"So, are you in?" Dorianna asked, her gaze fixed on Raula with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
Raula narrowed her own, a knot of unease tightening in her stomach.
It all felt wrong to her. "Dorianna, this plan… it's very risky. It's like threading on thin ice" She tried with her words barely scratching the surface of her fear.
"No, I don't think so! It's nearly enough for what she deserves. We are talking about the Dark King's daughter here! THE DARK KING!" Dorianna scoffed, a harsh sound that showed the anger within her.
She waved a dismissive hand at Raula's concern.
"This is Death, Dorianna." Raula's voice was soft, a plea. "You're not a murderer."
Dorianna's lips thinned into a hard line. "I am a soldier. Vengeance has been my training since I was four, Raula. Some deaths are necessary for Justice."
Raula felt a shiver trace its way down her spine. She saw the unyielding resolve in Dorianna's eyes and knew logic wouldn't sway her. Still, she had to try.
"Zephyr is going to be furious with you."
"Oh, please! You know how detached he can be. A flicker of annoyance, maybe, then he'll be back to his usual indifference by dawn." Dorianna said carelessly, though there was a faint flutter in her voice that betrayed the hint of doubt.
"But… lately, there's been something different in his eyes. His emotions seem clearer. I don't think you should do this, Rianna." Raula's concern was genuine, a heavy weight in her chest.
Dorianna remembered how harsh Zephyr had been to her when she met him in his study, it annoyed her even more.
"It's her doing! That creature's doing! She has cast a dark spell on my brother!" Dorianna spat the words out. "When she's gone, he'll see clearly again. He'll be himself." She turned to Raula, her intensity unwavering. "You should be on my side! Zephyr, the man you love, the man who should be yours has been bound by the dark king's child. How can you not feel this rage?"
Raula winced, the words a sharp sting. The truth of Dorianna's statement was a constant ache. An ache she was trying not to think about.
But she trusted him, he had to have a reason for this. "Maybe Zephyr has a reason for this. Maybe she's a necessary piece in some larger game." The suggestion felt weak even to her own ears but she stood firmly on it.
Dorianna rolled her eyes with impatience and uncrossed her legs with a decisive shift.
"Oh, Raula!" she sighed, a mix of exasperation and pity. "You know what? Just… don't say anything to anyone. Pretend I wasn't here. Please."
"Rianna, think this through. The consequences…" Raula's voice trailed off, seeing the wall of determination in her friend's expression.
"I have!"
"Okay, what about the River guardians? You're putting them in danger." Raula pressed, grasping at straws.
"Not only are they river wolves; they are guardians. A little surge of the river will hardly trouble them." Dorianna's tone was dismissive.
"And the river serpent?" Raula's brow furrowed with worry.
A slow, almost cruel smile spread across Dorianna's lips. "Haven't you engrossed yourself in the tales of our people, my dear friend?" she asked, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "The Great Serpent is not unjust. It strikes only at disrespect. And the only one deserving of its wrath tonight is that… that pale shadow of darkness!"
The venom in Dorianna's voice hung heavy in the air, silencing Raula. She saw the unshakeable conviction in her friend's eyes. She was truly going to do this.
A hopeless sigh escaped Raula's lips. "You're really going through with this then?"
Dorianna reached out, her hand surprisingly gentle as she squeezed Raula's. "Yes, I am. She deserves to be erased. You didn't see the way Zephyr looked at her, Raula. The possessiveness when he swept her into his arms, hurrying her towards Otsanna… it was like a knife twisting in my gut."
"We can find another way," Raula offered softly, her own pain a dull throb. But Dorianna shook her head, her gaze hardening again.
"What other night would offer such a perfect cover? The guardians journey to the whispering falls, and Zephyr has that urgent meeting with Xander. It's a perfect plan." She stood, her movements decisive, and pressed a quick kiss to Raula's forehead. "I need to go. I have arrangements to finalize with someone… resourceful." She turned and walked towards the door.
"Be careful, Rianna!" Raula called after her, a desperate plea in her voice.
Dorianna paused at the threshold, turning back with a chilling sneer. "Tell that to the bald creature of darkness, she's about to learn what true darkness feels like. Tonight, she dies!"