Page 59 of A Rising Hope

Through my tears, I laughed at her remark, overwhelmed by so many feelings like a tsunami hitting me, making me feel so alive.

I laughed.

And so did she.

42

ZORA

“Breathe, Zora. You need to breathe, or you are going to pass out,” Gia instructed, her voice a comforting distance from me as we marched past the line of merchant shops, all closed down, windows and doors barricaded and shut. A measly attempt. The small town, on the outskirts of the eastern plains of Esnox, didn’t stand a chance against a full army of Destroyers.

It had only taken us two hours, and they had surrendered. The rotten bodies of the old leaders, that so foolishly called for the battle in the first place, hung high off the main gates for everyone to see. The bodies of the men that dared to fight at their command were scattered in pieces through the town for dogs to eat. Their families wouldn’t touch them lest they too face the same fate. No, those cursed by their foolishness to oppose our rule would not get a proper burial or burning, forever cursed to decompose at the mercy of nature.

I forced my lungs to expand in a slow, pacing motion, ignoring the way my toes numbed, and hands turned to ice the closer I got to the town hall.

“It’ll go great, I am sure of it!” Gia elbowed me, holding on to her sword at her side. “And if not, I’ll punch him straight in the throat. I’ll even make it seem like an accident, like I’ll go for the water pitcher, trip and then, oops, he is choking on the ground.” She smiled at me with her bright smile. “I am so terribly clumsy after all.” She chuckled, reaching for the heavy iron door.

The door creaked, the sound sending me into overdrive. But she paused on the threshold, waiting. I stopped too.

“Zora . . . ” Gia gently directed her eyes to my hand, that nervously rattled the chain attached to my blades on my hip.

I let out a long, heavy breath, nodding. Blood pounded in my ears; I wasn’t sure if she said anything else. Her words were muffled by my internal screaming and rattling anxiety within.

I forced my sweaty fingers to stop fidgeting.

“Let’s go kick some ass.” I adjusted my hair and took a step inside.

“That’s the spirit.” Gia chuckled behind me as we entered a large room.

“Oh, how lovely of you to show up,” Lachlan Byrningham sneered, the look on his face making me want to puke. “And here I thought you left me hanging, waiting here all for nothing yet again.” He laughed, his Second matching the sentiment. “Aww, don’t be so sour, Zorianna. You know, you should smile more. Your smile suits you much more than whatever that emotion is written on your face.” He waved me off, enjoying the deeply etched frown on my face. He looked around the room and I really hoped that would be the end of his speech. But it was not. The gods seemed fit to make me suffer more, as Lachlan continued.

“I must admit seeing you, Zora, is always such a pleasure,” he taunted, and I wanted to gut him. I clenched the chain at my side, the cold metal cutting into my palm, pain being the only voice of reason through my crumbling façade of indifference.But Gia moved the chair near me. The wood against the brick floor rung a loud squeak. She took a seat closest to me, purposefully resting both of her very muscled arms on the table as she leaned forward, giving Lachlan a deadly stare with a warning smile. One that would send any predator running. I squared my shoulders, tipping my chin up.

Stay calm. Stay collected,I reminded myself.

“I must say, that tattoo you got doesn’t fit you very well. You used to look so much prettier before,” he remarked.

“Don’t fault my looks on your terrible vision issues,” I coughed up some measly words, ignoring the way my stomach twisted in pain. He opened his mouth to add something obnoxious as always, but I interrupted him. “Shall we discuss the next phase of war, or have you come all this way for a boring chit chat?” I glared at him then, fighting back the vile hatred as he stared at me.

It had been years,years;I reminded myself. But somehow, being in the same room with him was like I was still at the altar, humiliated and exposed. And no matter how much I had worked to build up a fierce façade, the menacing look and the forceful glare, it felt like he could see through it all.

A young girl with nothing but a spark of fire.

My father’s shouting still rang loud and clear in my ears from the hours that followed after. Of how I ruined our family, of how I had destroyed his family line. How much I had humiliated him. We were related to the Justice Wielders, my aunt an Empress, my father a well-known general, mother was a powerful Destroyer and yet I had not even a lick of fire.

“Is your dear cousin not going to join us?” Lachlan questioned, his piercing stare mocking me.

“Gideon is preoccupied at the moment.”

“And hiswife?” Lachlan lingered on that last word, and I shot a warning look. “Oh, was I not supposed to hear ofthat?” He theatrically scoffed, “Though I must say I am a little disappointed I was not even invited by myallyto his wedding. The last one I attended left me quite entertained. It’s a shame I missed this one.”

“Sorry, no assholes were allowed, so you didn’t make the cut,” I jeered through my clenched teeth. He shrugged, content to see that his words got under my skin.

Lachlan leaned back in his chair, looking around the room bored, the smug smirk on his lips burrowing deep under my skin like a fresh litter of gnats.

“I will admit, I am very anxious to meet this so-called Lost Destroyer Empress. Who knows, maybe she’d be open to continuing the new Destroyer tradition established by her late father-in-law to siphon an heir outside the marriage. I’d volunteer.” He winked, and I wished more than anything for Gideon to appear in the room, to make this fucker suffocate on his own words. Blood boiled within me, and I opened my mouth to say something heated and vile, but it was Gia who folded her arms and loudly said,

“You were right, Zora. The men with the smallest dicks do talk the most.”

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