Laryssa was fuming. She stomped her way across the deck, barking orders at sailors and was overly harsh judging their work. Most of them just grunted while scurrying away to try and please her. Some just rolled their eyes and carried on. She focused her rage on them, and they regretted not taking her seriously.

Laryssa did not take things personally normally. She was level headed, she needed to be as their master spy. Spies who did not do well under pressure, or who rose to anger easily were usually dead sooner, rather than later. Laryssa was not keeping her emotions in check currently, and that made her even angrier.

After they left Jessica’s cabin, Sebastian had ordered Laryssa to oversee the deck for the time being. He needed to get his shoulder checked out, which Laryssa did not mind, but all she wanted to do was scream at him. To rage at the fact that Jessica admitted she had no clue how to control her magic. Rage at the fact Sebastian had not only allowed her to stay on the ship, but also recruited her to war. What a fool. Untrained magic in adults is dangerous, messy in safe situations. But on a battlefield, it would be disastrous. Jessica might be the turning point in a battle, but if she cannot control her magic, it could turn against them.

Deciding that the sailors had been on the receiving end of her rage for long enough, Laryssa went to look for Sebastian. However, he was not in the medical bay, or in his rooms, or the canteen area. The longer it took for Laryssa to hunt down her brother, the worse her mood became. At this point she just wanted to haul him on his ass.

Finally, she headed towards the last possible hiding place, and was glad to find him.

He was sitting on the floor of the lower deck balcony. An area they use as an escape platform and fishing area when they need to gather more food on longer journeys. Sebastian had his back to the door, and his legs swaying over the platform ledge as he nestled between the rails. He watched the ocean waves dancing in the moonlight with a troubled expression. He obviously had something playing on his mind, but Laryssa only saw red as she exploded.

“What on earth were you thinking? Asking her to join us for war?”

Sebastian just sighed and continued to stare out towards the ocean. His voice was heavy with fatigue. “She could change everything if we can help her hone her magic, and maybe figure out the box along the way.”

“if being the main factor.” She walked towards the rail and leaned her hip against it, facing Sebastian rather than the water. “You wanted a weapon, not to babysit. What changed?”

He sighed and looked down, as if staring at something in the water. “I don’t know.” Was all he said.

“You also hated her when we first brought her here, what happened when you visited her?”

“Nothing. I didn’t like her for a very different reason, Laryssa.” He finally glanced in her direction and gave her a pointed look.

“What does that mean?” She hissed.

“You know exactly what, sister. It’s hard being reminded of the parts you hate most about yourself. Being a victim doesn’t make you weak though. Even with all the magic in the world Jessica was still imprisoned and probably abused. She’s strong, and so are you, even if you share similar pasts.”

All of the anger Laryssa held onto sunk away, replaced by heavy sadness that tugged at her heart. “I’m nothing like her, I fought for my freedom. She didn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“We got her out.”

“Yes, but she was brought up in that tower, it was all she knew. Her aunt might’ve been all she knew. You at least had a family who wanted you home, who showed you what love was. Cut her some slack, Laryssa. I have a bad feeling we’re the first people she’s met.”

Laryssa sucked in a breath, guilt started to knit into her blanket of rage and despair warring inside. Her inner turmoil like a tightly rung spring in her gut, ready to punch at any moment. Laryssa hated this part of her, the sad and broken girl who was captured as a sixteen-year-old who still relied on her parents for everything.

During the war between their family and Valfallow, Laryssa was captured by the enemy and used as a bargaining chip to end the war. The Valfallow king declared that Laryssa would be returned alive if her father, the king of Alintage stood down and allowed his troops to over throw the throne. Unable to throw his daughter to the wolves, he agreed. Laryssa and Sebastian do not know why he quickly agreed to the terms rather than fight, but it was the downfall to their family.

During her captivity Laryssa was beaten and starved, kept in a cold dungeon fearful of her own shadow due to their magic. The only blessing was that nothing worse was done to her. But if she knew what would have happened when she was returned home... The lesser of the two evils for Laryssa would have been rape and torture, instead of watching her family massacred before her very eyes. Twenty-one days of captivity and fear for nothing.

Laryssa shook her head, dispelling the memories attempting to swallow her thoughts. She refused to go down that rabbit-hole. “Why do you feel sympathy for her?” She challenged, still not ready to give up this fight.

“I do not know... Trust me, I’m as baffled as you are.” He drawled with a shrug, not seeming like he cared all that much in his sudden shift in perspective on Jessica.

“Really? Is that all you have to say? She could kill us all, and after what we pulled, she has the right.”

“Laryssa, just stop.” Sebastian lifted up a hand in a halting motion. His shoulders slumped down and he sighed. “I see a broken girl with the potential for a fiery spirit. On top of that, she’s fucking powerful even if she doesn’t realise it. Let’s show her life outside of her prison. Let’s show her how to fight her own battles and maybe she’ll assist in our own.” He declared.

“I do not like this plan.” Laryssa states gravely.

With a huff, Sebastian jumps up off the floor, and started to walk towards the door. Over his shoulder he called to Laryssa before leaving. “Just try with her, sister. Please. I don’t know what else to do to save our people.” Laryssa could hear the defeated tone in his voice as he trailed back into the depths of the ship, leaving her alone.

With her past haunting her, and the weight of Sebastian’s depressed demeanor sitting heavily on her shoulders. Laryssa went to visit her least favorite person on the ship.