Nerves and fear had me curling one foot over the other, indecisive as to my next step despite there being no other option. All I was doing was giving their anger and my consequences a reason to grow.
Noticing I hadn't moved past the doors, the general stopped to frown at me over his shoulder while Rowan continued to shorten the distance between them. "Come," he ordered as though I was a trained dog. I was sure he wouldn't appreciate it if I bared my teeth at him like a wild one.
But I didn't. Because I wasn't a wild dog or wild at all. As much as I hated to admit it, I was trained just enough for his order to be effective. That training done by fear and pain had me moving my feet to catch up to General Amrod. I came to a stop a few steps behind him as Rowan closed the remaining distance.
Maybe that was why Silas's order to stay hidden and wait for him didn't stick for long. The fear he provoked when we first met must have dwindled. Or, I was just as stupid as I'd always been told I was. That was the plausible explanation.
"Captain Fómhar," General Amrod greeted Rowan as he came to a stand in front of him.
"General Amrod," Rowan returned with a nod as he widened his stance and clasped his hands behind his back, mirroring the general's stance. The few inches of height he had on the older man allowed him to look down his nose at him when the subtle raise of his chin.
Animosity crackled in the air as they stared each other down. It had me wanting to inch back from them in fear that I would get caught in the crosshairs of the hostility the two held for one another, but I stood fast.
"I found something that you seemed to have lost," General Amrod continued, not needing to point out that I was that something. "I took time out of my busy schedule to personally ensure that she made it back into your care."
"You shouldn't have, General," Rowan responded in an even rumbling tone. "I had it handled."
"Not enough to keep her from slipping away, it seems. A firm hand can go a long way to thwart useless escape attempts," he offered in unasked for advice.
My focus returned to Rowan, trying to determine if the pointer was one that he would use, but couldn't find anything to determine whether he was in favor of violence, or against it. His expression didn't change, remaining stony and unreadable, giving nothing away as to what was going on inside his head.
Rowan's eyes remained locked on the man before him. "I am aware."
General Amrod's flattened lips pulled down into a frown. "Yet, you fail in the application of such discipline."
"It is typically the weak that need to exert violence to elicit fear and the obedience that accompanies it."
My eyes widened at the thinly veiled insult that had General Amrod narrowing his eyes at Rowan. I took a step away from him when his clasped hands tightened until his knuckles grew white.
"All the more reason you should employ it. Playing nice hasn't gotten you very far, now has it, Captain?" The way he sneered the title made it sound like an insult. "You could have held the title years ago if you had taken a fraction of the advice I so generously keep providing. "
"There is no need for it. I prefer to employ respect over fear. Though harder earned, it yields greater results than fear."
"But in the end, like fear, respect doesn't do much to save one from an early grave, especially when it's aimed at the wrong Fae. I'm sure your unit must have had similar thoughts in the end."
The first crack appeared in the mask of indifference that Rowan wore. His jaw clenched as emotion flashed in his eyes. The display of agitation and fury only lasted for half a moment before his jaw grew lax and the crack sealed over, the mask of apathy back in place.
