Page 81 of The Throne's Undoing

Kallie shook her head to calm the heavy patter of her heart. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, it only beat faster.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kallie croaked at last.

"You dare question me? The man who raised you, who cared for you?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but Kallie forced herself to push through the pain and asked, "Why did you take me away from them?"

"I have treated you like a daughter all these years, Kalisandre. Is that not enough?"

Kallie blinked, her tongue growing heavy with frost.

Was it enough? It had been once. But why did it feel as if it wasn't now?

"Kals," Myra said, her voice as sweet as candy. "It's going to be all right."

Kallie wanted to believe Myra. After all, how could she not? Myra was her best friend--her family.

As was Domitius.

They were all Kallie had needed for so long. They were the only two people she could ever count on. They were the only ones who cared what she--

"They're lying, Kallie," Fynn shouted, his voice faint though powerful enough to break through the endless void.

Hands fell onto her shoulders, one light and one heavy, both familiar.

So much had changed within the past few months. All she wanted now was to sink into the familiar.

"Show me the weapon you were meant to be," her father whispered. "Show me the weapon I have raised you to be."

This was what she wanted: to be wanted and needed.

To have power.

This was what she was born for.

The chorus started again, all shouting her name as she spun around the room. With each repetition, she spun faster and faster, her hair whipping across her face.

The darkness began to dissipate as flashes of color bled across her vision.

"Kalisandre."

"Kalisandre."

"Kalisandre."

The ice crawled over her skin, its frigid touch burning into her flesh as it rose higher and higher.

Soon, the coldness became a welcome companion as Kallie whirled around the room. It seeped into her bones, stabilizing her and keeping her from rocking in the chair.

She wanted to sink into it, to let it consume her. It would have been easy to do just that. Because as its frigid touch enveloped her, it numbed her from her head to her toes.

It would be much easier if she just let go, if she gave into it. It would be so much easier to be numb to it all. To let the emotionsgo.

Kallie had always been too emotional. Her father had told her that too many times to count. But the ice on her skin promised to get rid of those emotions, to relinquish that pain she felt in her chest.

She nodded to herself.Yes, she thought.It would be so much easier to care less.

"Little mouse, you are smarter than this."

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