Even Good can harm

Jenna watched Rhane leave, the door closing with infuriating gentleness. And still, her fingers trembled. It wasn't fear anymore.

It was the memory of how good it had once felt to be wanted like this, when she was with her first love and how he had treated her with so much gentleness. And even then, something about Rhane made her feel tickly.

The worship in his eyes when he looked at her and the smoothness of his words that screamed of yearning. It confused Jenna because she didn't know if he was really sincere or just luring her in again. Yet it felt just too good, reminding Jenna that she was, after all, just a woman.

And how dangerously close she was to wanting it again. Wanting to be treated and touched with love by a man.

A soft knock wrapped Jenna's thoughts up, and she startled back into reality with a jerk.

"Who?" Jenna asked, narrowing her eyes. "Percy?"

The door opened, and the old woman who had welcomed Jenna the first day she arrived walked in with a blank expression on her face. Behind her were three other servants carrying ladens filled with different delicacies.

"Oh," Jenna muttered, moving out of the way for the servants to move. As Rhane had said, all the game he caught had been used in different mouthwatering dishes.

The sweet aroma of freshly cut rabbit and deep-spiced lamb chops with vegetables and beef soup crushed the air and mostly attacked Jenna's gluttonous side so much that she had to chew and swallow just by looking at the dishes.

Once the servants were done, they bowed and quietly left the room. Jenna noticed how none of them raised their faces to look at her, as if they had been ordered never to make eye contact.

"Ehm," the older woman who was yet to leave cleared her throat, "The master wants you to taste and let me know your best and how you like."

Rhane wasn't joking. Jenna pressed her lips together, feeling something warm and tickly inside her stomach.

"I'll... um, have a taste," she began walking towards the table, but the old woman stopped her, holding her wrist. "Why...?" Jenna asked, her head tilted gently to the side.

The woman glanced at the table, then at Jenna's face. "If you eat the meal, I'll assume you want to stay."

This time, Jenna narrowed her eyes, confusion marring her toned face. "What do you mean by that?"

Walking towards Jenna's window, the woman pushed the curtain to the side. "If you're going to use the horse, then you shouldn't fill your stomach. It's dangerous," she replied, pointing outside the window.

Jenna ran towards the window; at first glance she didn't see it clearly. Then she looked properly. Percy was standing behind one of the trees, and he was waving.

"There is another horse, and a bag already packed for you," the woman continued, her voice laid-back and giving away nothing.

Jenna felt the jolt of excitement shake her entire body down to her core. The thrill of the moment, she was going to be free again! But on second thought, she turned. "You... work for Rhane, don't you?"

The woman remained with a stoic gaze. "I work for the Scourge, you're correct." She didn't wait for Jenna to reply; she continued, "But I also work for the Reaper's Hand."

It took Jenna a second to understand what was going on. "Kali is helping me escape? But... why?"

The woman shrugged. "Everyone has a reason why they do what they do. Some are justifiable, some we'll never know the why," she replied, pointing at the table and then back outside where Percy was waiting.

"You have your choice laid for you, sit back and enjoy your meal. It was done with great attention and detail, as you have noticed. Remember, staying back means accepting the Scourge but ignoring the Reaper." Taking in a deep breath, the woman continued,

"While outside there is your freedom. Your way back to your usual old life, maybe filled with peace or just mundane, I'll never know. Remember, leaving is accepting the Reaper's help and making yourself a target for the Scourge."

Jenna closed her eyes and groaned. "Both choices sound like a threat; you're not making it easier for me," she said, for crying out loud.

The older woman moved her shoulder up in a dismissive shrug. "The best choice should be wise."

"How am I supposed to choose? It's like picking between two siblings... I can't do this." Jenna bit her lower lip and sighed.

Scanning Jenna's face curiously, the old woman's lips curled, but she didn't smile. "Are you sure it's choosing between siblings that bothers you?"

"I... uhm." Jenna stammered.

The woman scoffed, a cold expression. "To make a better choice, think about what you need the most, putting the choices aside. Think about yourself and understand what you want. If freedom will give you what you want, then do it. If staying back and gobbling up everything in that laden will... well then, you have your answer."

Jenna still didn't know what to do, even with the advice. She wanted to run and leave her life. That was what she wanted, that was what a traumatized Jenna wanted. But then, the twist Rhane had along with him felt disastrous but yet sinfully so good. So, a part of her wanted to stay back and find out if Rhane was really being sincere. It was all wild in her mind at the moment.

"Can I ask you something?" Jenna began. She needed someone to appraise her thoughts, before her mind split open from pressure.

The woman nodded. "Of course you can. Make sure you're fast with it," she replied.

Jenna hesitated, trying to gather her thoughts before she said, "Rhane... do you think he's a good man? You know he is brothers with Gerald, but it's just...I feel like they're not the same because of the way he treats me."

The woman rubbed the bridge of her nose. "You already answered the question yourself. I don't think you need my answer but..." the older woman drawled.

"I know about your marriage with Gerald. He used to come here often when he exhausted his wealth and wanted to flirt around with my girls. I always wondered the kind of woman who would tolerate a man like that... then I saw you."

Jenna shifted on one foot, uncomfortable with the woman talking about Gerald since their conversation had nothing to do with that.

"All I'm saying is, a woman like you who has faced such trauma and abuse might be swayed by just kind words. Why? Cold water feels warm when your hands are freezing. I mean, the minimum feels like everything when you had nothing before it."

Jenna shuddered; her palms squeezed on both sides.

"And if you think it's not the case, then... that's alright. He is good, but overwatering a flower can kill it. Even good can harm," the woman said finally, still with a blank expression. "Now your decision is yours."

Jenna stood frozen, the room suddenly too quiet, as if even the air was waiting on her choice. Her eyes lingered on the table, on the steam rising from the food, on the silver gleam of a serving spoon. Then, slowly, she turned toward the window. Percy was still there, half-hidden behind the tree, one hand raised in silent urgency. Her breath caught.

She clutched her arms, fingernails digging into her skin as if the pressure might focus her scattered thoughts. Her heart wasn't just pounding, it was thudding so violently she felt it in her throat. A strange heat flushed up her neck, and with it came a sharp sting behind her eyes. Was it fear? Relief? She didn't know.

But she saw it now, clear as day. The sudden warmth for Rhane, wasn't love. It was the shock of kindness after a long drought. And kindness, she reminded herself, wasn't the same as safety.

Her hands moved before her mind caught up. She stepped toward the bed, her fingers fumbling with the folds of her sash and belt. She cinched them tight with a single tug, and exhaled deeply.

"Lead me to the horse," Jenna said finally, her voice low but steady. She didn't look back.