Different in the Dark

Chapter 3: One Match Can Make an Explosion

"Good job, guys," Angel congratulated. "We won."

Exhausted, unenthusiastic whoops and slow claps echoed through the living room.

Angel snickered. "What did we learn?" he asked, feet planted in front of the stained-glass wall, arms crossed over his chest.

Tobias leaned lazily on the island countertop. His glasses perched on the tip of his nose. He said, "Besides initiating the attack, their strategy hasn't changed. But it was sloppier than usual. It looked unplanned, improvised. The question is: why did they feel like they had to attack without a plan? What's the rush?"

"Talk to our spies," Angel instructed. "See what they've come up with." Tobias nodded.

"Now that we have the upper hand," Asael said, standing by the dining table, "we should start making demands."

"What kind?"

"Resources. They took everything when they murdered the late king. The least they can do is share." His tone was resigned, but his eyes were stormy.

"Orrr, we kill them all and take everything they have," Violet said with an upbeat voice. She smiled sweetly.

Angel ignored her. "What makes you think they'll agree to that?" he questioned Asael.

Asael picked up a deck of cards from the dining table and absentmindedly shuffled them. "They're on edge, and they're slipping. We shouldn't have won so easily. The president general wasn't as guarded as he usually is. And he was attacking more than he was giving orders. I didn't have the opportunity to speak to him. But I want to. I say we demand resources or promise to take them by force."

It was ironic. Emmalyn harbored only its palace and neighboring towns. While Nova's attacks and the weather had worn down the houses, the extravagance of the palace remained. They had comforts and luxuries Nova could only dream of. Showers and baths. Beds and sofas. Silks and wool—what remained from before Nova conquered Emmalynn.

Emmalyn contained trampled gardens and polluted water. Since most of Emmalynn's inhabitants lived in the palace, they'd used the last building resources to renew it. However, the townspeople still suffered from relentless colds due to improper shelter.

"They claim that their objective is to protect their citizens. They never know what we might do if they deny us. Or who we might be willing to drag down to make a point. For appearance's sake, they would have to comply. They couldn't risk the commoner's safety." Asael laid out a few cards.

Tobias noticed the pattern and sat down across from Asael. Asael smiled. Tobias didn't notice. He was too busy studying his hand.

They were playing a game Angel was taught the moment he learned how to read. It was a game of strategy and emotional intelligence. Learning that game taught Angel to be a good judge of character and an excellent deception detector. He hoped it made him a decent leader. Someone his father would be proud of.

Sudden sadness spilled into his mind, polluting it. He tasted the bitterness of grief and tired, sleepless nights. Sensing where his thoughts were taking him, he counted backwards from ten, breathing in. He breathed out, and his reverie dissipated. The faces of his friends and the palace's jade walls came back into view.

"Alright," he said a little too loudly, snapping back to the present. "Tomorrow, we rest. The day after that, Asael will talk to the president. Asael, who do you want to go with you?"

Asael looked at Violet.

"No," she said quickly, shaking her head. She looked at Angel, who was now smiling. "No, I'm not going anywhere with him."