Page 40 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)

39

GIDEON

T he moment we crossed the border of the Elvish jungle into the Desolate Desert, I steered Greyfas down, precipitously landing on the cooling red sands. The abundance of luminous stars in the night sky lit up the wasteland, the infinite dunes of rust-colored sand twinkling under their light.

Finnleah hadn’t said a word since we were captured by the elves. Her body was almost limp, and so pale, as if she just saw a ghost.

“We are camping for the night,” I decided, helping her off the saddle. She nodded, her eyes looking dull, without her usual glow. The muscle in my jaw twitched and I contemplated returning back to the damn elves and burning them all just for that. But I swallowed the rising fury, making a quick camp.

Finnleah laid down on the bedroll I’d set up for her, clasping her hands together on her stomach as she stared into the sky. I placed a plate of food right next to her and summoned a small fire nearby to give us a bit of light and heat.

“Eat, Finnleah,” I ordered, forcing my voice to stay relaxed and cool, nothing compared to what was happening inside of me. She just shook her head, refusing. “Fine. Then talk. But you cannot shut down on me like this. You haven’t said a word. What happened?” I gently pushed, laying down on my bedroll next to her, though still giving some space between us. Her eyes were wide open, blinking away minutes. It bothered me more than I was willing to admit, that I didn’t understand a word of what was said between her and what I had guessed was the King of the elves.

I knew a million ways to get answers out of someone; a million ways to torture the truth out of a person. Yet, I laid there, lost on what to do or how to help her now, and that tortured me with no mercy.

But she turned her head to me, her eyes solemn as she said, “He had her eyes.”

I held back whatever questions I had and just listened.

“Tuluma was a princess, and he was her brother,” she spoke again.

“The Elf-King was your maid’s brother?” I probed, hiding my surprise, still looking deep into her eyes. She nodded.

“Turns out her father, the previous King, exiled her.” Finnleah let out a long sigh. “You know, I wouldn’t have even known that she had a brother if she hadn’t commented once that I played chess as shitty as her twin-brother.” She smiled yet her smile held a touch of anguish, reliving precious memories carved within her. “He was looking for her. That’s why they were in those woods. He was told he’d find her there and instead, he found me.” She returned her eyes to the stars, lying motionless. “Rather a terrible consolation prize…” But before I could object to that statement, she continued,

“And you know the worst part of all this? I am so angry, so resentful. I shouldn’t be. She cared for me. She loved me in the way she knew how, and she died protecting me. Yet, I feel so defeatedly angry because she never told me anything. She’d told me a thousand and one nymph stories and a million legends and songs. She spent hours playing stupid games with me each day and night, and she taught me about everything. Everything except about her. She told me my entire life that she’d outlive me one day, and then she just died. Dead. Murdered, killed, whatever you want to call it but, in the end, she is gone, and I can’t ask her a single question. And I have so many questions. Like why she never told me I was a Destroyer. Did she know? Did she hide it on purpose because she hated Destroyers? Why did we never settle? Why were we constantly running away?” She rubbed her face. “My parents were dead, but do I have grandparents? Or uncles or aunts? Who were my parents? Did she know them? I mean, she didn’t even give me their names, Gideon. A simple name would suffice. First, last, I wouldn’t care. Just a name…but no, instead she called me Daughter of the Dead . Who names a kid that?! I mean hell, I was just short of giving up my soul to an insect-like creature for a couple of answers most people are born knowing. Why did she never tell me of her family? Of her brother? Why did she never tell me anything?!” Her hands ran through the sand as it slipped through her fingers. “But she’s gone now, and I’m left behind to pick up all the pieces, and there is nothing left for me except hope that I’m putting the pieces together correctly. The truth is I don’t even know what the puzzle is supposed to look like in the end.” Finnleah paused, looking at the million stars above. “She must have been so, so lonely. She didn’t have anyone,” she whispered, as sadness filled her voice.

“She had you,” I counted, offering a sliver of comfort.

“That doesn’t count, I was an infuriating child.”

“More infuriating than you are now?” I nudged her with my elbow, sending her a half smile. My heart finally eased as she glared back in familiar fashion. “If it makes you feel any better, I knew both of my parents and my extended family and who I was from the very start, but truth be told, I too often wonder what it is supposed to look like in the end. Especially now that most of them are gone too. That’s the thing about the dead; they move on, leaving only ashes behind.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice...” she whispered with a touch of sorrow into the night. “Sometimes I think I’d enjoy being dead.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” I immediately opposed, my heart cleaving in half at the unspoken truth her words carried. “Can’t torment me if you are dead. And we both know how much you enjoy that.”

“You underestimate me, General. I’d find a way even then.” She twisted her head back to me, considering. “Though, I do enjoy seeing you, my detested enemy, cry occasionally.”

“The only tears you bring to me, Finnleah, are those of pure joy,” I sneered at her. “But ‘enemy’?” I theatrically gaped. She just shrugged. “Is that truly what I am to you now?” I shook my head in amusement.

“What? Are we not enemies, General?” She drew out.

“Oh, come on, Daughter of the Dead, we are at least forced allies. We make a good team; you can’t deny that.” I nudged her with my elbow.

“Good team? We are the worst team there is, General.” She scoffed. “We have no stone, we got possessed by a bunch of demons, the ‘all-knowing’ creature was such a bizarre experience, that I’m not even sure I’ll ever understand what actually happened there. Either way, it was a complete waste of time at best since we got no answers. We also got captured and almost started a whole new war with the elves I don’t need to remind you that the last time the Destroyer-Elvish war happened; it left this giant desert in its place and that was just over the last six days. We have no plan on what we are going to do with Insanaria, or how to win the war. We were sent here for answers and we accomplished nothing. In fact, we are coming back with more questions than before. That makes us a terrible team.”

“Blasphemy!” I dramatically replied, steadily pulling her out of the dark abyss she had spiraled into. “As far as I remember, we did find out the stone is not lost, it’s destroyed. That’s an important piece of information; if something was created once, maybe it can be created again? The creature was just as helpful as I expected. And shall I remind you that we avoided the war and just walked away from the Elf-King himself, with no one harmed? Case in point, we are a great team. You take on elves, I take on demons…” I couldn’t resist as I ran my fingers against the back of her bandaged hand next to mine. “Though I have to say, we are both pretty terrible against humidity and prickly vines.”

Her hand didn’t retreat at my light touch, and my stomach tensed with thrill and excitement as I gazed at her while she looked far into the stars.

“You gambled our lives today and won,” I stated, amazed by her, unable to tear my eyes away, taking in every little thing about her, as if I were an animal, parched and starved, devouring every single bit.

“Well, turns out Tuluma didn’t lie. He did play shitty.” She softly smiled and that smile made my heart cartwheel, twice .

“You saved our lives today,” I reaffirmed.

“Oh, how noble of you to pretend…I saved their lives,” she replied, rolling her eyes at me. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you murdering them all in your head like three hundred times.” The corner of my mouth tugged upwards seeing the little flicker of life coming back to her. I playfully flicked her perfect little nose and added,

“To my credit, it was a swift and easy death, and it was barely three hundred times...”

“But you trusted me,” she said out loud, more to herself.

“I did. And still do,” I admitted as the sheer airiness settled between us, our eyes quietly connecting our souls like an ancient spell, captivating me entirely. The little shadows from the fire nearby danced on her perfect face as we stared at each other. My heart raced against my chest as I lowered my face closer to hers until—

“Are you starving? Because I am starving,” Finnleah interrupted me before I could say a word, darting her eyes away. “I feel like we haven’t eaten anything for two days.” She sat up, pulling her lips further away from mine.

“We actually haven’t. Here.” I grabbed the bag with the last few provisions we had, even as my heart plunged below my knees.

“Where is the smoked salmon?” Finnleah ravaged through the sack.

“I threw it away,” I replied, focusing on just how hungry I was too.

“What? Why would you do that?!” she asked, appalled.

“Maybe because we’ve been in the hot, humid jungle for almost a week, and it’s raw fish?” I debated, passing her some bread instead.

“ Smoked, and it would have been fine!” she grumped but took the half-stale bread.

“Have you considered that perhaps I’m just a bit tired of you puking, so better safe than sorry?” I raised my brow taunting her.

“First, it was once okay? And second, have you considered that maybe it’s your presence that makes me hurl my guts each time? You’re so…so…” She motioned with her hands at me while searching for the right word. “So…nauseating.”

That little fiery spirit of hers was back and I couldn’t resist a happy smile as my mouth stretched wide.

You didn’t seem to mind it the other night, I wanted to reply, but held it back, unwilling to taint a cherished memory to win an argument. Instead, I took another bite of the apple, keeping my mouth busy with something that wouldn’t satisfy the true hunger within. Hunger that grew each time I felt her gaze on me.

“How about this, then: you manage to stay in my ‘ nauseating presence’ a little longer, and I’ll get you more salmon once we are back at camp. Deal?” I bargained; she folded her arms, contemplating, looking for caveats. After not finding any, she begrudgingly answered,

“I’d be foolish to make any more deals with you, General, considering how the last one ended. But fine, for smoked salmon, I’ll do it. So, you’ve got yourself a deal. But it better be really, really good.”

“I wouldn’t give it to you any other way.” The words plummeted out of my mouth before I could think twice on their meaning. Her eyes lit with wicked intent, but before she could say a word, I hastily swallowed the half-chewed apple in my mouth, almost choking, but blurted out, “Speaking of camp…I better send a message to Zora and Orest that we’ve been delayed.” I put the food down as I stood up, my arm drawing a large circle in the air, then performing a sequence of other arm and hand gestures. Though my back was turned to her, I could feel her loud stare, questioning my movements, as I drew another symbol.

“What are you doing?” she finally asked, giving into her curiosity.

“You’ll see,” I replied, enjoying her attention on me. As if on command, with a sound of a clap, the large, black raven appeared out of thin air, high above our heads.

“Liriya?!” Finnleah gasped, shocked, as she watched the bird land on my forearm. “She just appeared out of nowhere. How did she do that?”

“Liriya is an imprisoned demon,” I said, pulling out a small roll of paper and a tiny bit of pencil attached to her foot. “At least, that’s what I believe she is. But she can travel through space.”

“You’ve imprisoned a demon?” Finnleah asked, intrigued.

“I wish I could take the credit, but I haven’t. I’m not sure who did. But I first met Liriya when I was taken away to the barracks as a child. The woman who raised me used her to communicate with me once I was gone. One second, the bird was there with her, another she was with me, delivering me messages. One day, Liriya showed up and wouldn’t leave, no matter how many times I asked her to deliver my message to my Diamara. I told my uncle that something was wrong with my stepmother, but he didn’t believe me. Only a month later, they discovered all the High Ladies dead, their bodies prematurely rotten. Murdered in a ritual by Insanaria .” I quoted the cause of death as I read it in my uncle’s reports, years later. I lowered my eyes to the large bird perched on my arm as I scratched her chest.

“I knew Diamara was gone the moment Liriya didn’t leave me.” I paused, looking at the empty paper scroll as if I was six again, in the stuffy barracks, fighting back panicked tears. I blinked the memory away, scribbling a short message for Orest. “Somehow, she’s stuck around with me through the years. Luckily, she’s smart enough to stay away from people, to understand who is around, so only a few chosen ones know of her abilities. To most, she is just a curious, large messenger raven, but to me, she’s been more of a guardian…demon.” Liriya cawed in agreement as I softly smiled at her onyx eyes. “Though, I must warn you, she does have a mind of her own and is very much a vengeful little thing.” I chuckled, remembering the time she clawed the eyes out of an older kid that harassed me in the barracks when I first arrived.

“I like her already.” Finnleah smiled genuinely, as Liriya flew off my arm and down to one of her outstretched legs.

“She is also a terrible hoarder, so if anything shiny goes missing, she probably has it.” I sneered at the bird who now cocked her head at me, as if considering if she should soil my head; something she’d also done before.

“ A hoarder?! How dare he accuse you of such things! I bet he just loses his stuff and blames you for it, doesn’t he?” Finnleah exclaimed theatrically. Liriya cawed, passionately agreeing, and I rolled my eyes at both of them. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. He is such a tattle tale, too. I very much agree,” she added as Liriya jumped closer to her until Finn’s fingers gently scratched the top of her feathered head. I stood back, folding my arms, watching the large black raven and the fascinating, freckled woman, fully immersed in a pitter patter of caws and feminine whispers of what I was sure was a list of horrible accusations towards me, and perhaps a plan of some terrible crusade.

My heart went still for a moment, and the world quieted around me.

Here, amidst the lifeless desert, the midnight sky and the silver moon, amidst the infinite red dunes now laid a clear fact.

One that I could no longer deny, that I no longer wanted to deny.

A simple truth.

I was in love with Finnleah.

Deeply, wholeheartedly, entirely.