Redsand Canyon as the building continues to burn

it was a shame she had no further information, but they couldn't pass judgment over wanting to escape the wrecking ball of nemisis' attention. the only things renard had seen her get angry over were donovan and refusing to submit to her questionable authority. if things were particularly exciting, both at once. it was easy to buy that was what she had chosen confrontation over. if even a fraction of this mess drew directly from her getting territorial over their leader…

it was ridiculous. and yet that didn’t keep it from being believable.

as with colin, they had not seen finley since the meeting that had done nothing but cement their concern over donovan’s choice of mate. it was difficult to figure how much of that was their own preference and how much was simple coincidence. the canyon was large and they spent much of their time on their own, mapping every cliff and valley; if there were any unimpressed by the squabble, though, it was them.

perhaps why they skirted dangerously close to showing their hand. their words would never hold water on their own – but they were a suggestion. finley already seemed a preferable alternative to the unstable cannibal currently in charge of the position, but one conversation did not a decision make.

over the thickets of cacti, the canyon walls rose; beyond them, the sunspires. of course donovan felt secure in these canyons; it would be a long, hard walk to lead any force here, and the saints had the upper hand. but no mountain posed an impassable obstacle to a person determined enough, and they couldn’t discount the possibility.

“he has a way with words.” more than words, he had a grand plan, conviction…they had nothing but three years of training and nothing to do with it. why not pledge to a man so clearly ambitious? ambition carried you fascinating places, as long as you were smart; this was something, now, they were beginning to doubt. “that’s why i find the situation we’re in so surprising.” the words carried a conversational, even distracted air, as though the thought was of no consequence – of course, it was anything but.

it was not only nemisis who was the problem. even before anything else he might have done, donovan had given her her throne.