If Stratagor Ziras doesn't kill me, my training program will!
Every day I wake up and go through the motions, but they've figured out that I'm not a Knight. I can't ride, I can't fight, I can't do magic, and worst of all, I can't see whatever it is...
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I sit on the sofa and let him continue to knock on the door. He knows I'm in here. He's not going to stop. I'm not going to answer.
A long Jonah shaped shadow slides under the door. He stays flat until he's draped across the sofa in front of me. Then he pops into his three-dimensional solid form. I've never seen him do it that way before and I think he's showing off to get a reaction from me. My reaction is anger because I would have liked him to do that when I could be impressed. Instead, I fold my arms across my chest and glare at him.
He sighs deeply and speaks first. "Are you really that mad?"
"Yes. What was your plan, to have Dathid smile at me until I bared my soul?"
A small smile crosses his lips. "No..."
"Well, it worked, and that's just infuriating."
He shakes his head but the smile doesn't leave. "That wasn't the plan. And the way he tells it, it didn't happen like that."
I rub my hand across the bridge of my nose. I don't understand why I'm so embarrassed, but I cringe when I think back at how vulnerable I was.
"Agatha, I meant what I said. I'll take you away. We can go to your familial estate, Rhomstead, or New York, or anywhere else you choose. You can live a comfortable life. But I think you owe it to everyone who has helped you to talk about what's going on with you. Why are you suddenly so determined to leave?"
A tear slides down my nose and I drop my head to hide it. A pointless gesture. He's next to me in seconds with an arm around my shoulders.
"No one will ever imprison you again. Kolomi didn't understand the ramifications of his statement. Your biggest adversary, Queen Ekecheiria, shot the idea down immediately. She's the one responsible for you and she never even considered it."
I shrug.
"I'm the Voornok. I have final say. You know I would never allow it."
"You're not here. They got rid of you."
"Agatha, look at me." He puts a finger under my chin and lifts my face until I look into his sad, red eyes. "You will never be imprisoned again. I promise you," he says it with such force I get goosebumps.
"I believe you," I whisper.
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to be alone for a while. I need to think." He wraps his other arm around me and gives me a big squeeze. It makes me smile even though I don't want to.
I open the door for Lenox after Jonah leaves. I haven't seen Albína all day. She's lying low, but I don't know why. Usually she's in my face about everything, so her absence is very noticeable.
"You like it here, right?" I ask Lenox. He ignores me to investigate the lack of food on the table.
"There's things I like, too. You being in my room. Albína taking care of me. Stryder. This room. Trelix can be nice sometimes. And Levise. But if I left, Jonah would be with me. Dathid would probably never speak to me again. Master Sarpedon would be disappointed."
