Page 12 of A Blightress of Wrath
“What?”Icried, turning his body to face me. “Whydidn’t you say anything until now?”
“Iwasn’t sure at first.ButIwent back.”
“Dammit,Philius!”Iheaved a sigh and rubbed my eyes, ready for a nap. “Wetold you not to go there without us.”Iglared at him, putting my hands on my hips. “HaveItold you the story of how theBlighttried to take me once?”Igestured in its general direction inFelgrenwhere it had slowed to a snail’s pace in growth, but still consumed hundreds of acres. “Itis dangerous and powerful.Justlike her.Talkabout being smart,”Ilashed.
“Iknow,Ijust…Ihad to be sure.Whenyou andRevich—”Hepaused and corrected, “BaronRevichtook me,Iasked theBlightwhat it had stolen from me.ButIonly asked in my mind.Ijust was…wondering, you know.EversinceIwas sick and you were taken…nothing has been right.”
Istepped forward and pulled him into a hug, not wanting him to see the tears that brimmed in my eyes. “Whatdid you hear back?”Imurmured into his shoulder.
Hegave my body a quick squeeze and let go, turning back to the path and motioning for us to keep walking. “IthoughtIheard a voice in my head.IthoughtIheard the wordnothing, butIwasn’t sure.”
“Whatabout when you went back?Whendid you go back?”
“Afew days before the party.Afteryou’d passed your trials, andIknew for certainIwould never be able to convince you to come back toHyrithiawith me.”
Hekicked a rock and was silent for another moment.Ididn’t push.Iknew the best way to help my brother was to listen.Allour lives we’d both been told what to do, where to go, and who we were, but none of that had been true for me.So,Iwaited.Iwaited forPhiliusto tell me his truth.
“I’vealways been the future king,” he started. “Aplaceholder until my future queen bears a little girl.Iwas fine with that.Iaccepted it.Thenyou were taken.Nothingmade sense anymore.”Heshrugged. “You’remy sister.Youwere always supposed to be there, too.Ithought maybe you’d become companions withGeyrandand have babies of your own.”
Ikept my mouth shut and stared out at the line of trees.
“Iknow.Iknow you didn’t love him like that, butIguess in my head,Ijust assumed everything would fall into perfect place like we were told, and when it didn’t…”Hesighed, moving to sit on an old stump of a fallen tree off the path. “Ifelt like such a fool.Oneminute you were gone, the next we were told you were dead, andIcouldn’t save my sister from the circumstances of her being taken in the first place, so…Iturned to drink.Astronger man would have found another way to cope.”
Isat beside him, smoothing out my black skirts. “Youdidn’t have the support you needed,Philius.”Ielbowed his arm. “Butyou do now.”
Heglanced to me in a frown.
“Imean it.Youhave me, and you have your fellow channelers who have really warmed up to you the past few weeks, considering what you were like when you got here.YouhaveBaronRevichas well.Youmay not particularly like each other, but he does care about your future, and he does believe in you.Ibelieve in you.”
“TheBlightresssaid she can train me.”
“What!”
“WhenIwent back, asking in my mind who was speaking, she revealed herself.Shetold me that theBlackFeverhad brought us closer as channeler and the origin of magic and that she wants me to come to her white stone palace and train.”
“Whatthefuck,Philius!”Ijumped up and faced him, my temper raging.Ididn’t even attempt to control it. “You’rejust telling me thisnow?Whydid you wait so long?Whatdid you say to her?”
Helifted his hands as if to placate me. “I’msorry!I’msorry!Ireally am.Ijust needed to process whatI’dhad learned about myself and that woman.”
“Process?”Shootsof green, long and spindly, shot out from the base of the fallen tree, reaching toward the sky in new life fueled by all the powerInow held asBaron.Iclosed my eyes and breathed deeply, taking several long inhales.Mybrother still sat, smartly keeping quiet.
Itilted my head back, letting the feeling of warmth and love wash over me.
Rev.
He’dfelt that little outburst of anger and was sending his love back to me through our bond.
Itook one more breath and nodded, biting my lips together and addressingPhiliusagain. “Whatdid you say back?”
Hewarily glanced at the shoots of saplings still slowly growing at his boots. “Remindme not to make youreallyangry.”
“Whatdid you say,Philius?”Irepeated through my teeth.
“Iasked who she was.Shetold meIalready knew.”
Irolled my eyes.
“Then,Iasked her why she’d want to train me at all sinceIdon’t seem to have strong magic.”
