So similar, and yet there wasn’t a single thing left unchanged about me. The world, perhaps, stayed the same, but I changed.

---