Damn, I’m the guy in this relationship.
I was the commitment phobic, the one rebelling against this feeling of ownership.
Trust me, sweetheart, you are definitely not the guy in this relationship.
What was with this sweetheart all of a sudden? Yeah, I kind of liked it, but still.
His eyes ran over me, slowly, provocatively ... I knew he did it deliberately, but in that moment I was my usual raging mass of teenage hormones and didn’t really care. I worked hard to calm my breathing, slow my heart rate. I had to think about something else, anything. I really didn’t want to self-combust in front of my father. Instead I focused on how disconcerting it felt to have my inner reflections heard. Most of the time my thoughts were random and stupid. They’d had no filter applied, no checking of their permissibility to be spoken out loud.
I worried a little that Brace would think I was young and unintelligent. His mind felt ancient, despite the fact he sounded twenty when he spoke. In the layers of his mind he had lived through more than I could have imagined.
You’re perfect. I could not have asked for a better match. You make me feel young, less weighed down by the burdens I’ve witnessed. Your passion, humor and fiery personality. You’re perfect for me, Abigail.
“No!” Talina’s screams drew me from my head.
I realized I’d missed most of her conversation with Gladriel.
“Please, don’t hurt him anymore,” Talina begged, apparently afraid to step closer, but still unable to stop from moving toward her brother.
Gladriel had gashed Raror across his face, and it slowly dripped blood.
“I warned you, Talina. If you do not go with your father then I will kill him.” Her voice was cold.
She didn’t even look down at the Spurn she’d raised as a son.
I realized Raror’s eyes were open now, just slightly, but he looked dazed. Whatever they’d done had really hurt him.
“I will go with him. Just promise you won’t hurt Raror anymore. You have to let him come over here.” Talina waved her arms in the air.
The storm and ocean were still in tumult behind Gladriel, but Talina seemed to be in control.
“What is in this for you, Gladriel?” I asked.
Why was she working with Walkers? It just seemed out of character for her.
She turned her yellow eyes in my direction. She spoke immediately, as if she’d been waiting for someone to ask.
“Traktin approached me with a plan. He promised to take out Ladre. He said that if I made sure you all went to Silver City then he’d guarantee that I became the ruler of all of Spurn. I want the power. I hate to be dictated to by anyone.”
“Traktin is gone now,” I said, “so what’s the point of continuing this?”
She gestured to Almastore. “He promised me the same thing if I made sure Talina would go without drama. I will not stop until I achieve my deserved crown. The Baroons should not rule over me simply because they are Baroons. I am the most powerful.”
She turned from me again. “Now, dear daughter, since I know you value none above your brother, it was easy to figure out the way to assure your cooperation.”
“And you have my full cooperation, bitc ... witch.” Talina stuttered over her attempt at a curse before finishing with a word she was more comfortable saying.
I smiled as she took her chance to finally insult Gladriel.
“So let Raror go. You have made your point. He is already hurt.”
“Talli.” Raror coughed then. His words rasped. “Do not go with him. Do not sacrifice yourself.”
He attempted to move away, but Gladriel still held him tightly around his neck and he was just too injured to fight her.
“Save your energy and breath, son.” Gladriel squeezed tighter. “Talina will do as she is told; she’d do anything to save you.”
“Dad, do something?” I turned to Josian. “Blast her.”
Talina shook her head. “No, Gladriel is a master at shielding herself. She is protected at the moment. Unless we can move closer, there is no way to hurt her.”
That must be why Talina’s ferocious weather wasn’t touching them. I’d thought she’d developed some type of awesome self-control, but no ... Gladriel had a shield up.
“Go to your father, Talina, and I’ll leave Raror with your friends.” Gladriel was getting impatient.
“No, I don’t trust you. You need to leave him there. Step away, far away. I’ll go to Almastore, and then you can leave.”
“I have all the power, you ungrateful half. Now move, or I rip his throat out.”
Talina stared at her mother for a minute, but I knew she would never risk Raror. Turning without another word, she marched over to where Almastore had pulled himself to a half-sitting position.