had
never seen Greco like this. The anguish he felt was palpable and she couldn’t
even begin to guess what was causing it. “Just tell me, Greco. Whatever it is.”
After a few deep breaths he
began. “When I was thirteen years old, after my mother told me for the
millionth time that I wasn’t worthy, I stole her ring. I knew what it was, what
it represented, and I wanted to take it away from her. I was going to sell it
at a pawnshop or something, but when I held it in my hand something told me to
put it on.
“That was my first trip to
Tritonia. I was terrified. I remember seeing the statue of Artemis and
thinking, ‘So these are the people who told my mother I was worthless. The
people that made her hate me.’ I hid in the trees so that no one would see me,
inching my way closer to the statue. I don’t know what I was planning on doing
once I got there—probably something stupid—but before I could get close I heard
voices. They were talking about you. They said that you were special. That you
were destined to save the world by stopping Daedric. That you were going to be
the greatest Amazon to ever walk the earth.
“I was so angry. All my life my
mother told me that I wasn’t worthy of being an Amazon. That I was an
abomination that should never have been born. Hearing them talk about you that
way made me hate them—and you.
“So I went back home and did
research until I found Daedric. That’s when I called him and told him about
you.”
Mirissa stared at him,
dumbfounded. He’d caused it all. Her mother abandoned her because of him. Her
father had been kidnapped because of him. She’d almost died because of him. And
he’d pretended to be her friend, her guardian. She’d trusted him with her life.
Greco placed his hand on her
cheek and whispered, “Please say something.”
Mirissa turned an icy gaze on
him. The utter shock she felt at what he’d just told her obliterated all other
thoughts of their current situation and caused an instant reaction. She slapped
him hard across his face and walked away. She kept walking until she was out
the door and far away from the man who had betrayed her.
Chapter 16
Mirissa walked aimlessly, fists
clenched at her sides. Although she was surrounded by the beauty of the historic
district of Savannah, she was too consumed by her anger to notice it. How
could he do this to me? All this time he’d been lying to her, letting her
believe he was helping her, when the truth was he’d ruined her entire life.
Tears streamed down her face as
she thought about what her life could have been. When her mom left her all
those years ago, she’d closed herself off to everyone. She’d been so afraid of
being abandoned again that she didn’t let anyone into her heart. Her best
friend for over a decade was a damn turtle.
Not to mention what it did to her
father. His whole life stopped that day. He gave up everything so he
could focus on Mirissa. For eleven years, his entire life revolved around
her, with no room left for his own.
Greco’s betrayal took away her
family. Her chance at a happy upbringing. And it had almost taken more
than that.
Her stride quickened as she
thought back to when she first walked into Daedric’s house and saw her father,
Lincoln, Black Jack, Grainger, and his wife tied up on that stage. That was all
because of Greco’s petty jealousy. Lincoln, her dad’s old SEAL team
member, was murdered right in front of her. He was a good man who was taken out
of this world because Daedric was trying to get to Mirissa.
A car horn brought her back to
the present. Taking in her surroundings for the first time since leaving
Alayna’s house, Mirissa found herself in one of the city’s squares—an oasis of
grass and trees in the midst of downtown streets. She parked herself on
an empty bench that overlooked the memorial to someone she didn’t know. A young
girl, who looked to be about twelve years old, walked along the cobblestone
path with
never seen Greco like this. The anguish he felt was palpable and she couldn’t
even begin to guess what was causing it. “Just tell me, Greco. Whatever it is.”
After a few deep breaths he
began. “When I was thirteen years old, after my mother told me for the
millionth time that I wasn’t worthy, I stole her ring. I knew what it was, what
it represented, and I wanted to take it away from her. I was going to sell it
at a pawnshop or something, but when I held it in my hand something told me to
put it on.
“That was my first trip to
Tritonia. I was terrified. I remember seeing the statue of Artemis and
thinking, ‘So these are the people who told my mother I was worthless. The
people that made her hate me.’ I hid in the trees so that no one would see me,
inching my way closer to the statue. I don’t know what I was planning on doing
once I got there—probably something stupid—but before I could get close I heard
voices. They were talking about you. They said that you were special. That you
were destined to save the world by stopping Daedric. That you were going to be
the greatest Amazon to ever walk the earth.
“I was so angry. All my life my
mother told me that I wasn’t worthy of being an Amazon. That I was an
abomination that should never have been born. Hearing them talk about you that
way made me hate them—and you.
“So I went back home and did
research until I found Daedric. That’s when I called him and told him about
you.”
Mirissa stared at him,
dumbfounded. He’d caused it all. Her mother abandoned her because of him. Her
father had been kidnapped because of him. She’d almost died because of him. And
he’d pretended to be her friend, her guardian. She’d trusted him with her life.
Greco placed his hand on her
cheek and whispered, “Please say something.”
Mirissa turned an icy gaze on
him. The utter shock she felt at what he’d just told her obliterated all other
thoughts of their current situation and caused an instant reaction. She slapped
him hard across his face and walked away. She kept walking until she was out
the door and far away from the man who had betrayed her.
Chapter 16
Mirissa walked aimlessly, fists
clenched at her sides. Although she was surrounded by the beauty of the historic
district of Savannah, she was too consumed by her anger to notice it. How
could he do this to me? All this time he’d been lying to her, letting her
believe he was helping her, when the truth was he’d ruined her entire life.
Tears streamed down her face as
she thought about what her life could have been. When her mom left her all
those years ago, she’d closed herself off to everyone. She’d been so afraid of
being abandoned again that she didn’t let anyone into her heart. Her best
friend for over a decade was a damn turtle.
Not to mention what it did to her
father. His whole life stopped that day. He gave up everything so he
could focus on Mirissa. For eleven years, his entire life revolved around
her, with no room left for his own.
Greco’s betrayal took away her
family. Her chance at a happy upbringing. And it had almost taken more
than that.
Her stride quickened as she
thought back to when she first walked into Daedric’s house and saw her father,
Lincoln, Black Jack, Grainger, and his wife tied up on that stage. That was all
because of Greco’s petty jealousy. Lincoln, her dad’s old SEAL team
member, was murdered right in front of her. He was a good man who was taken out
of this world because Daedric was trying to get to Mirissa.
A car horn brought her back to
the present. Taking in her surroundings for the first time since leaving
Alayna’s house, Mirissa found herself in one of the city’s squares—an oasis of
grass and trees in the midst of downtown streets. She parked herself on
an empty bench that overlooked the memorial to someone she didn’t know. A young
girl, who looked to be about twelve years old, walked along the cobblestone
path with
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