Chapter 7
Depths of Insanity
Griffin
Present Day – Catastro Sea
Griffin watched as the priests and High Priestess made their way back to their ship. When he was positive they were gone, he turned to Drago. “Now what?”
Drago squeezed Griffin’s shoulder. “Now, brother, we plan a wedding.”
The High Priestess’s final words circulated through Griffin's mind.
You have three weeks to host the ceremony. Otherwise, she will be joining us on our land. And if she changes her mind? I will remind you that she is ours to protect.
Protect? Griffin scoffed at the thought. As if anyone in that country was capable of protection. All they did was keep the Cherished.
A hard punch to the face literally knocked Griffin out of his spiraling, reminding him that Julian was there.
“You son of a bitch!” Julian tackled him to the ground, landing on top of him, and causing the breath to be knocked from Griffin’s lungs.
Julian relentlessly punched his face, but Griffin didn't fight him or even try to shake him off.
This would be the least of his concerns.
He knew without a doubt, Raven would be the most violent offender.
Drago didn’t offer to help, Griffin had already warned his brother this might occur. That he would handle it himself.
He welcomed each punch even as he felt his lip burst. He hoped that his bruised and bloodied face would create sympathy from Raven when he found her later.
Julian stopped once he realized Griffin wouldn’t give him the fight he wanted.
“Are you done?” Griffin bared his teeth, tasting copper as he looked up at Julian.
The sun was nearly gone now, the last bits of orange and red lighting up Julian’s eyes, a replication of the rage there. They flickered and swirled, an inferno with no room to breathe. And in their depths, Griffin witnessed as bits of insanity crept their way in.
Julian didn’t move, panting a few times as he continued to stare down at Griffin. “Not even close. But for now.”
Griffin blinked, and what he had seen in Julian’s depths disappeared. But he would remember it. He would watch for it. He couldn’t have a loose cannon by Raven’s side. “You may not believe me, but it was the only way to keep her safe, to keep them from taking her.”
“You're right, I don't trust you. Back in that prison, I thought we were friends. But that wasn't the case at all, was it? You were always one of her pawns, weren't you? And Anadil put you on my path on purpose.”
“I don’t know,” Griffin admitted. “I worked with her over the years before everything happened, but afterwards I never directly did again.”
Julian seemingly accepted the explanation, getting up and off of Griffin. Julian offered a hand, and Griffin took it warily. He knew that Julian wasn't happy, but he was setting that aside…for now.
Julian didn’t release Griffin immediately, squeezing his hand tighter. “You will not take her choice from her. If she doesn’t want to marry you, she won’t.”
“Even if that means we go to war with a country of priests?” Griffin asked, lowering his voice so he could not be overheard.
The deck in their vicinity was empty now, the crew working around them in near silence, but Griffin didn’t trust them.
Trust had gotten him nowhere. It had ruined everything he built.
And one of them could very well be Ivan. Hidden in the masses. They still hadn’t found him anywhere. They had all turned this ship upside down searching for him, but there hadn’t been a trace, and it left Griffin on edge.
“Yes. I will go to war with whoever I must if it means keeping Raven safe. If it means reuniting her with Sparrow,” Julian spat.
“Good.” Griffin tore his hand out of Julian’s. Julian would be part of the next step in his plan, but it wasn’t time for that, not yet. “We will arrive tomorrow. We must prepare for it.” He wiped his face, smiling at the sight of blood on his palm.
He was filled with a nervous energy he recognized. It was exactly as he felt the first time he had seen Violencia.
Fifteen Years Ago – Catastro Sea – Off the Coast of Violencia
The sun was hot—hotter and muggier than he had ever felt it before. He was sweating. He had been for the last day. No matter where he went, it was too much. The air was thick as if he were sitting in soup and not his bed pallet.
This is miserable. Why does anyone choose to live in this?
“Here, take this.” Drago threw down clothes for him. “Change into that and then it’s time to get up here. We are landing and need to walk you through the last steps.”
Viktor and Niko were already up top, helping Drago.
Griffin’s gut buzzed with nervous energy as he tugged on the light linen clothes. It was material he wouldn’t have dared to wear back home when it was cold nearly the entire year, but here it was breathable. Light and flowy, allowing necessary breeze to coast across his sweat soaked skin.
Taking the steps up to the dock, his mouth opened in surprise. They were approaching an island, and from a distance, all he could really see was a large stone wall that wrapped around it with a singular, sizable industrial building that they were heading towards directly.
But it wasn’t that which drew his attention. It was the beach, filled with a white sediment. Even the color of the sea had softened, shifting to a gentle teal. Back home, it was always a dark navy, stirring with waves and the cold.
Griffin gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
Drago’s hand landed on his shoulder, steering him to the edge of the boat, closest to Violencia. “I’m glad you think so, brother. The land has its positives, but don’t let it fool you. The most decorative creatures hold the deadliest venoms.”
“And you must remember, only those at the gate know where we are from. Past that, you must keep our origins a secret. Most of the people of Violencia are ignorant to our infiltration.” Viktor grunted from the helm.
“They don’t know much of anything of the Sacred Trinity, just that they should hate it. ”
Niko laughed. “You learned that the hard way. Nearly got us killed.”
“How was I supposed to know?” Viktor grumbled, stepping back from the wheel.
“They don’t know where we come from?” Griffin mulled the words. “But how? We are all sent here in adulthood! How does that make any sense?”
By the age of twenty-five, every man had set foot in Violencia.
Most times they returned, sometimes with a wife. But every so often, they didn’t.
It was a part of their upbringing. It was their rite of passage. The goal was to foster relationships, but how was that the case if the people of Violencia didn’t even know they were coming from a different country?
“Their land is spread out, and there is a deep hatred towards us. Rightfully so,” Drago advised.
That didn’t answer all of Griffin’s questions, but Drago’s eyes narrowed, and he knew better than to press further.
Drago lifted his lips, but he wasn’t smiling. “However, if you suspect you encounter someone from our country, you can ask what their favorite bird is.”
“Griffin!” Viktor and Niko cheered together, both stripping off their shirts before undoing their shoes and tugging off their socks. They threw it all into a bag and tossed it overboard.
Griffin watched in confusion as his stomach rolled. His nation’s symbol was also his name, and he had hated it since his youth.
A loud horn came from the shore. Three long honks in succession.
“That’s your signal, men.” Drago tugged Griffin into his arms. “I will come find you, I promise. Viktor, Niko, keep my brother alive. You must.” Drago squeezed him tighter. “It’s time to free your wings, brother.”
Griffin returned the hug. Just as he released Drago and stepped back, his brother pushed him hard, causing him to stagger over the banister behind him and tumble into the water below.
He sank down deep, and panic clawed at him immediately as he desperately thrashed his way to the surface. But then he heard two other splashes, and the realization that he wasn’t alone incited his courage.
He wanted to scream at his brother, to demand him to answer more questions.
He still didn’t know anything, and he was about to be in a new—and apparently volatile—country.
But the water was rough, crashing over his head, and by the time he was able to get above it and catch his breath, his brother and the boat were already making their quick escape.
“Griffin!” Viktor’s shout drew his attention, and turning towards it, he found the man was already half-way to shore, Niko fifteen feet ahead of him.
Steeling his nerves and forcing down the fear that gnashed into him, Griffin paddled around to face Violencia and began his swim towards it.
All I wanted was my mom. To rescue her. How did I end up here?
He had zero clue what he would find. Or really what he was supposed to be doing. But he would just have to figure that out.
And when he made it back home?
He would beat his brother into a pulp for this shit.