“Of course I do! I just…” He drops his shoulders, staring at the floor. “I want to question it. I want the article to be wrong, but this isscience!This has been tested for who knows how longor how many times. Besides, we've seen how violent they are. We were in one of those attacks, remember?”
I ball my fists. “Those incidents don't define a whole kingdom!”
“But it doesn't help when that's all you see of them, and then you get evidence of it being encrypted into their DNA.”
No. There has to be a way to disprove him. “Then why would you want the article to be wrong? There has to be a part of you that doesn't believe it.”
He becomes silent, directing his gaze to the floor. Thereissomething that makes him hesitate.
“I encountered a dreamscreecher…” He says when he makes eye contact again. “The dreamscreecher didn't harm me. I almost got to touch it before it ran off.”
Yes, and I thought that would have led him to the truth. “And you still believe those lies over what's in front of you?”
He shakes his head. “It's hard to believe when there's evidence. I'm not a scientist. I don't study this stuff. And there's no way grandmother would have people lie about this stuff. Who am I supposed to believe?”
There's a jab in my chest, along with my cheeks flushing. I should've known. I should've known the prince of Amara would be so easily brainwashed again. “You're doing exactly what they want you to do. They want you to keep your mouth shut because youaren't a scientist, Amias. You're a stupid naive little boy. You don't know shit!’That's what they want you to think!”
“ Mind you that I'm doing my best here!” He scowls. “You know how much distress these creatures have caused my family? What they have caused for the kingdom? I know a poor girl who's family is in the grave because of those creatures! I've heard countless stories about how dreamscreechers have done nothing but destroy! You can't expect me to switch up so easily!”
“Why? Because you'll hurt their feelings?” I tense, the desire of changing into my dreamscreecher forms bubbling in my stomach. My teeth dig into my tongue and my fingers ache to become paws.
No matter how loving they are, never,and I mean never, trust an Amarian.
How many times does Amias need to prove me wrong before I actually listen to my father? I keep expecting things from him to be different, but he's clearly like everyone else.
His brows lower. “Maybe if you knew people who have suffered from these creatures, you would understand.”
“And maybe if you were listening, you would know not all dreamscreechers are like this!” I feel as though my skin would burst. “If you want to believe otherwise and be stupid, then get out! I don't want to be around you.”
He twists his lips, his feet planted on the floor. After a few seconds he finally sighs. “Fine. I don't need to be surrounded by your delusions anyways.”
I turn away before he walks out the door. If I had looked any longer, I might've slapped him. How could he be such a fool? How could he think that way?
I storm to my bed and throw my body on it. I can't believe that is what they teach these people. For a kingdom of love, they are fucking ruthless.
If this is all considered love, then I've certainly read the wrong definition somewhere.
???
I bent my knees, expecting to bolt at any moment. Or to freeze in panic. I really didn't know how to feel if he found what I thought he would find.
I was outside of a shabby house, the wood peeling and the roof caving in. Clarissa had been missing for days now, and it worried Kaius and I. We knew she went to visit her family, which she wasn't allowed to do in the first place, and we had covered for her.
But seeing as she hadn’t come back yet, Kaius and I had to check.
Kaius insisted he'd do it. I insisted I could handle it if we found her dead, but he didn't want me to deal with seeing that. So I watched from the outside, as Kaius crept past what you could barely call a living room.
The floor creaked as Kaius made his way forward slowly. "Claris,-"
He took a deep breath, before his arms twitched. He picked up his pace, and went to the farthest door, yanking it open. At the entrance, he stood still and gasped, his trembling arms falling to his sides.
I stood still in the silence that followed, the scent of blood reeks the air… as well as the familiar smell of mint….
Ice crawls up my back.
Clarissa…
I knew what was in the room. Thankfully Kaius' back blocked my view. I didn't want to see how mangled she was.
