Page 37 of Her Blind Deception (The Dark Reflection #2)
Chapter Thirty-Seven
M isarnee Keep was burning.
I watched it through the window in clothes still stiff with blood and smoke. I’d expected to feel vindicated in that moment, but I felt nothing. Numb.
It was like she’d killed me after all.
‘Khatar’s just arrived,’ Lester announced as he entered the room. His face was smeared with soot. ‘He’s not happy.’
‘I’d like to see him do better. In five centuries, his people haven’t got anywhere close.’
‘It was a fucking disaster though. Can we admit that at least?’
I went back to watching the billowing smoke. I wasn’t interested in picking over my decisions. I had other things on my mind.
‘Too many of them got away, and we lost too many in the process,’ he continued as though I was still listening. ‘ Dovegni got out. How can we explain that when he was our main target?’
‘The Guild is on its knees. That’ s what we needed. We’ll pick off the survivors as we go. So long as there’s no one left to challenge me, it doesn’t matter.’
‘But it shouldn’t have gone down this way in the first place!’ His voice was tight with anger. It took a lot to get him angry these days. ‘You keep going off script! You sent soldiers into Oceatold before we were ready and you definitely weren’t supposed to wage a war within the city at the same time! We’re stretched to the point—’
‘You seem to think I care if we can win,’ I cut in, my tone sharp.
‘Well your bloody allies will!’ He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before trying again. ‘What do you think they’re going to do when they realise this has nothing to do with overthrowing the colonisers for you? That it’s just a revenge mission and that all you want is to see it all burn down?’
‘I don’t care what they do,’ I murmured.
‘You’re getting reckless. Just like in Yaakandale.’
‘The rebellion did what it was meant to.’
‘You got too focused on seeing dear old dad bleed. That wasn’t the main event for everyone. The new world they want to build is the reason people follow you, not just because they want to tear down the old one.’
‘What’s your point, Lez?’
‘She’s unbalanced you.’
I stiffened. He met my gaze steadily, weathered the ice and blizzards in it.
‘I don’t want to talk about her,’ I said, the words spoken in a low warning.
He ploughed on ahead anyway. ‘The thing with the princess was a colossal fuck up. You played dice with our entire operation and wound up getting stabbed for it. You’re just lucky Orym was on shift or you might be dead now.’ He scanned my face, knitted his brows together. ‘You know you’re going to have to kill her, right? They’re going to demand it.’
I stepped closer. ‘I said I don’t want to talk about her.’
‘I know, but you’ll—’
‘I’ll find her,’ I snarled, cutting him off again. ‘But no one else gets involved. No one else will touch her. Rhiandra is my concern. Tell Khatar that before he comes in here if you don’t want any more blood spilled today.’
Lester puffed out his cheeks, stirring the locks of his blond fringe. ‘Alright. But put your reasonable pants on before I bring them in. No one’s going to put their faith in you when you’re acting like a lunatic.’
‘He doesn’t have a choice,’ I muttered, but Lez didn’t respond. He left me alone.
I stared back out the window as memories attacked me again. The devastation on her face as our eyes locked, the silent tears on her cheeks catching the light like shards of glass, right as I realised she was going to run. She was going to leave me bleeding and run .
As though I wouldn’t chase her.
As though I wouldn’t catch her.