Page 8 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)

7

FINNLEAH

G ia’s gentle, yet calloused hands rubbed the remainder of the healing salve into my freshly washed scrapes with slow circular motions. I sat on my cot, eyeing the laces on my boots.

“That lip is looking better. Give it another day or two and you’ll be brand new!” Gia encouraged, as she closed the metal jar. I shrugged my shoulders in response.

“Oh, come on, don’t sulk! I am sure tomorrow is going to be better! I’m super confident of that!” she urged while lightly patting my knee. I slumped back onto my bed and nestled in the blankets. The reality was — tomorrow wasn’t going to get better, just like the last three days hadn’t been. Each day was the same as the one before: my consciousness leaving my body as soon as the Cleansing Fire encircled me.

“Look on the bright side, girl, at least fainting is not what your enemy would expect. So, you’ll for sure, catch them off guard.” Ashe glanced up from the thick book she was reading.

“The true bright side is that there is no way she can pass out more than she did today, so it can’t get worse,” Ioanna sneered.

“At least we now know why she was a lost Destroyer. Probably all that disorientation,” Yanush chipped in. “She takes ‘not for the faint of heart’ quite literally.”

“Perhaps she should consider training in a nursery first. They have good padding for that,” Ioanna mocked. At a scornful glance from Ashe, she added, “What? At least we won’t have to waste the extra salve on miniscule scrapes.”

I swallowed hard. I could feel frustration mixed with defeat clumping together in the back of my throat. I flinched, attempting to bite my lip to stop the treacherous tears from flowing.

“I’m going to get some air,” I blurted out, fighting the quiver in my chin.

“Oh, Finn, come on, we were joking. We didn’t mean to...” Yanush apologetically said as I put my cloak on and stormed out of the tent into the freezing night, crashing into Zora and Motra.

“What was that about?” Zora asked, confused as she glared at the now-hushed girls.

But my legs had already carried me farther and farther away from camp, until I found myself by some old pine trees near a small, half-frozen creek. The rushing, clear waters reflected the cold gleam of the stars.

I let a couple of tears slide down my cheeks as my glossy gaze trailed to a broken branch floating downstream.

I was no better than that. Floating in life like a leaf, a branch, ripped by the rough autumn winds and carried into the unknown.

Ever since I had escaped, I fought so hard to regain what little control I could have over my life. I clawed my way to existence, to freedom. But now? Now that I could finally make a difference, now that I actually had the ability to enact justice and revenge, I couldn’t even control my own damn body. It shut down each time, my subconsciousness ruling over me without any consent or agreement.

The worst part of it all? I was running out of time. Like acid, Viyak’s bearded smile burned into my mind while my heart crumbled into pieces. I ran my sleeve across my cheek, wiping the remaining moisture from my face. The chill winter air filled my lungs as I took a large breath, soothing the panicking creature within me.

I didn’t have the option to fail. I never had the chance to give up, to quit. Even broken down and defeated, I would stand.

I wouldn’t falter.