Pacem's face had gone tomato red.
It wasn't a very good colour for her complexion, and I was perfectly aware that I was causing her embarrassment.
Nevertheless I continued yammering.

See?

People think I'm not aware, but the truth is I truly am (most of the time).

We were in one of the larger locations of Jeremiah's fortress. This one wasn't for purely for selfish uses, but instead a large dining hall for communal eating.

Everyone was chattering away and I didn't see why I couldn't join them.

"I'm not saying whatever you're saying. I'm saying she keeps ignoring me."

"And why do you care that she keeps ignoring you?"

She wasn't being harsh or abrasive; it almost sounded like she was reciting a puzzle that only she knew the answer to.

"Because she's the girl from the stories."

"Look Malvin, I'm not a therapist." She put an apple down on her plate and turned to face me. "But I do know that her story means a lot to you."

"And?"

"She's literally a character from your bedtime stories, Malvin. In retrospect, she means a lot to you too."

I lifted my brow. "You said you thought that she was a crazy bitch."

"And you're a beautiful lunatic. You two are perfect for each other."

She wasn't in a very good mood today.

"You're grumpy," I pointed out.

"I didn't get much sleep last night."

I raised my brow. "Out with your lover were you?"

"Did anyone not see that interview?" she sighed. "Look, just go find her and talk to her. Force her to listen. Otherwise she's going to keep avoiding you and I'm going to have to keep having this conversation."

"Force her to listen?" I repeated.

"Exactly. Just don't punch her again."

Pacem went back to picking at the food and I spun in a circle, glancing around the hall to find Veera.

I didn't bother to defend myself about the punching dilemma. Was I wrong to assume that a champion fighter would block the blow?

Obviously I had misjudged the situation. It didn't help that she couldn't even take down Pacem. I guess she really had lost her mojo after all.

Veera hadn't arrived yet.

I turned back to the food, tapping my knife against the table.

Pacem glared at me, and when I didn't stop, she took the knife away. "I thought you were going to talk to Veera."

"I can't find her." I pouted.

"Well, look harder."

Pacem left the line, stomping away to sit down at an empty table across the room. She was no fun when she'd had no sleep.

Just when I was about to leave the hall altogether and search elsewhere, I saw here creep in the room.

She was alone, as she often was and she was, and wearing her standard tight black shirt and pants combo that she used in training.

I smiled and approached her.

"Oh God." She scowled. "Are you back for more, Malvin?"

I giggled. "I figured out what you're afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of anything."

"Terrified then," I nodded, understanding the need for extrapolation.

"Malvin." She spoke to me like a child. "I'm warning you right now. Walk away."

"Do you know the seven stages of grief?" I asked. "An ancient concept, but very relevant. Somewhere in there is acceptance. And you won't allow yourself to get there because if you accept who you really are, you have to actually admit that a part of you likes being a Karnoi."

"Malvin-"

"I had the same thing," I continued. "My mother used to tell me that I was some type of beastly beast, and I listened, but somewhere inside I knew that I was exactly who I needed to be. I was perfectly me."

She stared at me for a moment.

I was aware she might punch me, but I looked at her fearlessly.

You also don't want to admit it because you killed your own kind. If you admit that they aren't beasts: you would be a murderer.

I didn't mention that part because I knew Pacem would have told me to leave it out.

Then she did something very unusual.

I saw a flash of vulnerability in her eyes before she turned around and ran away.

Force her to listen, Pacem's words jumped through my mind.

I scurried after her and when I couldn't find her, I went to back to my dorm, feeling pathetically disappointed.

Until I saw her sitting on my bed.

"Do you know what this place is, Malvin?" Veera asked, practically in tears.

I thought of Pacem's generic answer.

"A cult?"

"No." She wiped the tears from her face. "That amphitheatre."

"Ah." I said, finally understanding.

"They built it after my brother died to honour his memory. Thousands of Karnoi were killed and sacrificed in that spot after that."

I nodded. "I know. My mother told me."

"After I disappeared everyone probably assumed that I was a coward and had run away to be one of them."

I paused and then nodded. "I suppose they did."

"But I was willing to do it! If they hadn't frozen me." A tear fell down her cheek. "None of this would have happened. I'm not supposed to be going through this."

I sat next to her on the bed. It shook.

"I think you are." I nodded. "The community is so worried about changing people's perspectives of the Karnoi. I think you're going to be the first and most important to realise that we're not that bad."

She looked at me for the first time.

And then I heard a scream.

The one thing  that I had noticed about Pacem, she doesn't cry wolf. She'll only ever vocally express her pain if something was very, very wrong. And from the way she was carrying on, we were about to break out into war.

I sprinted outside, following her loud voice to the entrance of the amphitheatre.

She was there, squirming around like a worm as Jeremiah held her back and Shir was chained to the ground on a leash that couldn't reach her. Everyone in the community watched the scene solemnly, without a word. 

I pushed past the haystack of people.

"This is for the best," Jeremiah stated. "These people are not welcome here anymore. They are corrupting your mind; ruining our home. Sending them away is our only option."

"What's going on here?" I stepped forward.

Pacem finally stopped moving around and looked me straight in the eye. The stench of her rage oozed off of her. Finally she opened her mouth.

"They took Jake."

Who took Jake ?

Will Pacem get him back ?

Only the strongest survive- so what will be Pacem's next move????