Page 90 of He Who Ignites The Flame
I rose from my chair, nearly sending it toppling to the floor. How could she just step down as the general of The Order? As Damien’s right hand? “But...why would you do that?”
Her brows rose, and I couldn’t understand why she would be surprised that I asked.
“The warriors need you,” I said. “What are we gonna do without you?”
Her gaze wavered, and there it was; that damned look of guilt that had painted her face since the battle.
“It is time for me to step down,” she said calmly, as if it was something that had been decided long before this moment. “Just as it was time for me to find you and help you clear your name, just as Thalia was intended to return to the Mortalrealm and meet you and Micah.”
Intended to meet me? Something both bloomed and shriveled in my chest at her words, at the thought that she truly seemed to believe ourmeeting was something orchestrated by The Fates…that my meeting Thalia was fated. I shook the thought off, desperate to abandon any thoughts or possibilities that she was, in fact, my mate.
What was this really about?
“There is the matter of who will take my place,” she said, and my heart stilled.
“Who’s replacing you?” I asked.
The warmth returned to her silver eyes. “Zephyr is taking my place. He served as Strategos in my absence before, but I need someone to step up to fill his role.”
Taxiarchos… Brigadier. My stomach flipped at the implication her words held.
“That’s why we brought you here,” Damien explained. “You’ve gone above and beyond in proving yourself since you joined The Order. The warriors trust in your judgment, and you showed great leadership and care during the battle with the darkling queen.”
“No,” I muttered under my breath, and they blinked.
Lucia’s brows wrinkled, and she proceeded to fidget her fingers atop her blanket. “No?”
My pulse pounded in my ears. Third in command of The Order? Me? “Surely someone else is more qualified.”
Lucia let out a soft chuckle, and I frowned. “Of course, you would feel you weren’t enough.”
Damien took her hand but leveled his gaze on me. “We originally offered Thalia the position, but she turned it down.”
“Why? She would be a perfect fit.”
Lucia’s gaze wavered, and the weight of it sliced through me. “She couldn’t bear the thought of being responsible for so many lives again.”
She couldn’t bear it because she felt she’d failed so many in The Pits.
We’d never spoken of it, but I knew enough from Lucia and Micah to put the pieces together, from witnessing the horrors when we’d dismantled what remained of it all those centuries ago.
I sat in silence for a moment, trying to wrap my head around the idea.
“You guys must be pretty desperate if you’re promoting a dungeon rat to the rank of Taxiarchos,” I said, trying to wrap my head around the idea.
Lucia shook her head. “There’s no one I trust more to handle the position than you or Thalia.”
“Micah?” I suggested.
“He is where he needs to be,” Lucia said with a warm smile, as if she had everything planned out to the smallest detail.
I chewed my lip, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Once Lucia made up her mind, there was no talking her out of it. It was as if every step she took, every decision she contemplated was orchestrated by The Fates.
What if I couldn’t live up to their expectations?
“Can I think about it?”
Damien nodded. “I know it’s a lot to process. Take a couple days to think on it.”
