A Most Dangerous Weapon

Chapter 66: Love and Heartbreak

"What were you thinking?!"

"Apparently I wasn't thinking, so can we just move past this?"

"No, you don't just get to wave this off like it never happened. You could have been caught by Maximus! In fact, you were! What do you think would have happened if we didn't find you in time?!"

"I don't have to wonder. Maximus made his intentions very clear."

"How am I supposed to keep you safe if you take every opportunity to evade my assistance and freely fall into trouble?!"

"I already said I'm sorry!"

"Not only did you put yourself in danger, but you put the rest of us in harm's way as well! What if we hadn't realized you'd disappeared? Maximus' army could have found our camp and butchered us all in our sleep! What of your plan then?! Who would be left to kill the royal brothers if we'd all perished before even having the chance to raise our swords?"

"I realize that-"

"We're strong, Candra, but only if we're prepared! Our numbers are low so we need to maximize on the element of surprise! We can't have the Emperor knowing that we have a force of our own!"

"He didn't find out!"

"But he could have! Why didn't you think this through before taking off in the middle of the night?! You're usually more meticulous than this..."

Arlo and I had been arguing for the past fifteen minutes like this. The journey to the newly designated campground was one of silence and tension, and then the moment we all walked into the clearing I was pulled aside for a private chastising by the man looming over me now. His questions were often repetitive since my responses were fairly vague. I really didn't have a justifiable reason for my stupidity.

"I just needed to make sure that he was there." I said for what felt like the hundredth time. "He had to be here in Galacia if our plan was going to work. I have to kill him, Arlo. I can't let him get away with this any longer!"

"You should have talked to me first."

"You would have stopped me from going!"

"You're damn right, I would!"

"So what would have been the point?!" I throw up my hands, exasperated.

He lets out a tired breath before finally sitting down next to me. "If you'd convinced me then at least you would have had someone to accompany you."

"Are you saying there was a chance that you would let me go?"

"No. But the point is that you didn't even try, Candra. You used to tell me everything, but now you're just making decisions on your own. If something's bothering you, then let me help you." He pleads like a loving father.

I rest my head on his shoulders and close my eyes. "I'm sorry, Arlo. You're right; I should have talked to you first."

That seems to be the end of our argument. We were both tired of yelling and feeling bad enough about the whole situation already, so we wordlessly decided to finally let it go.

Arlo's voice later takes on a more soothing fatherly tone instead of the berating kind. "How have you been feeling lately?"

I instantly knew what he was referring to. I wasn't in the least bit angry with him for bringing it up. I liked his concern for me. "The nightmare still haunts me but I choose to ignore it for now."

"And your father?"

"Still creeping around at inconvenient times, but I've learned to just accept it."