Page 207 of The Gods Veiling
“Get up, Mara.”
She shakes her head, either telling me no or trying to shake the stars from her eyes.
“Get. Up.”
A furious groan leaves her lips as she grabs a handful of dirt and tries to throw it at me.
Fucking pathetic.
With a deep breath and a crack of my neck, I kick her straight in her stomach as she gets to her hands and knees. She rolls to her back, gasping for air, and I slowly sit myself right on top of her. Her fists pound against my chest, but I couldn’t feel them even if I wanted to right now.
Everything’s numb. Everything’s burning with anger.
I grip her wrists and fall forward until our noses almost touch.
“Tell me you know why this is happening, Mara.”
She gasps out a pitiful cough mixed with a laugh. “You’re so fucked. You don’t even know the number of rules you’re breaking rightnow.”
“I’m so sorry I gave you the impression that I give a single fuck. Now use your words like a big girl and tell me you know why you’re about to be made an example in front of all your little friends.”
I pull back a smidge so I can look down at her. Her eyes widen when she sees the possibly deranged seriousness on my face.
“Your Attendant hit me first.”
“No.Yemiattempted to get away from you and you cornered her because you knew you could. Unfortunately, you for some reason thought nothing would happen to you.”
Her body shakes beneath mine as she tries to buck me off, but I tighten my grip around her wrist and press my weight down more.
“I’m not someone you want as an enemy, Thayla.”
“You’re the one who put us in that position, Mara. I saved your life. I don’t mess with you in training. I’ve never had a problem with you. I never wanted to have issues with anyone here. But you have some weird-ass superiority complex and I’m going to adjust it for you.”
A humorless laugh leaves her lips, and she scoffs at me. “Good fucking luck. I’m going to make yours and your freak of an Attend—”
My fist lands across her mouth before she can finish that sentence. The skin on my knuckle splits instantly and my blood mixes with hers when I bring it down on her face again.
Over and over, I scream as I pound away.
I think about every wrong fucking thing about this Court as I take it out on her.
The Defenders are almost all bullies because this place has made them believe they’re better than everyone.
They treat the Attendants who have to hold a responsibility or role here like they’re moving targets or personal entertainers for their vile fucking games.
Gladian gives them all a superiority complex because of their Designation and because they hold the secret of the Abandon’s existence more than any other.
It’s wrong.
A shriek rips from my throat when a hand wraps around my wrist as I pull my fist back again. It’s like someone has wrapped a scorched bracelet around me and it tightens the more I resist.
“Thayla, fucking stop.”
Mellcom’s arms loop around my body as he pulls me off Mara. Jeremiah’s standing right in front of me with a dangerous twinkle in his eye. It’s his hand wrapped around me.
“Stop mov—”
“Release me. Now.”
