The day of the finals arrived, and from where Isadora stood, she could feel the earth tremble from the cheers coming from the arena.
Isadora’s nerves worked her to the core. She was unable to leave her room although she had prepared.
She hadn’t spoken to Rav since that day and he had already left for the arena. Maybe he was sad because she still wanted to go through it. She disappointed him again.
The idea of that only fueled her distress.
Isadora walked back and forth, her fingers fidgeting. To ease her anxiety, she wrapped her hair in a bun multiple tis to make it tight, did her bracers five tis, and checked if she was carrying her swords.
But this was stalling ti, ignorant, to the fact that she had chosen this path.
To beco sothing... more. To defy her impure blood and prove to everyone she was every bit of Fae.
Yet, the mont she had awaited ca forth and she couldn’t go through with it.
Her hidden fears were spiked, even the ones she’d forgotten. All weighed on her like a heavy burden on her shoulders—suddenly too heavy and got harder to keep straight.
"Co on, Isa!" she growled.
But she couldn’t progress ahead, it was too much to keep calm and the cheers that always seed to bring life to her body beca a demotivation, a piercing headache to her forehead.
Her breath grew ragged and unsteady. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.
’I never should have given birth to you!’
Isadora groaned, holding her head.
It was her mamma’s voice. A woman who birthed her but never once accepted her as her child.
It’s been fourteen winters since she last heard her monochro voice. She thought she’d barely rember it but the mind had a way of weakening the body when it was ti to make a drastic change.
’The gods have cursed . Almadra, the Allmother of all birth has damned with you. You should have died when I brought you to this world!’
"No... please stop." She slid down to her butt and pulled her knees to her chest. "Please not now."
Why was she rembering this right now?
The pain in her chest intensified as her momma’s piercing words forced their way through her.
’You’re a cursed child.’
’I only left you alive because I needed the chores done.’
’Co! Attend to your brothers, the least you can do is be useful.’
’Isadora! Where are you, Isadora!’
’ISADORA!’
"Stop, stop, stop!" She pulled on her hair, teeth clenching. "Get up!"
But she couldn’t, she was pinned to that spot, left to be swallowed by her mind.
Maybe Rav was right, she couldn’t do this, she should have dropped out when she had the chance.
A faint gush of wind brushed against her cheeks. She opened her eyes and found a cloak of dark weaves around her. It silenced the thoughts, chasing them away until everything was just... still.
In an instant, it compressed around her and swallowed her whole.
~♧~
When Isadora opened her eyes again, roaring wind grabbed her attention, and her body lurched toward the edge of the mountain.
A yelp escaped her as she almost fell to her death—until a strong hand grasped her waist, yanking her back against a solid chest.
Isadora stilled, knowing exactly who was behind her. There was only one person capable of drawing her to the thin line between life and death.
Slowly, she arched her head back and found silver orbs locking down on her ambers.
"Which will it be, love?" he asked. "A one-way trip toward the bottom that might take hours to reach or stay by my side."
This was not an option and why was he letting her make such a decision?
"By your side... is already an invite to death, it’s one way or the other."
He tilted his head to the side. "That is not an answer."
"What answer do you want from ?" She twirled swiftly and faced him even though his hand was no longer on her waist, she stood dangerously close to the mountain edge but wasn’t afraid of falling.
"Push yourself and settle your thirst!"
He narrowed his eyes at her words.
"Is that not what this thirst of yours entails? You’re not mad, Kraven, you’re just burdened."
Her life flashed before her eyes when he grabbed her throat and leaned her back to the edge, her body and life hanging by that one hold.
"Just because you got a peak in my head doesn’t an you know a damn thing!" He seethed.
’I didn’t an to,’ she thought, wanting to voice those words but she couldn’t.
"Cat got your tongue, Isadora?"
"I-I didn’t an to..." She obliged. "And I shouldn’t have."
"Yes, you shouldn’t."
In a heartbeat, he pulled her closer until their noses almost touched, her boots balancing on their tips to reach his height.
With clenched teeth, he said. "My burden is mine... and don’t think for a second that you carry it."
She trembled under his hold, not because of him, but the cold seeping into her skin, and her cheeks and nose flushed.
The look suddenly reminded Kraven of the last image that had pledged his mind for days—the image of her dead body.
Just at the recollection, his blood boiled. He had always wanted her life just as he desired for everyone else around him. But when he finally saw her lifeless body with his own eyes... he knew she would be free.
Kraven leaned to her ear, his breath brushing against her skin and chasing away the cold. "I don’t want you to be free of ..."
Isadora’s heartbeat spiked at his confession, his tone was heavier and the gravity of it was more... real.
"So I’ll decide" His grip around her neck eased. "You’ll not die today... you’ll not yield. Do you know why, love?"
"Why?" she asked softly, unable to look away from him.
A smirk curled on his lips. "Because you made a promise to ..." he purred. "When the ti cos, you’ll drive your blade into my chest."
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