Squire by Payton Cavallo

Author:Payton Cavallo [Cavallo, Payton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-02T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Looking down at his blood relative, Cenric felt a niggle of guilt swell in his chest. Craeft’s form was so still as he lay on the bed, only the rise and fall of his chest indicating that he was still alive, a bright red scar plastered across it like a statement against Cenric. He laid in a hospital bed, the triage having been dismantled with less and less people coming in, and the bright white light from the enchanted flames above them made Craeft look all the paler.

‘Not a real Proudhill are you?’

The memory was like a cut into him like the blade did to Craeft, the guilt bleeding out of him just like his cousin had bled out onto the ground. It hurt to remember it, and hurt his pride to admit it, but he had been wrong when he had judged his relative back then. His actions, protecting a member of his family, one that had treated him like garbage back at the academy, had proved him worthy of being a real member of the Proudhill family.

Yet as he thought that, all the memories of the time he had tormented his relative filled his mind.

All the little incidences at the academy added up, and it pained him to remember them. All the times he had derided his relative, whether it be for his family or his heritage. All the times he had scorned him, spreading his reputation as a penniless bastard child around. All the ways he had degraded him for the six months he knew him, without even getting the chance to really know him.

It burned him like the element he controlled. A bit of smoke left his mouth as he sighed, running a hand through his hair as the frustration left him, if only slightly.

“A-are you okay?” His teammate Demora asked, the girl standing in the doorway, peering at him behind those glasses of hers with those bright blue eyes. Cenric wanted to say that he was, say that she should just leave him alone, but he didn’t want to be alone, not when he felt like a piece of trash. “I-if you need, I can go grab one of the nurses and we can get you something. I’m sure with the state your cousin is in, they’ll be able to-“

“Demora, come here.” The girl did so, seeming to be used to being commanded. He couldn’t tell whether it was due to the commanding officers having knocked any sense of resistance out of her or since he was the team leader, she followed him, or the way he spoke. She said his yelling reminded her of her mother one time, before her brother had brought her out of that situation. At the time, he had seen fit to ignore that and yell anyway, but now…after what Craeft did, it gave him time to reflect and realize a few things. “Would you say I’m a bad person?”

“I-I wouldn’t say that.” She started to stumble with her words, Cenric’s patience wearing as thin as her confidence was.

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