Fate and Destiny (The Fated Series, #2)

Chapter 72 - Rohana - A Slow Walk Into Darkness

Darius was furious at Roseia for it, hence the spout of fire. Kat walked into the tent to find a seating pillow on fire, Darius frantically putting it out, Roseia yelling, Clarice looking like a hollow corpse with her kohl smudged, and the rest of us standing about the tent, all fed up with trying to argue anymore. Of course, Clarice's smudge makeup was the only thing she cared for at that moment. She near dragged Clarice over to the towel and bucket of water to clean the mess and then fix it. Then she heard what Roseia was trying to do, and practically chucked the bucket of water at the girl's head.

I'm beginning to think that none of us are the best people that Roseia and her siblings should be surrounded by. We're all incredibly violent when we don't get our way.

It's four hours past noon, and we'll stop in about two to make camp and allow everyone to rest before we set out at dawn again. I'll admit, the castle was beginning to feel cramped and stuffy, but compared to how stiff I'm going to be when we do make camp, and then the soreness and tiredness I'll feel come five days' time...I'll take the castle.

The two hours go by painfully slowly. Clarice doubled both her complaining and shifting count by the end of the first one. By then I was irritated with my own numb ass and so desperately needed her to settle down before my irritation turned into unrelenting anger with nowhere to vent to. I was millimeters away from snapping when I caught sight of Darius and his oddly too content-settled face. I envied his relaxation and easy demeanor, so I decided to try and smother it.

"And what is it you expect me to do, exactly?" Darius asked when I asked him to busy her.

"Talk to her, or play with your powers together - I don't know, just keep her from exploding my head."

"Exploding your head?"

He gave me a smirk, enjoying the fact that I was so riled, which only made me madder. "You may be my King, Darius, but that does not exempt me from shoving you off of your horse."

He laughed, I clenched my fists and kept myself from doing just that, and then he and Clarice fell into a labyrinth of constant flowing conversations with laughs, awkward silences, and the more than casual glances that always said more than just, "I'm content."

I could see just how much Clarice wants so badly to understand what she feels, and I'd like to tell her but...but things are complicated, and telling her would only make it more complicated. They conversed for the second hour, all up until General Priamos said it was time to make camp. A time, I may add, in which we all were relieved had come.

Now we're all arguing. And there are multiple arguments.

Darius is arguing with Thomas, Garrison, and the Generals about them setting up a tent for him and Clarice to sleep in. My sisters and I are arguing with the rest of the Bhaltayr about who's taking the first watch, and then how the shifts will go from there. And then there's Víđarr who has left his pup form to take up his alpha one, arguing that everyone needs to just knock out and sleep. He's literally stomping his front legs and growling when someone argues.

"We can last days without sleep and still fight perfectly fine. We take first watch and take the longer shifts," Nilsa states calmly, standing out in sharp contrast to her spread-out legs, crossed arms, and strong gaze that says she's more than prepared to knock them all out forcefully and take the shift.

"Just because you have powers and an immortal lifespan, doesn't mean you can sideline us mortals because you think us weak," Ozzie argues.

"We're not calling you weak," Vanya says gently.

"Great. Then we take first watch," Mal decides.

"No-"

And on and on and on they argue, all the while Vlad and I stand and listen.