เข้าสู่ระบบVioletHe was right.I done it before.I had stood in front of a council, led an entire team into battle today, looked Grandpa Aelius in the eye, and asked him why he was giving up in front of Bloodstone Haven.It wasn’t that I couldn’t find my voice. We were long past that.Lumia hummed, making her presence known deep within me, and I could tell she was agreeing with every word Kylan said. Of course she was.“My biggest fear is disappointing all of them,” I said quietly. “I don’t want to get it wrong, and it feels like every single time I finally open my mouth and say what I think, that’s exactly when I make a mistake. So it’s easier to just…not.”Kylan’s hand found my waist, and our eyes connected. “Everyone makes mistakes, Violet,” he said simply. “I make them all the time. You’ve seen me make them.”I couldn’t argue with that.“And I don’t even know what mistake you keep talking about,” he went on. “Because from where I’m standing, you did amazing today.” He let out a light chuckl
VioletI had shaken so many hands by now that they had started to ache. It was the strangest thing to be happy about, but I was.I was just as happy, sitting on a log with Kylan by my side as we ate with what felt like the entire village watching us. All the others had already escaped, as did the younger villagers, so it was just the two of us.My eyes drifted to the bowl of vegetable soup that had been pushed into our hands. I stirred it, then took the smallest spoonful I could get away with.“And?” an elder woman asked. She had been watching me all evening and clearly wasn’t going anywhere until she had an answer. I took a bite, then nodded, barely savoring the taste. But it was Mom’s favorite, so I would like it too.“It’s good,” I said once I had swallowed. Then, because they were all still staring, I said it again. “It’s really good. Wow!” I gave a bigger reaction.Relieved looks passed between the villagers, followed by soft murmurs. Kylan let out a breath beside me and gave me
VioletMy eyes immediately traveled to the line of Soothsayers gathered near him. It had to be one of them.Aelius took a step forward.“Jason will speak for me,” Aelius said, surprising us with his next words. “Whatever he says, you treat as my own.”A murmur of agreement rolled through the villagers. Nobody looked surprised or offended. They had already expected it. Not even Jason seemed fazed by it.But the real question still remained. Why would Aelius suddenly decide to take a step back? He turned his gaze to me.“Regarding the realm,” he said. “That is not a matter for the village’s voice. It is a matter for the one who is stubborn enough to change what I have seen.”I blinked at him, hoping whatever came next would be one big joke. Why was he looking at me?“I doubted this child once. I am not ashamed to say it.” His voice dropped, gentler than I had ever heard it. “But today she stood in front of death and did not step aside. She was willing to die so that others would not.”T
VioletMy eyes darted back and forth between them.I could either go with Aelius and start building the plan I didn’t have or go with Varius and watch over Kylan while he faced Baelor again for the first time.Both of them were important to me, but I could only do one, and I couldn’t do the other at the moment.“Well?” Aelius pressed.“Well…”The words wouldn’t leave my mouth because I already knew my answer. To be honest, I’d known from the moment I was asked, and now all I could do was hope he would understand why.My throat had gone dry. I swallowed, but it went down wrong, sending me into a coughing fit. A chuckle escaped Kylan as he gave me a few pats on the back.Aelius watching me the whole time didn’t make the situation any better. A barely visible frown appeared on his face. “So you have made your decision,” he said. “I see.”His eyes weren’t angry. There wasn’t even disappointment in them. It was more the look of someone who had already seen it coming and wasn’t too surprise
KylanI let the cart handle slip out of my hand and took her wrists. Valerius had already found his way back. ‘She’s so tired of you, it’s not even worth the argument.’ He said lazily.“I am listening, Violet.”“Not always.” She shook her head. “I love you so much that I do not know what to do without you,” she said, her chest rising and falling with each word. “I cannot live without you,” she swallowed. “I don’t think you fully understand that you’re not only hurting yourself, but you’re hurting me too, and I need you to stop hurting me. Please.”My throat went tight, and my fingers trembled as they traveled to cup her cheek. She placed her hands on my own and pulled me down so she could rest her forehead against mine. “So next time,” she said, “before you decide to do things on your own again...think about me.” She pulled back and looked at me with steady eyes. “Promise me...you’ll at least think about me.”“I’m always thinking about you.” I kissed the tip of her nose and pulled her
KylanNeither of us said much as we walked back from the bus. We hadn’t said much on the way there, and there was even less to say on the way back.Violet was up front, leading the way to Bloodstone Haven. I trailed behind her, dragging a full cart with all our belongings.Her shoulders rolled as a quiet sigh escaped her, and my eyes burned into her back. I kept waiting for her to start.To turn around and finally let me have it, tell me exactly how selfish I’d been, how I never once thought about what it would do to her if I’d gone through with it.I would have taken it.Every word.But she didn’t. She carried the same calmness as before and just kept walking, like today had been an ordinary day. It wasn’t like her.That was the part that twisted something inside me. An odd, restless feeling that I couldn’t quite name. It almost scared me.A low chuckle slipped out of me before I could stop it. As soon as Violet glanced back over her shoulder, I held my breath.“What’s funny?” she as







