Chapter 9 #2
Dani pursed her lips as she watched the clouds. "I think they’re misguided."
"I do too," Ellie said casually, as if they were discussing their least favorite meal rather than disagreeing with the Queen of Tetria.
Sylvia hummed in agreement.
Kallie simply stared blankly at them all. "If you all feel that way, why didn’t you speak up earlier?"
Ellie snorted. "Have you already forgotten how upset Graeson was simply at the idea of you marching over to Domitius?"
"I saw him storm off into the forest after the meeting. He was not happy," Sylvia said.
Kallie grimaced, the regret bitter on her tongue. By the time she had left the council meeting, Graeson was already gone. Although she wanted to go after him, she had thought better of it, not wanting to blur the line between them even more. But maybe she should have. Maybe he needed her…
"And," Dani added, pulling Kallie back from her thoughts, "I needed time to think it through. Cetia was right. The plan was made in haste, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad idea."
"I thought you said we needed to return to Pontia?" Kallie asked, confused.
"Both can be true."
Kallie narrowed her gaze. "Why are you bringing this up now?"
Dani leaned back on her palms. "Because I do not wish for more blood to be spilled if there’s a way to prevent it."
"I thought you didn’t trust me."
"Here’s how I see it." Dani held up a finger. "You’re either successful and stop the war before it’s even started.
" Another finger joined the first. "Or you fail, and Domitius kills you for trying to best him.
" She flicked her hand dismissively, as if it was a matter of which dress to wear to a ball, not a matter of life or death, of saving everyone or dooming Vaneria.
"Dani," Ellie chastised.
"I’m not going to lie to her just because it is the nice thing to do," Dani said, unfazed.
Then, directing her full attention to Kallie, she said, "Am I still angry at you?
Yes, and I probably always will be. But Graeson had a point when he said that many people have sacrificed a lot to rescue you from Domitius' grasp.
Those sacrifices will be for naught if we let this war go on.
Trading you for Lysanthia might be our only chance at squashing this war before more are hurt. "
It was as if Dani had taken the words right out of Kallie’s mouth.
Ever since the meeting, Kallie couldn’t stop thinking the council had made the wrong decision.
She would rather risk her life than let war strike Vaneria.
Graeson might have viewed it the opposite way, but what was the point of any of it if war befell them? If Domitius won?
Dani stretched out her legs in front of her and ran a hand over her stomach. "Do you think you can manipulate him?"
Kallie chewed on her bottom lip as she thought back to when she would try to bend Domitius’ will as a child.
"I—I’ve tried before," Kallie admitted, wiping her palm on her trousers. "But that was years ago, before I had truly gotten a grasp of my ability."
"What happened when you did?" Dani asked.
Kallie rubbed the back of her neck, trying and failing to work the kink out of it. "I couldn’t," she said, defeated. There was no point in bending the truth. She had failed every time.
Sylvia leaned forward. "Because you weren’t strong enough?"
Kallie winced as if she had been slapped. But it was true. Kallie hadn’t been strong enough. Although she now knew that wasn’t the only problem back then.
"I think Myra’s influence also played a part. Whenever I tried to command him, I would always feel like I was betraying him. But now that she no longer has a hold on me…" her words trailed off.
"Do you think you can now?" Ellie prompted.
Kallie folded her legs under her and considered it. "I think so."
"You think, or you know?" Dani asked, twisting her wedding band around her finger. "The difference is important."
Kallie’s gaze fell to her lap. She didn’t know if she had an answer to Dani’s question. She felt no attachment to Domitius, only rage and hurt. But was there any point in even contemplating this plan?
"Graeson will never agree to do this," Kallie said.
"Does he speak for you now, princess?" Ellie asked, brows arched.
"No, but—"
"But nothing," Dani said.
It was then that Kallie remembered Dani had defended her right to choose her path during the meeting.
Was Dani’s reasoning simply because she did not care about the dangers Kallie would face and would rather let her take the risk?
That should have been a warning signal, yet it didn’t prevent Kallie from considering it.
This was what she wanted. To choose, to fight. To do something right for a change.
"He doesn’t need to know," Ellie added.
Kallie blew a stray piece of hair away from her face. "He’ll find out. I can’t just sneak out of this castle without his notice while he boards the boat to Pontia."
The others exchanged glances, an unspoken conversation passing between them that Kallie wasn’t privy to. And Kallie didn’t know what she was more surprised by: that they had clearly discussed this already, that they wished to hide it from Graeson, or that Dani had not insulted her once.
A rueful smile rose on Ellie’s face. "That’s exactly what we were thinking."
"Well, with one slight modification," Dani corrected.
"Which is?" Kallie asked.
"I’m going with you," Ellie said, straightening.
"What? Why?" Kallie demanded. "The whole point is to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. I can’t promise your safety if you go with me."
Ellie cocked a brow as if the answer was obvious. "No offense, but I’m not sure your directional skills will even get you out of Tetria. You were passed out the entire time on the way here, so it’s best if you have someone who knows the way through the swamps."
"Plus, in case you need backup, Ellie is a good person to have around," Dani added, and the sincerity with which she spoke almost made it seem like she cared—at least marginally.
Ellie pressed a hand to her heart. "You flatter me, Danisinia."
Dani shoved Ellie with her foot, and Ellie barked out a laugh.
"I’m her best friend, you know," Ellie said, leaning toward Sylvia.
"Only in your dreams," Sylvia said with a playful eye-roll.
The corner of Kallie’s lip ticked up, but the smile didn’t stretch any further.
She ran a finger over the amethyst stone on her mother’s ring.
She had made a promise to Graeson that they would be honest with each other.
If she didn’t get on that boat, he would be furious.
But Lysanthia deserved a chance at freedom. He deserved to get to know his mother.
It was a risky move, but a move Kallie needed to make. Too many people had suffered because of her. If she had the chance to save the others and stop this war before it even began, she had to take it. If she didn’t, what would that say about her?
She did not wish to be the enemy anymore.
"Will you tell Terin?" Kallie asked.
"In order to get Graeson on that boat, I think we will have to," Dani said. "He can help sway Gray to let you go. If anyone can convince him to do that, it’s Terin."
Kallie nodded, but something about her expression must have given her inner turmoil away because Ellie nudged her with her boot.
"This is for the best," she reassured.
"I know," Kallie said solemnly. Still, she couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that was coursing through her veins.
"I know it’s none of my business," Dani said, shifting as though uncomfortable, "but have your feelings changed about the soul bond?"
Kallie blinked at the sudden change in topic. "I—I haven’t really had time to think about it."
Dani nodded, but there was something else there that she wasn’t saying.
"What is it?" Kallie pressed.
Dani drew light circles across her stomach. "He’ll hate me for saying it…"
"But?" Kallie prodded, nausea rising in her stomach.
"Tell her," Sylvia said, squeezing Dani’s wrist.
Dani took a deep breath. "No matter how this ends—whether you’re successful or a war comes—you two can never be together. Your paths…" Dani paused, her gaze bouncing across Kallie’s face as if she was unsure what to say—or really how much to say. "Lysanthia had several visions of the two of you."
Kallie didn’t understand what Dani was saying. She was lying. This was just another way to push her away, to encourage her to leave.
"This is really unnecessary," Kallie said, a sick twisting forming in her gut. "I already said I would go."
Ellie and Sylvia both refused to meet Kallie’s gaze, their attention focused on the sky as if something interesting floated in the clouds. Not even a bird flew in their vicinity, though.
"No, you don’t understand." Dani wiped her hand across her face. "I’m not telling you this to convince you to do anything. I’m telling you this because I care about him.
Graeson is one of my oldest friends. I can’t…
" She shook her head, her hazel eyes wet. "I don’t want to see him get hurt, so I’m telling you the truth because he won’t. "
"Why didn’t he tell me?" Kallie asked, still leery.
Dani released a heavy sigh. "Because in most of the visions Lysanthia had of you, you two do not end up together."
"Most?"
"All but one," Dani explained, holding up a single finger.
"As the odd optimist and hopeless romantic that he is, Graeson takes that single chance as a sign of hope. But you and I both know where the future is headed, that chance might have already slipped away. When Gray finds out you left, he will want to come after you because he is determined to hold on to that thin strand of hope. We hope he will be too late if he does. But if he’s not," Dani said, her fingers tracing her wedding ring, "don’t make him believe in some fairytale ending. Don’t make him convince you otherwise. "
"He won’t," Kallie said. She might not have changed her feelings about the soul bond, but she did not want to hurt Graeson.
Dani reached over and grabbed Kallie’s ankle.
Her hold was firm yet gentle as she stared at Kallie with sad hazel eyes.
"The soul bond is special, but when it’s gone, it destroys you in more ways than you can count.
" Her expression darkened, but it wasn’t with anger.
Rather, it was something harder, something deeper, something only someone familiar with loss could understand.
"This will feel like a betrayal, but my hope is that you see that the Fates have already made this choice for you—as painful as that might be. Better that both of you realize it now before you accept the bond and it’s too late. "