Tales from the Striga Realm: Playing with Fire

Chapter 11

"Where do I even begin, cousin?" Liv shrieked at Grayson, who had arrived at the hollow in a rather giddy fashion, only to greet a none-too-pleased Liv. "Could it be that you disappeared just when we were about to make a decision of critical importance to our safety? Or could it be that ever since we got here, your focus has deteriorated significantly to the point where a vengeful archer could have killed you and you wouldn't have noticed? No offense, Monica." "None taken." Monica replied.

"I had to warn her, Liv." Grayson replied. "Her life was in danger; what if Kent had struck again?" "I think," Tori said with a mild chuckle, "that you're using that as an excuse. In fact, if I didn't know better, brother, I would think you were in love with Coella."

"I want to protect her, Tori!" Grayson said, his face firm but his voice quivering. "And even if I was 'in love' with her, what is the problem with that?"

"One," Liv began, "it seems to deter your focus a significant amount. Two, it will lead you to get attached to her. And this wouldn't be a problem, except that you have now, albeit inadvertently, put her and possibly others in danger! Besides, what will happen if we have to leave and she won't leave, or if Ruther finds out, captures her, and uses her as bait? What then?"

"That would never happen." Grayson countered, now on the verge of tears. "I would protect her; I'd guard her with my life. But that doesn't mean I love her more than I love Viscose or Tori or you. In fact, she is as precious to me as you are."

"I know." Liv sighed, realizing that she was starting to upset him. "And I have no problems with Coella herself; in fact, if it's all the same to you, I like her very much and want her alive as much as you do. But I don't think the timing is right; in another time and place, maybe, but certainly not here and now."

As if on cue, the crunch of a weak branch broke the tension, and Grayson and Liv turned their heads to find what appeared to be Dianna awkwardly attempting to regain her balance. Almost immediately, everything in Grayson's being was on high alert, and he soon found himself shielding everyone in the hollow and preparing for an attack. Once again, however, the response was not what was expected.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Dianna said softly and calmly. "Sure," Viscose replied with a sneer, "little miss 'top on Veri's team.'" "Pellets!" Dianna cursed. "That reminds me..." And without further hesitation, she removed the Northumbrian armour she sported and chucked it into a nearby river, as if to show that she was Veri's no more.

"I hated Veri from the start." Dianna explained. "The only thing I hate more is what her and Columbiana turned me into. One of them must have given me this dumb name when I got to Northumbry-perhapsColumbiana, since she had brought me there in the first place."

At last, the pieces began to fit together in Grayson's mind. "You're... Adonia?" Adonia nodded solemnly. "What made you come around?" Liv chuckled awkwardly.

"I found one of Maris' old feathers a way off." Adonia replied. "It must have been Maris', because it triggered a memory I thought I had lost. But anyways; you do realize you guys are wanted fugitives, right?" "Yes, we figured that out a long time ago." Liv answered. "How bad is it?"

"Well, to put it mildly," Adonia replied, "Selene is now second-in-command, Veri brought her daughter in on the hunt, and I know Milana is her daughter, because she's a stone-cold killer. In short, you ineed to leave for safer pastures, like, NOW."

Upon hearing this, Grayson turned pale. "W-what about Coella?" He asked. "Coella?" Adonia answered. "Who the lamia is Coella?" "Oh, that's Grayson's girlfriend." Tori answered, apparently not realizing the context of the situation at hand.

"Oh, pellets!" Liv cursed before at last explaining everything to Adonia-finding Coella in the lake, learning her brother had tried to kill her and that he would strike again given the chance, and of Grayson's growing attraction to her. "In that case," Adonia replied after listening, "you're going to want to take her with you. Her and anyone else at risk."

Within moments, Grayson yet again flew out of the hollow. This time, however, no one had any cause to stop him.

*****

Grayson flew as far as the lake itself, in case Coella might be there. It was the sight of Kent, however, that greeted his eyes, and rage soon filled his veins and prompted him to attack.

"Wait, wait, WAIT!" Kent yelped, taken aback. "Are you... Grayson McHoff?" "What is it to you, you traitor?" Grayson snarled before launching himself again. "Stop, STOP!" Kent yowled. "I'm not going to hurt you or Coella! I'll leave you both unharmed on the condition that you hear me out!"

At last, Grayson's rage died down, and he backed away from Kent's throat. "Thank you." Kent gulped. "Listen, I never wanted to hurt Coella at all! Sure, when we were younger, I was jealous because she bested me at nearly everything, but when our mum died, I swore to Strig that I would protect her no matter what!"

"When I first met Julia," he explained further, "she was kind, friendly even, and she seemed to believe in me like no one else did. But it turned out, she was using me; she was a shiftslip for Ruther McHoff, leader of the Infernium. I found out because one night, I overheard a conversation between her and Dominic; the were plotting to kill our Da! You see, he witnessed Banshi's murder, and-"

"Wait a minute." Grayson interrupted. "Banshi, my mum, murdered? She died trying to resolve a skirmish." "A staged skirmish." Kent replied. "You see, when your da was young, your grandda sensed a darkness in him, and married him to Banshi in the hopes that she would cull that darkness. But four years later, Ruther met Columbiana, who was as corrupted as he was, and they had an affair. This, combined with Banshi's potential to cause dissent to his rule, lead him to consult Veri and Vicente, who then staged a skirmish on one of Ruther and Banshi's morning flights. When Banshi attempted to intervene, they attacked, tearing her wing off and ripping her neck open when she was defenseless on the ground."

"With her out of the way," he continued, "Ruther could claim Columbiana as his, and any possibility of Northumbrian dissent would die with her. At least, so he thought. But my da was a close friend of Banshi's, and he saw everything, so Ruther wanted them to kill him. So then, I volunteered to join in the hopes that staging Coella's death would keep them off my da until I could relocate him to somewhere where he would be safe."

"Wait," Grayson interjected, "you mean you... were faking killing Coella?" Kent nodded. "I dropped her when I knew it was deep enough for her to fall in, but shallow enough that she could touch her feet to the bottom; My plan was that, after I was initiated, that I would go back, get her, and relocate her as well. But when I came back, she was gone. I had panicked until I learned that you had saved her, so I faked being mad to prompt you and your friends to evacuate her and Da. Turns out, all I did was frake you off."

Grayson's head was now spinning in both disbelief and anger. His da had killed his mum? "It can't be." Grayson thought to himself. But it was.

"Look," Kent said. "All I wanted was to protect my sister. But now she's not going to listen, and I know that it's partially my fault. So I'm going to need you to get her and my Da out of here. Can you do that?" Grayson, dumbfounded, found himself nodding.

"Thank you. I'll give you as much time as I can" With that, Kent left, but not before turning to face Grayson and saying, "I'm sorry about your mum." But strangely, Grayson didn't feel pain or sadness.

Instead, he felt anger-anger that his da betrayed his mum, anger that he had lied to Grayson, and everyone, all this time. And now, he wanted the lying to stop. Now, he knew what went through Monica's mind when she tried to kill him, because now he was feeling what she felt.

Now he wanted revenge.