Falsified (Tarnished Book 2)

22 False Confidence

My body did not respond to the commands I tried to give it. Sighing, I found myself held up by my enemy. Ravela brought me here, but he held me as if I were precious. I glanced up at him. His eyes burned with worry like when I was the knight whom he saved. His strong arms held me close to him in fear I would fall to the stone floor.

"Why would you go this far for them?" His voice asked while I felt the numbness starting to wear off. "Your Highness, it was not necessary to press past your limits with magic."

I did not need to say anything, but he would be oblivious to the real me. I scoffed. "Here I thought you knew me better than anyone in Terra."

The Talons stared at that response, but I made up mind to protect those precious to me no matter what it cost me.

"Kid, what you did could've killed you." Mesmer scolded.

I smirked with the pain tracing along my muscles and spiking into my bones. Cringing, I glanced in his direction. "Death does not matter unless you're the one who gets left behind by it."

The Talons grew wide-eyed at that response. Each of them did not see the fragility inside me, the one I hid from those I cherished.

I stared down at the ground. "This world has torn me down, but I cannot destroy it. If I lost it, then I," I stopped short when I felt a harsh jab into my side. I bit my lip to stop the scream from coming out of me. "Damn luck!"

Ravela's grip had not loosened but I pushed him back from me. His face slackened with paleness. "Jaiden, you need rest."

I stood unevenly with the pain climbing up every muscle. "No, Ravela. What I did cannot be undone and I would not have it any other way. You care only for my power, not what remains after all this time." I clutched over my heart. The tears ran freely down my cheeks. "Stop this game of looking at me like some child who needs your protection. What do you want to take from me?!" I heard the pitch rise in my voice.

Ravela stepped in my direction. I retreated. He glanced away from me. "Even if I told you, it does not guarantee you will favor me in any higher respect." He glimpsed at my pain-ridden form. "Am I stupid old crow or someone you cannot spill your heart out to?"

Mesmer came to my side. He laid his hand on my shoulder.

I tore myself away. "You can tempt me with whatever you want but you will never get me to aid you. I love and hate this world, Ravela." My legs lost any sense of balance as I crumbled to the floor. "I sacrifice myself left and right for what I believe is right. Why do you hate this world and curse every person so lightly?"

"Kid, you have it wrong."

I stared up at Mesmer who bent down beside me. "Do I?" my voice filled with rage. "What you do is no different than murder, you would have killed Simon just to prove the weak never win. How blind do you believe I am?"

Mesmer sighed. "He wants to rid this world of pain. To do that he must do whatever it takes to correct the course the realms choose to follow. The only way for this world to change is if we destroy the people responsible for causing the damage of magic's disappearance."

I sat there for a long moment. "You are all tangled up in delusion. This world is in disrepair because of those who care for power and flaunt it on the weak. Magic would not have changed any of it. All magic has ever done for me is cause more agony to form inside me." I struggled to get to my feet and collapsed back on the ground. I kept trying, but no avail. "This world would not be falling apart if I were never born. I made a promise to my heart the day I returned home eleven years ago. I swore I would change the fate of this world with my hands, but I know the outcome will not be in my favor."