“Assist me in burying our sister, Kadan! Do that much and I might find a shred of forgiveness for you,” Neph snarled.
“I don’t seek forgiveness, Neph. I’ve done nothing wrong. You are the one that broke our laws. A coward hangs, you know that, and Ren declared her a coward,” Kadan replied with another shrug his eyes moving past Neph to scan the forest behind them.
“I told you not to call her that,” Neph snarled as his fist slammed into his Kadan’s jaw with bone breaking force. His brother’s attention had been elsewhere, and technically it was a sucker punch, but that didn’t matter at all to him at the moment. All rational thought fled his mind as he hammered his anger into his brother’s flesh. Neph didn’t bother to defend himself when Kadan started fighting back. All that mattered was delivering punishment to his brother. He didn’t care if he was wounded further. It was their fault that she was dead. Kadan had left her to die, and Neph had failed to save her. Both of them deserved to feel pain now.
*
“As stubborn as your mother was.” The voice echoed through his mind from what seemed like a thousand miles away. “You almost died, you know,” The words continued and slowly Neph’s fogged thoughts registered the sound of Kes’s voice. A damp cloth brushed at his face and he lifted his arm feebly to brush it away. “Stop it, Neph I’m wiping the blood from your face. Or what’s left of your face anyway. What were you thinking picking a fight with Kadan when you were already wounded?”
“Get away from me,” Neph mumbled as he forced his eyes open. The world blurred around him, then slowly came into focus. Bright sunlight showed through the window illuminating his room in the Delvay keep. Kes frowned down at him from beside his bed, her hand poised to deliver another swipe of the wet cloth. “Get away from me!” Neph snarled with more conviction and forced himself to sit up. Pain echoed through his body. Every inch of his flesh seemed to be bruised or bleeding.
“You haven’t had a healer, Neph. You are going to tear the wounds back open. Lay back down,” Kes ordered in what had to be her best impression of a motherly voice. Her tanned face was creased with worry and he could see glassiness in her dark green eyes.
“You brought her to him. I saw you in the woods Kes. How dare you even come near me after what happened,” Neph growled. Ignoring her words, he pulled himself from the bed. His knees wobbled beneath him, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain upright.
“I had no choice about that, Neph,” Kes said softly. She started to move toward him, then hesitated and shook her head at him. “Please, Neph, lie back down. Lord Delvayon won’t let a healer in to see you, but he says if you live you have passed the trials.”
“Fuck his trials,” Neph snarled, his gaze searching his room for his armor. “Neph, please lie back down. You are hurt worse than you think,” Kes repeated.
“I’m leaving,” Neph informed coldly. Staggering on his feet he moved to his closet and began to shove his travel bag full as quickly as he could.
“What? You can’t be serious, Neph you can barely cross the room,” Kes argued as she moved up behind him and tugged at his arm trying to pull him back toward the bed. She wasn’t forceful, but the little strength she used threatened to unbalance him. Shrugging her off, Neph turned and glared at her, allowing her to see just a glimpse of the hatred he felt. With a gasp she stepped back, staring at him in shock.
“Get the hell out of my sight. I’ve never hit a woman before, Kes, but if I so much as see you again, I will kill you.” Neph spoke the words with cool promise.
“Neph, I had no choice,” Kes muttered. Fumbling, she opened the door behind her, still staring at him with wide eyes.
“We all have a choice, Kes. You chose to kill my sister,” Neph snapped, his eyes flashing with anger, but he knew he was in no condition to act on it now. It was taking everything he had just to pack his bag.
“Had I refused, he would have thrashed me, Neph.” Kes pressed herself against the door frame, her eyes intent on his every move.
“And that is the problem with Delvay. We say we kill cowards, and yet everyone in this city is a fucking coward. No one speaks his mind. No one dares defy my father. You are all weak pathetic bitches. Never again will I soften my words, and when something is wrong,” he paused and locked gazes with her. “I will act on it despite the consequences. I will never again bow down before someone who doesn’t deserve my respect. Lord Delvayon can kiss my ass and so can the rest of this god forsaken place. I will not return to Delvay until that bastard is dead.”
“Neph, please, I know you are angry, but he has forgiven you.” Kes’s eyes searched his face frantically as she spoke as if she was looking for some sign of rational thought. It was clear from the expression on her face she thought he had gone mad.
“I will never forgive him, or any of you for that matter. This is not what Delvay was. We were the heroes in the past, and he has led us down a much darker path. I will keep the name Delvayon for one single purpose. To set everything right.” Glaring at her, he motioned toward the door once more. “Go,” he ordered, allowing anger and hatred to fuel the word. She fled the room without another word, confirming his thoughts about cowards. They should all hang as Zyi had.
Swinging his bag over his shoulder, Neph walked from his room and down into the main hall, ignoring the staring faces that watched his progress. He had no words for any of them. They had avoided looking at him in the grove, but they all watched him now.