Shards of Hope

Chapter 40

BEATRICE KNEW SHE wasn’t a very good Arrow. She was just a disposable foot soldier, not one of the shining stars. She wasn’t like Zaira, who was so strong and who needed no one. Beatrice fumbled things when she worked on her own; even her otherwise encouraging new trainer had made that clear.

“You’re not skilled enough to work alone.”

Those words had hurt her so much. She knew she wasn’t supposed to have or to acknowledge emotions, but ever since the Honeycomb had come into effect, she’d found it near impossible to maintain the arctic calm within that was the Arrow way. No one had discovered her fractured Silence yet, but she was terrified she’d be disavowed when it happened.

Vasic and Abbot felt emotion, but they were important. The rules didn’t apply to them. Ming had always said Beatrice and those like her had less value. He’d told her to her face that she should be ready to sacrifice herself if that sacrifice meant a more important Arrow would live.

Beatrice could do that, and even with her awakening emotions, she hadn’t lost control of her abilities. Not even once. She’d been proud of that, so hearing Blake dismiss her competence as a solo operative had hurt even more. But then he’d said, “Partnerships can be valuable. You need a partner and I’m searching for one.”

Never had she expected that such a senior, experienced Arrow would choose her for a partner. He’d even given her a choice. Of course she’d said yes. No one else had ever seen such potential in her.

Now she had to make sure she didn’t screw up. She’d do everything he said, follow orders without hesitation. She’d be the perfect Arrow.