The Fire that Ignited the Storm (The Warrior Queens book #2)

Chapter 18 - Victoria

Victoria stood in front of her father's desk. Her heart raced and her palms were sweaty. She silently cursed the fact she was twenty-three and her father could still make her feel this way.

Abel was sitting behind his desk, tapping his pen against the desk. He wore his usual attire – a smartly pressed suit.

"I was quite enjoying my trip until I got a telegraph telling me there has been a fire and the sanctuary has collapsed. A sanctuary that wasn't supposed to be open until December. Please tell me why you thought it was a good idea to open it two months early?" he said.

"The longer we waited the more Enchanters were put at risk. I didn't want to wait any longer" Victoria said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"So you thought it was your place to authorise that decision? It's my understanding the steel frames weren't arriving for another three weeks".

"They used Xenocidus" Victoria murmured.

"Speak up Victoria. I told you I hate mumbling" Abel said.

"They used Xenocidus" Victoria raised her voice. "I bought Xenocidus"

Abel stared at her, silent. His eye twitched and his face turned red.

"Xenocidus? The metal that cost 3000 sterlings an ounce?"

"Father I was only thinking about-"

"I don't want to hear it. Our yearly budget is 2 million sterlings. You have single-handily bankrupted the AIA"

Victoria shook.

"I'm sorry"

"You do realise it will take months to rebuild the sanctuary. We'll be lucky if it's open by next year. That's if we find any more money for the project. I'm disappointed, Victoria. I thought you were ready to handle responsibility. Clearly I was wrong" Abel said before dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

Victoria barged in her house that night with a vile feeling her in stomach. Her father had yelled at her as if she were a misbehaving child. All she wanted was to protect the Enchanters. This was the thanks she got?

Her father didn't think she was ready for responsibility? He chastised her like he'd never made a mistake.

Victoria stared a portrait of her graduating to a level 6 agent. Her father stood by her, with such pride in his eyes. He'd probably never look at her with pride again. The thought filled Victoria with such a rage. She ripped the photo off the wall and smashed it against the cabinet. The glass window of the cabinet cracked. She put her fist through it and took the ornaments out one by one she smashed them on the floor. It was only she looked down at her bloodied palms she stopped.

What have I done?

Nicholas did not question her bandaged hands. Victoria was glad. She didn't know how would explain her sudden rage – not when she didn't have an explanation herself.

"I take it your father didn't take the collapse of the Sanctuary well?" he said as they walked down the street.

It felt strange to be out in ordinary clothes – a petticoat skirt and a cardigan. No places to put her weapons. What if they came upon trouble? They'd be completely unprepared.

"I don't want to talk about it" Victoria said.

"Ouch. That bad?"

Victoria just gave him a look.

"Look maybe it wasn't the best decision you've ever made but you did it with good intentions. You just wanted to protect people that's all you ever do. You've been stressed this year what with Erebus, the camp, Adelaide's trial, the Camicazi, now this sanctuary. A normal person would've collapsed under that amount of pressure"