Chapter 29
I wake up to an itch just below my mouth where I had been drooling on Caspian’s shoulder. I pull up my head and wipe it off with my arm quickly hoping he doesn’t notice.
That’s right, Abby, smother him in your saliva. That’ll keep him hooked on you for sure! I mock hoping to calm myself from the obvious humiliation.
“You know, you snore too.” Caspian points out. My face heats up and my stomach is unsettled. That’s the last thing you want to hear when you are already embarrassing yourself in front of the guy you like.
“I uh, thought that you were still asleep.” My tone is as unwell as my shame. I pull myself off of him and stand up to move to a different spot.
“I don’t think any of us got much sleep once you let out that beast.” Jasper taunts. I shoot over a death glare but I know its underwhelming compared to the dark shade of crimson glowing on my face. Arielle lets out a loud laugh, making me want to dive deep into the ocean water and swim straight into a shark.
“Funny.” I respond as sarcastic as I can, My ego is demolishing as the seconds pass by. “Well, since we are all lively this morning I think we should focus our efforts on creating a plan to get Russel back.” I am confident in my response as I am sure it’ll divert their attention from me. Arielle sits up and leans forward letting me know that I have her focus.
Caspian grabs the first bag thrown at me last night and pulls out a map and sandwiches that were wrapped in a small blanket. He throws each of us a sandwich and unravels the map in the middle of the boat for us all to see.
“Eat, all of you. We have a long ride ahead of us and we are going to need our energy.” He warns. I know he’s right but hearing him say it out loud makes me cringe. I’m exhausted and the nights have been so short, while the days felt as if they were months. I can't wait to get back on a ship, my ship, and to be able to rest for a moment.
“We are here, just outside the visible coastline of Symbodia.” He pauses and looks up at Arielle. Her face is emotionless. “Russel is with Ace in the tunnels. There is a very large chance Ace is on his way there to prepare him to use against us, If he knows we are still alive that is. If he thinks we are all dead, well our time is now much shorter.”
Arielle starts fiddling with her hands and I can't begin to imagine how she is feeling. He’s there because of me and now he could very well be dead when we arrive. She cracks her fingers and looks directly at me.
“I want them all to die. Whether Russel is dead or alive, I want them to pay for the pain they caused an innocent man. He has no part in the violence in this world.” Anger flows through her words. “I will kill them all with or without your help!”
I see the pain in her eyes and I now know. He’s not like them, he doesn’t kidnap or kill for a living. He’s the kindness she needs to keep her going and with him gone, she’s lost. The thing about life is, no matter how rough the heartbreak, time doesn’t stop for our grief. Her words inject into me like a drug as I too am angry for everything that has happened. I’m angry for the betrayal, for Avery, for Jasper, For the entire crew, for me, but most of all for my father. I swore on his death I would avenge him and I refuse to break my last promise to my father.
I will be the one that kills Ace.
“You can have everyone but Ace.” I blurt out in my reflected blind rage. Everyone turns, their attention only on me.
“Abs, this isn’t on you-” Jasper says with empathy.
“I swore it, Jasper. I swore I would avenge him. This is my responsibility and this, I will follow through on, for my father. I want to look Ace in the eyes when he draws his last breath. I want the last thing he sees to be my face so he knows that his death was his doing alone.” Determination flows through me with every word I tell myself.
“Okay, then it's settled.” Caspian puts his hand on mine, holding it still. I forget how unsteady my hands are when I’m mad. My nerves run still but I am more focused than before.
“We will go to Symbodia to collect Russel and kill everyone in our paths. But we will do this my way. I will go into the tunnels and rush them to the top. I’m certain Ace will be up there waiting for us. Arielle, I want you to go with Abigail through the front. I have men that I trust there and they will go with you two.
Jasper, I need to stay behind and keep an eye from afar. If you see anything that could be an ambush we need you to warn us. We will need to be quick and stealthy, Ace is no fool and will be guarded.” Caspian directs but we all agree.
As much as I don’t want Caspian to go alone, this plan is our only option. I can't argue with his thoughts to send Arielle and I with other men as well. Not just for our protection, but a way to know Arielle wont turn on us again.
Caspian pulls out some honing steel and tosses one to each of us.
“I’d use this time wisely and sharpen your swords and daggers. We will be there just at the dusk of night.” He warns and then sits down with the map and just stares at it. I’ve never been one to question a man's pre battle routine. The way he just graces his fingers upon the map and closes his eyes. He is imagining his path, a path I know he has taken before.
I grab my sword and pull it out of its scabbard slowly. I just look at the design from top to bottom envisioning the night. For a moment I am lost in words engraved in it. Amor et melle et felle est fecundissimus. It almost feels like these words were engraved on this sword for this moment, for this death. My love for him was the honey, sweet but strong. But Ace was always the venom, the plague causing endless death.
It was never me causing all the sorrow and loss of lives. I know now what my destiny is in this life, in my story.
I will be the one to end all the chaos, I have to be.
Breaking that chaos starts with the death of Ace.