Page 119 of Gift from the Nexus

“You’re truly delusional,” I mutter, stunned.

“Mind your words when speaking to me, Willow. I have been more than gracious and patient with you. For twenty-six years,I’ve afforded you a life of luxury with very minimal punishment for the nonsense you put your father through.”

I rear back at his words as if he slapped me across the face. Life of luxury. Minimal punishment. Are you serious right now?

Yes, I grew up in a mansion large enough to be considered an estate, but it was nothing more than a polished dungeon, decorated with torture tables, bruises for breakfast, graves for games, and more trauma than imaginable. I’d have picked living in the woods underneath my tree, scavenging for my own food for the remainder of my life than being trapped inside that house.

“I see the denial already forming on your lips, so do not waste your breath. How about this? You return your father and yourself to me, and you may bring along with you two of the obviously many men you’ve been spending your time with. My only requirement is the dragon be one of them. You may pick the other. I vow to you now no harm will come to them. They will join Donald and Bryce as your Nexus.”

My jaw nearly hits the table, and my men move in closer, seconds away from snapping. I don’t believe my mind is even comprehending what the fuck is coming out of his mouth right now. For an individual who is remarkably smart—and he is, despite hating him, I can’t deny that fact—he’s also mental. Completely insane.

I look at Corentin, dumbfounded, because I don’t know what to say.

“He’ll do, although admittedly, I was hoping you choose the one with mind transference. Shadow boy is spoken for already.”

His insanity must be contagious because before I can stop myself, I burst out laughing hysterically. By the time I catch my breath, there’re tears streaming from my eyes, and my stomach muscles are sore.

This just can’t be real. I’m stuck in some weird-ass dream. The Summum-Master is not my grandfather. He’s not ordering me to return to him, nor is he telling me to pick two men to bring with me to complete a fake Nexus he’s assembled. Not fucking possible.

Clearing my throat and composing myself again, I say, “You almost had me there. Whew. This conversation is pointless. You’re not my grandfather. I’m not leaving my Nexus. Not now, not ever. And Franklin isn’t going anywhere.”

His face, well, Franklin’s, grows deadly serious. It’s full of scrutiny and promise of punishment if I do not fall in line. The condescending smirk I had on my lips fades into a mask of fury that matches his. If he thinks for a second that he’ll intimidate me into submission or obedience, he’s got another think coming.

“Franklin was right about your stubbornness. I obviously made a grave error telling him not to go too hard on you because you surely needed a heavier hand. So this, Willow, is your final warning.

“Do not continue to push me. I’m trying to be amicable with you and compromise as much as possible, but you are testing my hand. If you do not oblige, when the time comes for this realm to bow to me as it rightfully should, I will not show you or these sorry excuses of heirs any form of mercy.”

“Your threats don’t scare me. I know as well as you do, you need me alive.”

“Alive being the operative word. The condition in which you’re brought to me doesn’t much matter. Breathing and in one piece will suffice. Take this as my farewell for now. My son and you, granddaughter, are to be left at the same compound you were stolen from just recently by three mornings from now,” he commands darkly.

“And if we’re not?” I ask.

“I’ll be coming to collect you myself. It has been some time since I’ve visited the school.”

With those parting words, Franklin’s head slings back once again and a harrowing sound leaves his throat while his head shakes from side to side. I know he’s not going to die from this now and it also tells us what the biggest difference between his rune and everyone else’s is.

Fucking possession. How is this possible?

A long, deep breath slowly exhales from Franklin’s chest as he rights himself and at first, I figured he was just shaking his head back, getting his feeling of control in place, but no, he’s shaking his head at me disappointedly.

“Why can’t you just follow instructions, Willow? Life now and then would’ve been so much easier for you.”

“Easier? Do you not recall all the years I stayed mute in front of you, not uttering a word, just doing as I was told? It didn’t matter if I listened or not, you were still going to torture me. We’ve already established why that is, so don’t sit here and pretend like I deserved anything you did to me,” I say, choking down the hurt and anger quickly boiling to the surface.

“You did deserve it. Even when you were silent, you didn’t follow instructions. You eavesdropped, you missed dinner calls, you came home daily dirty from head to toes while you played like an animal in the woods,” he scoffs.

“I was a child.”

“An insolent child. You deserved far more than what I did to you, but I listened to my father’s advice and raised you the way he instructed. We both can see the error of those ways now.”

The burning trail the single tear I let fall feels like it’s scarring the skin on my cheek. The way he can sit here, so emotionless, so heartless, and speak of the abuse he inflicted on me as if it wasn’t enough is gut-wrenching. How can anyone do this to an innocent child?

I was just a child.

I didn’t deserve any of it.

“I swore to my father countless times that your mother put a curse on you before she took her last breath. Maybe, just maybe, if you hadn’t killed her, she could’ve stayed around to raise you. She could’ve taught you the importance of obeying.”

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