Anyone sitting nearby could feel the air shift around Isabel, vibrating with the raw effort it took not to lunge across the table. Even Farlan, who knew her best, wouldâve gone ghost-white at the fire sparking in her eyes.
Sure, she was still figuring out how to navigate the Scouts, how to rein it in, how to yield when necessary instead of snapping like a wild dog. But she knew one thing without question: she belonged here. This was her place in the world, and no oneâno oneâwas going to make her feel otherwise.
Thatâs what lit the fuse.
Not the names, not the insults.
It was the implication that she didnât belong.
Her chair scraped loudly as she pushed it back, standing now. Not to lunge, but to let that cocky, wild grin stretch across her face like a snarl hiding behind teeth. âObedience?â Isabel echoed, voice low and coiled tight with something wild, something that didnât know how to bow. âY'think this is about obedience?â Her laugh ripped through the silenceâsharp and untamed, drawing every eye in the mess hall.
âY'got me twisted with one of yer lapdogs. I ainât here to play nice or follow some fat brass sittin' comfy behind a desk. The Scouts?â She jabbed a thumb toward the insignia on her chest, eyes gleaming. âWe're the ones who bite back at the world while the rest of humanity hides behind wallsâ
âI ainât here to heel. But that donât mean Iâm outta control. Iâm here to fight for the ones who canât, to tear through anything that says weâre not worth savinâ.â Her eyes flashed, voice steady now, rising with conviction. âY'think I care about âproperâ? Out there, it ainât manners that keep us alive. Itâs guts. Itâs grit. Itâs each other. You can call me a mutt but when it all goes to hell, yer gonna want me in yer corner. And Iâll be there. And yer gonna be the one crawlin' t'me for savin yer life.â
She leaned in then, green eyes alight, teeth bared in a crooked smirk. Voice lower now as she spoke only to Laura. âYou wanna wait âtil sparrinâ? Fine by me. But lemme give you a warnin', sugarplum.â Her voice dropped, thick and syrupy with mock sweetness.
âI'm gonna show you how damn fast yer high horse topples when it gets bit in the ankles.â