Piercing Light (The Unruly Book 1) by Aster North

Author:Aster North [North, Aster]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

33

Xi’an

My announcement went over about as well as one would expect when talking about destroying the principal export of a country with that country’s king. Eventually, I convinced them to calm down enough to listen to my half-assed plan that hung on far too many maybes and luck. I’d never been a commander or general in any lifetime, after all. They had nothing better, though, so they conceded begrudgingly.

The ride home consisted of Zayn driving on autopilot as he retreated into his head, Juro napping, and Tok spinning his knife. Only Mint kept me company while she gazed out of the window, occasionally chittering or trilling at the sights. I didn’t bother joining her. It all looked the same to me, and it all hurt.

It hurt enough that the spot where my brother sat in the back of my mind hummed. I didn’t want to explain it to him. I couldn’t explain it. We’d seen so many horrors in our lives—most much, much worse than a salted or scorched landscape. So, how could I tell him why this little stretch of damaged land weighed on me? It would all come to an end eventually, anyway. Some day, the war—the real war—would begin, and that would make this small struggle for dominance between comparatively unimportant players look like child’s play. All I could do is send soothing vibrations to him, indicating that it was nothing. And, in the larger picture, it was nothing. So, why did it bother me so much?

I tried—and failed—to puzzle that out as we returned to the city. Even after we entered their apartment, the question hung in the back of my thoughts, but other things took precedence.

Things such as being harassed by Juro and monitoring Zayn. It began the moment we arrived. Shoulders relaxed, expressions softened, and movements became looser. Zayn’s first stop was the kitchen, while Juro pushed me into the living room. He disappeared into his room, so he could change. Tok dropped onto the sofa and laid there unmoving as he stared up at the ceiling. Mint leapt from my shoulder to the chair before scurrying off.

I settled in beside Tok, folding my legs to the side while I observed him. The echoes of clinking dishes and soft curses filled the room. Far different sounds than what I’d become used to, but they oddly comforted me. They were the noises of community. I took a few moments, not wanting to disrupt it.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to allow myself to enjoy it too much or become too connected to anything, so I blurted out, “You have work to do.”

Tok rolled his head, so he faced me. His half-smile didn’t match the heaviness I spotted in his eyes.

“We always have work to do,” he countered. “We’ve always had work to do. None of it matters in the end.”

Didn’t I just have this same thought?

He returned to staring at the ceiling while I sat there speechless. Tok didn’t seem the type to give up, but I had to admit I didn’t really know any of them well.

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