Falsified (Tarnished Book 2)

24 Pointless Daydreams

The wind rushed up at my turned back while I stared at Mesmer. He rushed over to the opening and stared at me. I could only imagine what he thought I was doing. I was aware of the drying tears on my cheeks when he noticed scrapes on my knuckles. He took my left hand in his lap to clean up the wound and a sunny glow formed around his hand. His glowing hand hovered over the wound and the scrapes faded. When his hand stopped glowing, I tore away my hand from him.

"Don't needlessly hurt yourself, kid. It troubles His Majesty that you would go that far."

"If I sit back because I get hurt, then I regret breathing at all." I stared at the height of the tower. It was a decent drop if I leaped down from here. "He should have expected me to go that far considering the parts of hell I have seen. My life should not be valued above others, but even in the end, no one I say that to listens to it."

Mesmer was less likely to hold my feelings against me, but the other talons would be more likely to do just that.

"So, you think getting rid of kings is better than to wait for wars to cease. Lord Ravela wishes wars to end too, but he does not involve himself in their pointless matters."

I scowled. "I noticed that in Dulai. However, no matter is pointless when people's lives are at stake."

"You two get along well." The Old Crow's voice interrupted. I turned my head back out the hole. "Mesmer, would you mind if I were to speak with his Highness?"

"Not at all, but he should take it easy." Mesmer got up and left the tower cell.

I felt the Old Crow's eyes at my back. "You gave me quite the show with your tenacity. I did not believe you would be as foolish as to expend your magic so forcefully."

"Tenacity?" I raised the question with a light scoff hanging on my breath. "It is not fair is it?"

"You appear to hate me." His hollowed-out voice stated the obvious fact. "I am not your enemy, Jaiden."

"That is what everyone says, but they are always wrong." I glanced over my shoulder briefly and then stared out into the courtyard. "You say my pain holds me back, but it is not pain. I know what it is. Everyone tries to tell me I am valued, but in honesty, I find I am useless to those around me. You would have killed my friend before, and I could not get on my feet." I dug my fingers into my trousers, and I felt a slash over my heart. "It almost happened again. I was about to lose the same way I lost in Eiyon." I stood up. "What is so important about me that those around me pay for my reluctance to submit? I want someone to destroy me before I ever submit to that nightmare."

Ravela crossed over to my side. "You have a rare gift. Do not squander it because you need to force it. It surprised me you appeared more delicate than before." I caught his eyes on me. "You feel you have failed before you try to divert the course of Terra's destruction. Without the magic in this world war will continue and so the strong will continue to overtake the weak. I need your power to renew not only the magic in this world but the world itself."

I took a step in the wrong direction as my balance gave way to the opening. I fell, but I did not care to land. I wanted to end this if my life is the price I pay to keep the world as it is, then so be it.

What a lovely dream you have. It can be like that again.

Suddenly, I created a mass of power under me. The wind curled up underneath and caught me. It set me on the ground unscathed by the fall. I stared around me but the voice I heard struck me.

All you need is to have hope that it will become a reality. The dream is not lost, but you have it in you. Make that reality, and you will stand as the one to unite this world.