you.”
I look back over at him, and now there's a hint of amusement in his eyes, as if he enjoys the fact that I'm going to suffer.
“You can't back away from your fate, Emilia,” he continues. “For all your failings, I never thought of you as a coward.”
“I'm not a coward!” I hiss.
“Then take the road that has been marked for you.”
As he turns and walks away, I realize that there's nothing left for me to do except prove myself once again. I'd hoped that my time with Keller was enough for Father to see that I'm ready, but now it appears that he wants me to be even stronger. I've already improved so much since New York; how much further does he expect me to grow?
Perhaps Skellig is right.
Perhaps I should have merely killed the vampire Ferran quickly, but it felt so good to taunt him.
Skellig isn't a spider, he doesn't feel our hatred for the vampire race. He can never know what it's like.
Slipping the dagger onto my belt, I turn and look toward the trees. The Navarian ridge is a full three days' march from here, and my limbs already ache from my recent travels, but I know that Father will want me to move fast and I also fear that perhaps he is watching me more often than I had realized. After adjusting my armor, I set off along the empty road, with only my regrets and dreams of Karakh to keep me company. Already, after a few paces through the mud, I can feel my anger and indignation starting to churn. I am not some ordinary spider who belongs in the ranks, I am the daughter of -
Suddenly a sharp pain bursts through my head and I drop to my knees, crashing into the mud. I wait for the pain to fade, but instead it builds and builds until I feel as if my skull is about to burst. Falling forward, I support my weight on my elbows while closing my eyes and grimacing, desperately trying to not cry out. Father has punished me many times, of course, but this feel worse, as if he's pushing me closer to death itself. I can even feel patches of darkness bursting through my mind, brief moments of nothingness that seem almost like teasing glimpses of the end. The harder I push back, the more they threaten to envelop me completely. It's as if the vast storm that has gripped this land is now, suddenly, inside my head.
Is this death?
The pain builds and builds, rippling through my body as wind and rain howl around me.
“You will serve the cause,” Father's voice roars in my head, with other voices whispering in the background.
“Please,” I stammer, “the pain...”
“Skellig was right,” he continues. “You are on the brink of failure.”
“No,” I reply, trying not to panic as the agony in my head gets stronger, “Father, Skellig is an outsider, he's not like you and me.”
“He is my trusted representative,” he replies, “until I am able to return to your world.”
“But he -”
“This is just a taste,” Father's voice continues, “of the pain you will endure if I am forced to end your life. You can still make me proud, Emilia, but you can also disappoint me. The choice is yours.”
I try to reply, to tell him I'll do anything he wants, but the agony is paralyzing every fiber of my body and all I can manage is a faint gasp.
“She is weak,” another voice hisses. “She will fail us. We cannot rely on her.”
“She has already has enough chances,” adds yet another. “She is a failure.”
“Do you hear their advice to me?” Father asks. “Constantly they tell me to give up on you, Emilia. I defend you, I tell them that I still have faith, but I tire of your weakness. I was right before, there is something in your heart, something you're trying to hide from me.”
“No,” I stammer, “please...”
“Your hatred for Abigail Hart is commendable,” he continues, “but why does her brother not make you feel the same way? You had him under your control once, you could have killed him yet instead you hesitated, constantly making excuses to keep him alive, and now he is free. I
I look back over at him, and now there's a hint of amusement in his eyes, as if he enjoys the fact that I'm going to suffer.
“You can't back away from your fate, Emilia,” he continues. “For all your failings, I never thought of you as a coward.”
“I'm not a coward!” I hiss.
“Then take the road that has been marked for you.”
As he turns and walks away, I realize that there's nothing left for me to do except prove myself once again. I'd hoped that my time with Keller was enough for Father to see that I'm ready, but now it appears that he wants me to be even stronger. I've already improved so much since New York; how much further does he expect me to grow?
Perhaps Skellig is right.
Perhaps I should have merely killed the vampire Ferran quickly, but it felt so good to taunt him.
Skellig isn't a spider, he doesn't feel our hatred for the vampire race. He can never know what it's like.
Slipping the dagger onto my belt, I turn and look toward the trees. The Navarian ridge is a full three days' march from here, and my limbs already ache from my recent travels, but I know that Father will want me to move fast and I also fear that perhaps he is watching me more often than I had realized. After adjusting my armor, I set off along the empty road, with only my regrets and dreams of Karakh to keep me company. Already, after a few paces through the mud, I can feel my anger and indignation starting to churn. I am not some ordinary spider who belongs in the ranks, I am the daughter of -
Suddenly a sharp pain bursts through my head and I drop to my knees, crashing into the mud. I wait for the pain to fade, but instead it builds and builds until I feel as if my skull is about to burst. Falling forward, I support my weight on my elbows while closing my eyes and grimacing, desperately trying to not cry out. Father has punished me many times, of course, but this feel worse, as if he's pushing me closer to death itself. I can even feel patches of darkness bursting through my mind, brief moments of nothingness that seem almost like teasing glimpses of the end. The harder I push back, the more they threaten to envelop me completely. It's as if the vast storm that has gripped this land is now, suddenly, inside my head.
Is this death?
The pain builds and builds, rippling through my body as wind and rain howl around me.
“You will serve the cause,” Father's voice roars in my head, with other voices whispering in the background.
“Please,” I stammer, “the pain...”
“Skellig was right,” he continues. “You are on the brink of failure.”
“No,” I reply, trying not to panic as the agony in my head gets stronger, “Father, Skellig is an outsider, he's not like you and me.”
“He is my trusted representative,” he replies, “until I am able to return to your world.”
“But he -”
“This is just a taste,” Father's voice continues, “of the pain you will endure if I am forced to end your life. You can still make me proud, Emilia, but you can also disappoint me. The choice is yours.”
I try to reply, to tell him I'll do anything he wants, but the agony is paralyzing every fiber of my body and all I can manage is a faint gasp.
“She is weak,” another voice hisses. “She will fail us. We cannot rely on her.”
“She has already has enough chances,” adds yet another. “She is a failure.”
“Do you hear their advice to me?” Father asks. “Constantly they tell me to give up on you, Emilia. I defend you, I tell them that I still have faith, but I tire of your weakness. I was right before, there is something in your heart, something you're trying to hide from me.”
“No,” I stammer, “please...”
“Your hatred for Abigail Hart is commendable,” he continues, “but why does her brother not make you feel the same way? You had him under your control once, you could have killed him yet instead you hesitated, constantly making excuses to keep him alive, and now he is free. I
Similar Books
