Page 227 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
Why wasn’t she answering?
She had only lost an arm and an eye. That was hardly the end of the world. It would not stop her. Nothing would.
‘Now that you are awake, we will prepare to leave soon,’ Mareena said instead.
Alina tried to frown, though the stiff bandages made even that small expression impossible.
‘Where?’ she asked.
‘Kai says we will return to his kingdom,’ Mareena replied. ‘We are only a few hours away by dragon. So tomorrow…’ She paused, letting out a quiet sigh of frustration. ‘We ought to stay longer. I warned him you were in no condition to sit upon a dragon, but…’
‘I can do it,’ Alina said quickly, almost desperately.
The thought of being treated differently clawed at her. Of being handled like something fragile, like the helpless princess she had once been.
She could not return to that life.
It would destroy her.
‘Ican,’ she repeated, her voice firmer this time.
Mareena studied her for a long moment, the doubt plain in her crimson eyes.
At last, she gave a small nod, though it was clear she was not entirely convinced.
Without another word, Mareena finished cleaning the wound along Alina’s face and carefully wrapped the bandages back into place, her hands gentle but precise.
‘Do you think it will leave a scar?’ Alina asked sarcastically.
Mareena arched a brow, clearly unimpressed by the question.
Alina avoided looking down at the place where her arm should have been. Instead, she fixed all her attention upon Mareena, studying the phoenixian princess as though that might anchor her.
‘Is she truly dead?’ she asked after a moment.
Mareena nodded.
Alina licked her dry lips, the movement careful and slow. ‘She said she was a…’
‘A god,’ Mareena finished.
Alina nodded faintly. ‘But I don’t understand… how that’s…’
‘Possible?’
Alina gave a small shrug.
For a while Mareena said nothing. She glanced towards the far wall in a thoughtful and distant way.
‘Phoenixians and drakonians have always shared similar beliefs,’ she said at last. ‘We follow the Sun God as our one true god. Many people do not even believe other gods exist. And those who do…’ She paused lightly. ‘They imagine them as lesser beings, creatures created by the Sun God to carry out his will.’
Her crimson eyes returned to Alina, bright and unwavering.
‘The truth is, it does not really matter what people believe,’ Mareena continued. ‘What matters is that there are gods moving their pieces across this world and some of them wish to see it destroyed.’ She folded the cloth in her hands. ‘And we must stop them.’
‘But how?’ Alina asked.
Mareena did not answer. Instead she began tidying the basinand cloths beside the bed.
