where the thorns grow

CHAPTER TEN,

CHAPTER TEN | WHERE THE THORNS GROW

  THEIR MEETING WENT something like this: one of them, wrapped in a blanket, sat next to a flaming hearth, a cup of hot chocolate in hand that she clutched like it was the only thing saving her life. The other, dressed proudly in Wolf colours and clothes, looking down with equal parts curiosity and wariness.

  "Who are you?" he'd asked, even though he'd already known the answer.

  She'd replied, glancing up, a flicker of fear appearing in her eyes then disappearing, "Rhysa Jiang. Jiang Yaning. Who are you?"

  "You don't know who I am?" he'd asked, tilting his head, his mouth pulling back in a slight sneer. "I'm the Notus."

  Her gaze had been steely now, fully having composed herself and realising that he could do nothing against her. "That's a stupid name."

  "It's not," he'd replied, raising his chin. "At least I have one."

  She'd been silent for a moment, finally saying, "If I manage to join the Wolves, will I get a nickname?"

  He had shrugged. "If you manage to join—" which he knew was going to happen but didn't want her to have the satisfaction of knowing "—you'll get to pick one. If not? No."

  "I'll get in," she had said, almost a bit arrogantly, eyes gleaming with determination. He'd lowered his head then, unsure how to react to her confidence. Ronan had been brought in for his own interview. Rhys had already completed hers. The daren must have already known they'd be put in a partnership, he himself had only been there for around four months by then, still a relatively new recruit in the training phase.

  What he saw that put the two in a good group, Dom still had no idea. Once this was all over and things started calming down, he'll ask. Not before that, though, he was considerate, though it might come as a surprise to some people.

  "How are you so sure?" he'd asked, almost curious. He'd never met anyone like her, it almost felt as if she came from another world. She hadn't muttered an inch about her background, though he'd automatically assumed she was Saian because of her name, even after the daren admitted to him one night two years later that he'd never found her name in any record, so she had to be lying about it. But it wasn't the mystery. It was the way she held herself, the way she'd shown up in rags yet still somehow looked like one of those female warriors in the wuxia novels he read, fighting alongside the main hero. She was beautiful—he'd noticed that from the start—and, in his mother's words, yi shen ao gu. An entire body of confident bones, never willing to back down, prideful but not arrogant.

  She'd replied, calmly, "Because there is no other option." Back then, he'd thought it was overconfidence. He'd thought she was trying to bluff so that she didn't seem scared. Now, looking back, it probably was an admittance. That she had no other path to go down. That joining the Wolves was her only choice.

  But what was she running from?

  Six years down and he still had no true idea. He'd made guesses, but they were all completely unbacked by evidence. Until perhaps now. But the Meliqueans? What would they have to do with Rhys? A fear of them was natural, they all harboured a bit of it in their heart, but Rhys' level was extreme, especially for her. She was usually the fearless one, the reckless one, the brave one. The one who wouldn't think twice about heading headfirst into danger if it meant making a good difference in this world.

  So, it all boiled down back to this: Rhysa Jiang, a name that might not even be hers. Where was she from? What was she running away from? Who was Ronan to her, and why did they come together, be so close? She'd come here knowing how to fight and use her powers—who taught her? Why did she run in the first place? Perhaps it was his own bias, but there seemed to be very few things that would send Rhysa Jiang running. She wasn't a coward. She was the kind of person who'd stand and defend what was hers even if she knew she would die. She'd never been afraid to gamble her life, and so far she'd succeeded.