Incompetence and Rage
1130 Words
Chapter 20: Incompetence and Rage.
Aria's POV.
I watched as he turned around, bracing myself to see more. If that got to him, then he had to just wait for what I had in store.
“What did you just say to me?” His eyes were in slits now, bloodshot. He looked like something dark had just passed over them. I looked at him, ignoring the fear.
“I just said, you are incompetent, just as incompetent as me, because a good leader would stay in the war and wouldn't be here telling somebody else how incompetent they are. I mean, your men are out there risking their lives, and you're playing angry woman.”
He stepped towards me and soon he was walking towards me at full speed, hands out, ready to do something, whatever that thing was.
“You did not just say that to me.” His hands wrapped around my neck and squeezed. I gasped, reaching for air. My breath caught somewhere. I couldn't breathe. I was sure I couldn't breathe.
Consciousness was seeping out of me slowly. He was screaming, saying something, but all of it was intelligible. My brain wasn't catching wind of whatever he was saying. Everything blurred, and then I was drowning and drowning.
“Aria, are you okay?” Damon shook me, cupping my face. “Are you okay?” He tapped my face lightly, willing me to come back from wherever I had been drowning to. I tried to breathe again and found that I could, and then I took more and more until the room finally cleared.
I opened my eyes, and he met them, concern full in his eyes and on his face. I'm very sorry. I'm very sorry he did that to you. I don't know what happened.
“Well, I do. I know what happened. I will show you what competence is. You do not talk to me like that. You do not talk to me like that.” He ran for me again, stopped by Damon. He was screaming now, absolutely hysteric.
It was then that the fear settled in me.
Kael could actually kill me, and it looked like he wanted to at that very moment.
But I couldn't back down.
I couldn't say sorry.
He needed to know that he, too, was capable of incompetence. He needed to know that not just he was not just a judger, but could also be judged. He needed that more than anything, and I was going to give that to him, whatever it took.
“I've already given you more than enough reason why you're incompetent. Trying to kill me doesn't show that. Trying to kill me only goes to show how much more incompetent you are, because if you were so good at murdering, then you'd be in war.” I increased my volume, out of breath.
“And if, after everything I've said, you're not going to check on your men, then there is definitely something wrong with you. There is definitely something wrong with your leadership.” He looked just about ready to explode now.
I was taking deep breaths, readying myself for whenever his scuffle with Damon would end and he would win, and he would come at me, ready to send me to an early grave. Soon enough, Damon turned him around and screamed right back at him.
“You know what? I think we have had enough. So much for telling people when there's a soap opera going on. Seems like you're the main star. Go back to your chambers, take a bath, and get some rest. You've done just about enough for tonight.”
Damon sounded much more commanding this time. There was authority in his voice. There was never authority in Damon's voice when talking to Kael. Kael was usually the one with authority.
I smiled beside myself.
It was nice to see someone finally standing up to him.
It was just nice to see something different for a change.
Our eyes met, mine and Kael. He saw the smile on my face and his fury only quadrupled. I smiled again, wanting to elicit some more emotion out of him, see how far I could get him before he realized himself.
And then he did.
He looked down at himself and then at Damon, and realized just how bad things had gotten for him. He hadn't so much as coughed more than once around me, and now he was screaming at the top of his lungs, unable to control himself.
The look I saw on his face next was one of surprise, like he couldn't even believe he was capable of it in himself, like he was watching an entirely new person act out and be crazy. I looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes again.
And it was in that moment, with all of that surprise, that he turned around and left the room.
As he walked out, he stopped at the door again and looked at me, and beside myself once again, our eyes met.
And now all I saw was disappointment.
He didn't look like he liked what happened. He didn't even look like I had challenged him. He just looked like he couldn't believe I had done this to him. And with that, he turned around and left.
“Damon, please report to my chambers now.” It was the first time he was saying please. Damon turned to me, shocked, and looked back at the door. I saw him do a double take, looking at me, still trying to regulate my breath with the huge gash on my leg, and looking at the door like Kael was still standing there, waiting for him.
I saw a realization catch in his eye. He got up, muttered some gibberish apology, and left. Just as he walked away, I saw Reece stand in the door and look inward, like some cat.
He walked in without asking and stood at the front of the bed, just looking at me.
“Are you happy, Aria ? Do you like what you're doing to this family?” I stared at him. “Do you see how much more apart you're pulling this family from themselves?” My heart broke.
“My brothers used to be the closest people in the world. We used to joke that there was nothing that could separate them, nothing that would make them argue or fight. I guess we found our culprit. Thank you, Aria, for walking in and destroying everything. Thank you very much.”
And with that, he walked away.
I looked down, tears welling in my eyes. A loud scream filled my ears, pain, heart broken.
It was mine.
- Writer
