I am not your enemy, her captor said. Somehow, Miriella managed to keep from rolling her eyes as badly as she wanted to. Unfortunately everyone was Miriella’s enemy, but this mare was more than most. By taking her away from the Lagoon she was forcing Miriella to admit she wanted to be back at the Lagoon; she was making Miriella face her true feelings for Vadim, that she cared if he didn’t come for her, that she was scared and she missed him. Miriella did everything she could to appear aloof, as if she couldn’t care one way or the other, but that was so far from the truth.
I will take you to the cover of the pines, Miriella felt relief just knowing being away from wind she felt was biting against her cold, wet body was soon to be over, but only once you've properly answered my questions. Hope gone. Miriella’s eyelids narrowed despite her desire to remain impassive, her irritation showed clear as day across her face. She was at the Inlet queen’s mercy. Her coat hadn’t grown thick enough to brave the chillier weather here, and being soaking wet from the ocean wasn’t helping matters.
Then the queen told her what she already knew; the only reason she was here was because Vadim had snatched her daughter and child away. Mothers protecting their daughters. Miriella wanted to roll her eyes. She remembered how irritated she’d been the day Claret’s mother had thrown a hissy fit over her getting taken away. Not poor precious Claret. Not poor precious Devi. Where was this protection for Miriella?
(Nevermind the fact she’d told her father she was leaving the islands and refused to share her true blood identity with Vadim, wanting to shed any ties she had to her family at all.)
Miriella had no one; she told herself that to validate her anger toward the world.
What is it about the Lagoon that is alluring to you anyway? asked Parvati, and Miriella’s gaze sharpened back on her. And if Vadim has no care for you personally why stay?
“I was driven to the Lagoon by a ferocious beast,” she said, though no fear made her words tremble; if anything, they sounded dry. “Forced to remain there. I have nowhere else to go. No one else in my life.” No one else. All she had was Vadim. If he didn’t want her… who did? Who could? He was the only one that put up with her attitude and stuck around anyways. “He promised he would find me, wherever I went.”
Hope blossomed in her chest, even while she did her best to appear naturally accepting of what she was saying. Let Parvati think Vadim was a wretched beast who held ladies against their will. Despite herself, Miriella’s heartbeat just a little bit faster thinking of watching Vadim crash down the shoreline, tearing up great hunks of wet sand beneath his wide hooves, charging this mare down in front of her with charging strikes and snapping jaws for even taking Miriella in the first place.
Of course, Vadim wasn’t coming. She was still here, cold and wet in front of the Inlet queen, her current captive.
“It’s where I belong.” She said simply, and she did truly believe those words. The Lagoon, held against her will, was where mares like her were meant to be.
“My name is Miriella.” After a beat of silence, she sighed and gave in. “Would you please take me to the pine trees now? I’ll answer any more of your questions there.”
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