I clutchthe folded letter against my chest as I make my way through the maze of tents. Warriors cast curious glances my way, but I keep my gaze fixed ahead.
Asha’s tent stands at the center, larger and more imposing than the rest. Two guards flank the entrance.
I stop in front of them and speak in a steady voice. “I need to see my sister.”
They exchange a brief look before one nods and pulls back the flap. “You may enter.”
Torchlight greets me as I step inside, where Asha sits behind a desk.
My hem trails the ground as I take a step forward and hold out the letter. “I wanted to give you this.”
Her eyes drop to the folded paper, and for a moment, she doesn’t move. Then, she sets down her quill and accepts the letter. “What’s this?”
“Please read it.”
Hope blooms inside me as she opens the parchment and scans the lines—lines where I bared my soul and begged for us to find another way. Yet, her expression remains unchanged, and my hope wilts like a flower buried beneath snow.
She folds the letter and sets it on the desk. “Do you think I’m so weak, so biddable?”
Stunned by the sharpness of her tone, I blink and stammer. “I-I didn’t mean—”
“—didn’t mean what?” Her stare pierces me as she continues. “To question my decisions? To undermine my authority?”
“I only wanted to—”
“—to what, Annora?” She rises from her seat, the maps rustling as she pushes away from the desk. “To plead with me like I’m some child who doesn’t understand the consequences of war?”
My fingers tremble as I lace them together. “I care about you. About our people. There’s still time to find peace.”
“Peace?” A bitter laugh escapes her. “You speak of peace while our enemies plot our downfall. You’re naive.”
“I’m not naive. I just believe in a different path.”
“Your beliefs won’t protect us. They won’t avenge the lives we’ve lost.”
“This isn’t about vengeance,” I say. “It’s about breaking the cycle.”
“The cycle?” She scoffs as she crosses her arms. “Spare me your idealistic notions. The world doesn’t bend to wishful thinking.”
“Asha, please. Listen to me.”
“Enough!” Her voice cuts through the air like a spear. “You’ve always been this way—living in your sketches and fantasies and ignoring the harsh realities of the world we live in.”
Each one of her words stings, but I refuse to back down, to cower.
“You used to value my perspective.”
“That was before I realized how detached you are from the truth.”
I swallow hard. “I thought we were in this together.”
“Together?” Long hair brushes against her shoulders as she shakes her head. “You’re a liability, Annora. Your hesitation, your softness—they make you weak.”
“Because I refuse to let hatred consume me?”
“Because you refuse to grow up.” Anger flashes in her eyes and etches into her every words. “The world isn’t a fairy tale. It’s ruthless, and if we don’t act, we’ll be crushed.”
I take a step back, the distance between us widening in more ways than one. “I won’t apologize for wanting to save lives.”
