Page 121 of Remnants: Disruption
“You were manipulated by a figure with more experience and an unknowable power, Arya. No one’s beaten Omen.”
“But if–”
“If. If. If. If,” Marla says, and I feel her staring. at me. “If the First Disruptions had never happened, my people might have perished without help. If the Second had not, we may all be dead–or worse. If you had never sat down in that diner the other night, I might not have gotten the gumption to invite you to my home. Omen may manipulate fates, but they’re not the arbiter. You are more powerful than they are.”
“Evidently not,” I say, my fingers biting into my palms.
“You have a family. You have us. You have this place. They’re alone with a psychopathic god and a merry band of backstabbers. You will always be more powerful.”
In the safety of Marla’s home, I finally let the tears fall, thankful she makes no move to comfort me further.
Chapter 46
Limerence
November 12th, 1030 A.D., Evening
I cannot continue to sit by and let this happen. I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to her. Not after all she has been through.
Recovered Journal Entry from Bloody Mary, November 11th, 1030 A.D.
In hindsight it was stupid to train this late at night. I couldn’t sleep and I’m starting to suspect that Mary might have some sort of sleep magic. It would be frankly hilarious if her powers were sleep related this whole time.
A total bait and switch.
Because I honestly sleep way better when she uses her powers on me.
Not that I’d ever fucking tell her that.
And as much as they’d said otherwise, traipsing in on Marla and Trish felt like an invasion–especially at this hour.
I should have known my diligent training would ultimately lead to a routine pattern that someone could track and use against me.
Stupid.
But it’s my first time having mortal enemies, so can you really blame me for not considering it?
“When she told us about you, we figured she was going to just outright kill you,” Loki says, sneering as he, Beowulf, and about twenty other goons surround me.
The colosseum’s lights had sputtered back to life in the middle of a ghost wrangling session and the sudden hit to the face had almost knocked me unconscious.
Now my ass hurts from landing on it and my face smarts from where Beowulf had laid into me.
“She actually stopped me from killing myself, if you’ll believe it,” I say, rubbing at my itchy nose as it heals.
“So, you’re a suicidal too, huh?” Loki scoffs. “That’s rich.”
Iwassuicidal–but he doesn’t get to know that.
“And you brought twenty-four other people with you,” I say gesturing around. “Thought you’d have trouble beating on a defenseless woman?”
“We know the Dark One,” someone says from the crowd and a handful of people murmur various slurs. “Cop bitch and overpowered freak.”
“So, I’ve been properly estimated, then?” I ask, slowly rising. “Anything else you’d like to monologue?”
“Bet she hasn’t even told you about the Prophecy yet,” Loki says, continuing the school yard bullying schtick.
“I don’t know that I really care,” I say, turning in place to mark who exactly is around me. “I really just want to get my hands on those sick fucks who bombed my favorite coffee shop.”
