Page 124 of The Last Storm
I released a quick laugh and he smiled faintly, chuckling.
“I mean, I wouldn’t say cornered… But that sounds about right. You know how she can be. Once she’s decided, there’s no changing her mind.”
“That’s for damn sure,” he sighed, tossing the stick onto the ground. “I’ve spent ourentirelives protecting her from harm. I took the brunt for the both of us, so she didn’t have to.” He paused. “We were only twelve when our parents died, Rogue. We were kids. And with nowhere to go, we lived in the shadows of alleyways. Everything we had, I stole. Food, clothes, shoes. After all that, I just wanted her to have a nice, quiet,safelife somewhere away from this. She deserves that much… But I’m starting to realize she doesn’t want it.”
Another reason we got along so well—we both understood the weight of growing up in darkness.
“No, Delphia craves adventure. Purpose.”
Not unlike you and I,I wanted to add.Not unlike Ara.
“Her and Ara are a lot alike in that regard,” he said, glancing up at me.
“They’ll be fast friends,” I said, nodding. “Forgive me?”
He sighed and clapped me on the shoulder with a lopsided grin. “My king, do I have any choice?”
“When you put it that way… No. No, you do not,” I replied, but relief flooded me at his words. I needed us to go into battle with clear heads, and we couldn’t do that with tension hanging over us like a suffocating blanket.
We stood just as a loud cheer rang out across the encampment. We glanced at each other, eyebrows raised, and strode in the direction of the sound.
As we neared them, I found Ara in a sparring circle, glistening with sweat. She reached a hand down to Ewan who was on one knee and disarmed, his sword laying at his feet. I cocked my head to the side as I stepped closer.
“No one was going to tell us that a sparring ring was set up?” I called out and the crowd whipped their faces to us, falling silent. Ara glanced up, a cocky grin painting her face as a bead of sweat rolled down her neck. She was relaxed for once, in her element.
Goddess, she is the most delicious creature I have ever seen.
I shucked my overshirt off, tossing it on a nearby post. “Got one more round in you?”
Her smile grew devilish as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and dropped to one knee. I started to rush to her but stopped when I realized what she was doing.
She dropped her face to the ground, laying her hand flat, and spread her fingers through the grass. When she snapped her face back up, her irises crackled with lightning, and the grass around her hand wilted and died as she sucked the life force from it, replenishing her own.
Every man and woman from Nautia went into a frenzy, cheering.
“Our Storm Bringer!” A man from Nautia shouted and the men from every other village froze. Their eyes were intent on Ara, seeing her for what she was—who she was—for the first time.
Ara rose slowly, meeting my eyes, as I stepped into the ring, and every person in the crowd watched with renewed interest. But just as my foot crossed the line, screaming rang out from the forest. The crowd went silent as their attention snapped to the tree line.
“Prepare,” I ordered and they scattered.
I glanced at Ara. The blood had drained from her face.
She closed her eyes, the cords in her neck popping with restraint. A heartbeat passed and she clenched her fists, her head tilting to the side as the screaming continued.
I closed the final step between us and took her hands in mine. She opened her eyes and I could see the internal struggle playing out.
Forgive me.I scooped her up in one swift motion and thrust into the sky.
“What are you doing?” she shouted.
I landed on the edge of the cliff, meeting her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” was all I said.
“Sorry for wha—”
I fell backward, my eyes never leaving hers, as every emotion played out on her face. Realization. Anger. Betrayal. She rushed toward the edge, leaning over to watch as I fell.
