Read Online Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising by Felicity Heaton - Free Book Online
Authors: Felicity Heaton
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long.”
“I don’t understand. You sound like you’re speaking from past experience here.” Her eyes were wide with something he couldn’t quite make out. It wasn’t just confusion. Another emotion filled them. Horror. Horror at what she thought he meant by what he’d said. He wished he could pretend what she was thinking wasn’t true, for her sake, but it was and he’d sworn never to lie to her.
“I am,” he said and her hand fell away from his. She seemed stunned into silence so he decided to clarify things for her. “I hold secrets about my bloodline, things that people would willingly torture me to discover. As part of my initiation into the role of hunter, I was trained to withstand torture.”
“So your family tortured you,” she stated in a tone that spoke of anger and resentment.
“I—”
“Don’t defend them, Valentine.” Her hand was in his again, holding it tightly and making him raise his eyes to look into hers.
He hadn’t even realised he’d dropped them to the floor. Why? Was he ashamed of what his family had done to him in order to teach him the ways of coping with pain?
At the time, it had seemed necessary. He had known that he would heal and nothing would be done to him that his body couldn’t repair. He had willingly subjected himself to the captivity, conditions and intense pain associated with torture. It had been for the sake of his family.
It hadn’t been for nothing either. A Vehemens had once caught him. She’d held him for three days before he’d had his chance to kill her. He’d told her nothing. Just like he’d told Kalinor nothing.
The only person who had managed to get him speak while captive had been Arkalus.
“Valentine?” Prophecy said and he blinked himself back to the world. She was still holding his hand where it rested limp at his side.
“What is it?” he said, as though he didn’t know what troubled her.
“I…” She sighed and stared off into the distance. “I wish it was just us again. I don’t think I can cope with all of this. I’m not strong enough. All this waiting, and struggling to control our families. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to take leadership of them. It just feels like we’re sitting ducks, waiting for Elena to choose her moment to attack. We haven’t got an army out of it; we’ve got a death sentence.”
She tried to walk away from him but he held onto her hand, stopping her. She looked down at their joined hands. He held hers a little tighter, hoping to show her that everything would be all right.
“It was different then, Prophecy. We did not have such responsibilities.”
She laughed and he frowned to hear it.
“Such responsibilities?” A smile teased her lips. “Are you saying it was simpler when we just had to save the world together?”
He nodded, his expression deadly serious. “Of course. This added burden is affecting both of us. Neither of us want to lead our family. Both of us would rather we were alone.”
He swallowed when she stepped closer to him, her dark eyes searching his for the meaning behind his words. It wasn’t just her current apparel making him want to be alone with her; it was everything.
It was their families.
It was Venturi.
It was the possibility that the issues that hung between them all would get everyone killed, and he didn’t want that.
He didn’t want to lose her.
By taking her from her family that night and setting her on this path, he had given himself the duty of protecting her, and he would see that she survived this. It was his responsibility to make sure of that.
“Don’t you wish we could just leave? I mean … the Law Keepers will be coming, won’t they? The houses won’t work with each other no matter what we do. They’re always going to secretly despise the other.” She paused for a moment, her face sombre. “We’re doomed.”
“We are not doomed,” he said and pulled her towards him, gathering her into his arms. “But I do wish it was just
“I don’t understand. You sound like you’re speaking from past experience here.” Her eyes were wide with something he couldn’t quite make out. It wasn’t just confusion. Another emotion filled them. Horror. Horror at what she thought he meant by what he’d said. He wished he could pretend what she was thinking wasn’t true, for her sake, but it was and he’d sworn never to lie to her.
“I am,” he said and her hand fell away from his. She seemed stunned into silence so he decided to clarify things for her. “I hold secrets about my bloodline, things that people would willingly torture me to discover. As part of my initiation into the role of hunter, I was trained to withstand torture.”
“So your family tortured you,” she stated in a tone that spoke of anger and resentment.
“I—”
“Don’t defend them, Valentine.” Her hand was in his again, holding it tightly and making him raise his eyes to look into hers.
He hadn’t even realised he’d dropped them to the floor. Why? Was he ashamed of what his family had done to him in order to teach him the ways of coping with pain?
At the time, it had seemed necessary. He had known that he would heal and nothing would be done to him that his body couldn’t repair. He had willingly subjected himself to the captivity, conditions and intense pain associated with torture. It had been for the sake of his family.
It hadn’t been for nothing either. A Vehemens had once caught him. She’d held him for three days before he’d had his chance to kill her. He’d told her nothing. Just like he’d told Kalinor nothing.
The only person who had managed to get him speak while captive had been Arkalus.
“Valentine?” Prophecy said and he blinked himself back to the world. She was still holding his hand where it rested limp at his side.
“What is it?” he said, as though he didn’t know what troubled her.
“I…” She sighed and stared off into the distance. “I wish it was just us again. I don’t think I can cope with all of this. I’m not strong enough. All this waiting, and struggling to control our families. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to take leadership of them. It just feels like we’re sitting ducks, waiting for Elena to choose her moment to attack. We haven’t got an army out of it; we’ve got a death sentence.”
She tried to walk away from him but he held onto her hand, stopping her. She looked down at their joined hands. He held hers a little tighter, hoping to show her that everything would be all right.
“It was different then, Prophecy. We did not have such responsibilities.”
She laughed and he frowned to hear it.
“Such responsibilities?” A smile teased her lips. “Are you saying it was simpler when we just had to save the world together?”
He nodded, his expression deadly serious. “Of course. This added burden is affecting both of us. Neither of us want to lead our family. Both of us would rather we were alone.”
He swallowed when she stepped closer to him, her dark eyes searching his for the meaning behind his words. It wasn’t just her current apparel making him want to be alone with her; it was everything.
It was their families.
It was Venturi.
It was the possibility that the issues that hung between them all would get everyone killed, and he didn’t want that.
He didn’t want to lose her.
By taking her from her family that night and setting her on this path, he had given himself the duty of protecting her, and he would see that she survived this. It was his responsibility to make sure of that.
“Don’t you wish we could just leave? I mean … the Law Keepers will be coming, won’t they? The houses won’t work with each other no matter what we do. They’re always going to secretly despise the other.” She paused for a moment, her face sombre. “We’re doomed.”
“We are not doomed,” he said and pulled her towards him, gathering her into his arms. “But I do wish it was just
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