can think of no reason why you would have done that, except...”
“Please,” I whisper, as I feel a trickle of blood running from my nose. The pressure in my skull is immense, and I can feel hairline cracks developing around my brain. “Father...”
“If I thought for one moment,” he adds, “that you felt anything less than hatred for the son of Patrick, I would have no choice but to kill you instantly. Do you understand?”
I try to reply, but the pain is too great and I can barely get any words at all out of my throat. I can't even breathe.
“Do you understand?” he roars.
For a moment, I swear I can feel him rooting through my thoughts, dredging up memories of the time I spent torturing Jonathan in the basement of Keller's house. I try to push back, but I'm powerless to do anything as Father relives every moment of that time, and I know he must be able to read my thoughts. The more I try to resist, the more he must realize that I genuinely came to care about Jonathan. I can hide such things from anyone else, but I've always know that my own father is able to uncover every secret in my heart.
I'm a disgusting failure.
Suddenly the pain bursts, flaring through my mind and then fading, and I let out a gasp as I feel Father's mind lifting a little from my thoughts. The storm, still raging all around me, feels so much weaker in comparison.
I struggle desperately to get air back into my lungs.
I no longer hear Father's voice, but I know he's still here.
He knows.
And if he knows, he'll have no choice but to kill me. I've let him down, and I've let our species down. There's no honor in my soul, not if I felt sympathy for a vampire. Closing my eyes, I wait for death.
“Go join the ranks,” Father whispers finally, sounding tired. “Prepare yourself for your final chance to make me proud.”
“I -” Pausing, I realize that for some reason he seems to be ignoring what he found when he entered my mind. There's no reason for him to do that, not unless...
Not unless he loves me, and he can't bring himself to follow through with his threats, which case I have one final chance to prove myself. Opening my eyes, I feel a flash of honor.
“I'll serve you with true commitment,” I stammer, struggling to my feet. “Father, I swear -”
“I believe you,” his voice replies, sounding so weary now. The effort of speaking to me from the void is clearly too much for him to maintain for so long. “When the chance comes for you to redeem yourself, you must strike hard and fast. I will be watching.”
“Of course.” I pause, waiting for him to continue, but finally I realize that he has fallen silent. “And Father,” I add, “I... Thank you.”
“We must find Karakh soon,” he replies, his voice already starting to drift away into the storm. “Every second that I am left to wait is another second of unimaginable agony. I need to return to your world, to take a new body and begin the work of resurrecting the great spider empire. You have no idea how long I have suffered in darkness. I can taste victory now, and patience is difficult to maintain.”
“Skellig says will be at Karakh before the twelfth sun has set,” I tell him. “I have no reason to doubt him.”
“Skellig is always right,” he replies. “Never question him.”
“I won't, Father, it's just...” I pause for a moment, aware that I shouldn't ask too many questions but overcome by curiosity. “What is he?”
“He is wise.”
“Of course, but what species? I've searched through the Book of Karakh, but there's no mention of anything like him. I know there are others of his race, I've seen them at the camp. Why did you enlist them to help us?”
“Because I could not rely on you alone,” he says firmly. “The spiders have always sought alliances with those who can help them. This is no different.”
“But -”
“I am tired now,” Father whispers as his voice fades further. “I must rest.” He adds something else, but I
“Please,” I whisper, as I feel a trickle of blood running from my nose. The pressure in my skull is immense, and I can feel hairline cracks developing around my brain. “Father...”
“If I thought for one moment,” he adds, “that you felt anything less than hatred for the son of Patrick, I would have no choice but to kill you instantly. Do you understand?”
I try to reply, but the pain is too great and I can barely get any words at all out of my throat. I can't even breathe.
“Do you understand?” he roars.
For a moment, I swear I can feel him rooting through my thoughts, dredging up memories of the time I spent torturing Jonathan in the basement of Keller's house. I try to push back, but I'm powerless to do anything as Father relives every moment of that time, and I know he must be able to read my thoughts. The more I try to resist, the more he must realize that I genuinely came to care about Jonathan. I can hide such things from anyone else, but I've always know that my own father is able to uncover every secret in my heart.
I'm a disgusting failure.
Suddenly the pain bursts, flaring through my mind and then fading, and I let out a gasp as I feel Father's mind lifting a little from my thoughts. The storm, still raging all around me, feels so much weaker in comparison.
I struggle desperately to get air back into my lungs.
I no longer hear Father's voice, but I know he's still here.
He knows.
And if he knows, he'll have no choice but to kill me. I've let him down, and I've let our species down. There's no honor in my soul, not if I felt sympathy for a vampire. Closing my eyes, I wait for death.
“Go join the ranks,” Father whispers finally, sounding tired. “Prepare yourself for your final chance to make me proud.”
“I -” Pausing, I realize that for some reason he seems to be ignoring what he found when he entered my mind. There's no reason for him to do that, not unless...
Not unless he loves me, and he can't bring himself to follow through with his threats, which case I have one final chance to prove myself. Opening my eyes, I feel a flash of honor.
“I'll serve you with true commitment,” I stammer, struggling to my feet. “Father, I swear -”
“I believe you,” his voice replies, sounding so weary now. The effort of speaking to me from the void is clearly too much for him to maintain for so long. “When the chance comes for you to redeem yourself, you must strike hard and fast. I will be watching.”
“Of course.” I pause, waiting for him to continue, but finally I realize that he has fallen silent. “And Father,” I add, “I... Thank you.”
“We must find Karakh soon,” he replies, his voice already starting to drift away into the storm. “Every second that I am left to wait is another second of unimaginable agony. I need to return to your world, to take a new body and begin the work of resurrecting the great spider empire. You have no idea how long I have suffered in darkness. I can taste victory now, and patience is difficult to maintain.”
“Skellig says will be at Karakh before the twelfth sun has set,” I tell him. “I have no reason to doubt him.”
“Skellig is always right,” he replies. “Never question him.”
“I won't, Father, it's just...” I pause for a moment, aware that I shouldn't ask too many questions but overcome by curiosity. “What is he?”
“He is wise.”
“Of course, but what species? I've searched through the Book of Karakh, but there's no mention of anything like him. I know there are others of his race, I've seen them at the camp. Why did you enlist them to help us?”
“Because I could not rely on you alone,” he says firmly. “The spiders have always sought alliances with those who can help them. This is no different.”
“But -”
“I am tired now,” Father whispers as his voice fades further. “I must rest.” He adds something else, but I
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