Silver Moraine Now your life is out of season

His father mocked him. Atreus flushed with humiliation, rage and an acute sense of despair in turns. His chest heaved and his skin tingled. He didn’t know whether he wanted to cry or yell. It didn’t matter. When he opened his mouth, he found his throat corked.

Aventus gave him some options, told him to make a choice, then turned and began walking toward the rise. Atreus’s mouth clapped shut and he gazed after the retreating man. He hated him. The last thing he wanted to do was follow him home.

But he was exhausted and weak. He hated to admit it but Atreus knew he wouldn’t make it out here by himself. And he knew he didn’t really have a choice. Fighting anger and shame with every step, he trudged after Aventus, always maintaining a short distance as they traipsed back toward the rise.

He wouldn’t have much to say about Arielle once they got there, because Atreus didn’t actually care about her specifically. All he wanted, deep down, was for someone to give a damn about him. But even Atreus himself couldn’t recognize it.