Inheritance

Chapter 16: Those Who Devour Both

Pollyanna was scheming.

She had to figure out a way to get rid of Kori so that her charge could rebuild the Arrozan line, and her own immortality would be secured again. If she killed the waif now, she would be going against Eory's orders which would cause her own death.

On foot, it would take them a few more days to get to the castle with plenty of time to spare to get to the ball on time. She had to stop that from happening, as she knew the ball must be some kind of trap. There was no way the king would ever free someone as dangerous as an Arrozan.

She walked a few paces ahead of both Eory and Kori and kept glancing back at them to make sure they were still there. Kori protectively gripped Eory's arm and told him to stay close to her.

When Pollyanna looked back, Eory would often look at her with eyes that were very fearful, and at other times... worshipful. She wondered just what the waif had told him about her.

She recalled his messy room with dozens of drawings of herself strewn about. Whatever the waif told him, it had caused him to revere her.

But why would she tell him such stories about me? Why didn't she teach him to revile me like she undoubtedly did his own family?

Pollyanna called to the pair who were lagging behind her, "come here, Eory—no, just Eory. You stay back there, waif."

Eory gulped fearfully and, with Kori protesting, caught up to Pollyanna's side and said with his voice barely above a whisper, "um... You have an arrow sticking out of your shoulder."

Pollyanna glanced at her shoulder.

"Oh." She said and yanked it out.

Eory had many things he wanted to tell her, but he didn't know how to say them.

She's gorgeous and graceful. Terrifying and protective. He looked up at her and did not see the things other people saw when they looked at her; where they saw a mass of ugly wrinkles and wild and unkempt gray hair, Eory saw clear, blue eyes, soft, luscious brown skin, and a gorgeous, silvery mane.

Eory gnawed his arm as he walked alongside her.

Pollyanna turned her nose up at the familiar disgusting behavior displayed by almost every single one of his family members she had known. He was incredibly nervous judging by how hard his teeth were digging into his skin.

"Why are you so nervous?" Pollyanna asked. Well, I suppose I did just kill a lot of people in front of him..

Your hair is like silver... Eory wanted to tell her but the words would not come out. "Well... You are holding me and Kori captive."

Pollyanna took a deep breath as she kept walking while keeping her eyes on the road. "Eory, I am on your side and your side only. That woman does not have your best interests at heart. Give me the word and I'll get you away from both her and the king. I'll find you a place where you can recuperate and rebuild an army of your own again to retake your throne."

Eory looked at her intently. He wanted to say yes to her just to impress her; he wished he knew how to impress her in general, but Kori never told him anything about love and he didn't know how to make her like him.

He couldn't say yes, anyway. He loved Kori too much and wanted to be good more than anything. "I'm sorry, Pollyanna. I want to go to the ball and show everyone I'm good so that I can be set free! I order you to come along and support me in that goal."

Pollyanna growled and took him by the shoulders. "Listen to me! There is no good and evil in this world! There are only the strong and the weak and those who devour both! Your family devoured both—they are the ones you want to aspire to."

Eory shrank from her powerful gaze and blushed at her firm touch. His knees shook, and, suddenly, he was back to being in his cage for a moment with no control over anything and just waiting to die under her judgmental gaze.

You fool. You own her. She can't tell us what to do. Taylor reminded him.

Eory cleared his throat and stood up straight. "You will obey my orders, Pollyanna! You will not harm Kori, nor me, nor anyone at the ball!"

Pollyanna stared him down for a long, silent moment.

She turned around and continued along the path after that moment without a word.

So you're weak, then. She thought to herself.