Page 60 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
For the first time since this had started, Eviana felt a trickle of…something. She didn’t know what, but Lange was imposing as he towered over her. His eyes were narrowed, pale hair falling into his face, and the air in the room stirred, despite the window being closed.
“I don’t know what the worry is then,” she replied, turning back to her packing. “Unless you know something I don’t?”
She waited for him to answer, but he said nothing. She wasn’t surprised, but she was disappointed. Or perhaps more irritated than anything.
“If you’re packed, you should pack his things,” she said, double and triple checking all the various weapons she’d stolen. “We leave the moment?—”
“I’m going to help Corbin,” he said tightly, and she spun, finding him already striding out the door.
Interesting.
Maybe she didn’t need to be disappointed after all.
Zipping her pack shut, she hoisted it onto her back. Then she finished packing Corbin’s few things before picking up the packs Lange had left behind. If her suspicions were correct, they wouldn’t be coming back up here.
She took her time descending the stairs, but Lange grabbed her arm, dragging her out the door and into the small alley where the entrance to the rundown establishment was. He shoved her up against the wall, no one around to pay them any mind. Even if there was, no one would do anything, but all Eviana could think about was the casual way he touched her without thought. No one touched a Source. The sensation was jarring.
“What did you do?” Lange hissed, mere inches from her face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied calmly, holding his stare.
“Bullshit,” he spat, shoving her lightly again before stepping back and running his fingers through his hair. “Corbin isgone, Eviana. I know you did something.”
“How can you possibly know that?” she asked, her tone bored as she set the other two packs down before straightening her coat and readjusting her pack. Toeing Lange’s bag on the ground, she added, “Here. I grabbed these for you.”
“Just when I think we’re developing some sort of odd trust?—”
“Don’t ever think that,” she interrupted. “The only person you can trust in Devram is yourself, and even then, it’s all lies you tell yourself to make it to the next day, hour, or minute.”
He stared at her, and she had no idea what he was thinking. To be frank, she didn’t care.
“I know you had no one in that fucking house,” Lange finally said, each word sharp and filled with a fury she hadn’t known he was capable of. But she saw it now. She felt it as the wind picked up with every syllable that fell from his lips. “I don’t know what horrors you’ve experienced. I probably can’t even fathom them, and I’ve faced some pretty fucked up shit, Eviana. But by the gods, you can’t assume every single person who crosses your path is out to hurt you. You could have a friend if you tried. We’re not the fucking Legacy.”
Her head canted to the side at his words, and she didn’t know what he saw on her face, but he took a step back from her.
“Take that fucked up shit you’ve experienced, little wind-walker, and multiply it by fifty,” she replied, lacking the venom of his tone, but he straightened anyway. “Then do it every godsdamn day for decades. I considered it a good day when it ended with blood on my hands rather than my own blood being spilled. I hoped for the days that found me on my knees rather than on my back. I breathed a sigh of relief when it was Valter whose bed I shared at night rather than another’s. You speak of friends? They’ll sell you out the moment they believe it will gain them something, even for something as small as extra rations at a meal. Ask me how I know that. Ask me why you were moved to the Celeste Estate. Ask me which of yourfriendsknows what you truly are.”
He stared at her, mouth pressed into a thin line, until he finally said, “If there’s not even an ounce of trust between us, after all these days you’ve forced us to spend with you, then you’re no better than the Legacy who did those things to you.”
“You’re right,” she answered simply. “I’m not. Now, we should go before we’re too late to save your lover.”
“I’m going to kill you when this is over,” Lange muttered, stalking past her and snatching the two packs she’d dropped from the ground. “I’m going to kill you and dump your body in the river and make Corbin bury it in the bottom so not even the fish can eat it and become poisoned.”
“Surely you can be more creative than that,” she said, having to take two steps to his one to keep up with his long strides.
“Give me time,bellana. Give me time,” he muttered, stopping for a moment as a gust of wind swirled around them. “Which way do we go?”
“What did the winds tell you?”
“You keep saying that shit?—”
“And you keep feigning ignorance,” she interrupted. “I would love to hear another delightful monologue from you about the merits of trusting people, but I’m afraid Corbin’s life depends on you proving me right.”
“A dagger. Multiple stab wounds,” he muttered, as he stretched his neck from side to side, summoning another gust of wind.
“I recommend deep into the thigh. It is one of the most painful, but I will stay awake for the repeated stabbing.”
“Or in the ass so you feel it every fucking time you sit down,” he snarled, turning left and leading the way.
