Page 8 of Gift from the Nexus

The feeling of my heart breaking for Elementra, the woman, adds to the pulsing anguish I’m trying to block out. So much more about this realm’s structure makes sense. Why she set up the Nexus bonds the way she did, why she recycles the power, why she’s come to me, but I still don’t understand why I was chosen for this.

“That still doesn’t answer the why me.”

“Because of who you are to her.”

“I’m just Willow.”

“You are so much more, filia mea.”

I don’t respond. Instead, I lie still, sobbing silently as I fight through my external and internal conflict. I want to be furious with Elementra, curse her for putting this on me, but at the same time, the what-ifs assault me.

What if this happened to Oakly?

To Aria?

If it weren’t me, would I have ever met the guys? Gaster?

So many what-ifs and other scenarios run through my mind in the span of a few seconds, it almost makes me forget that my body is throbbing and there’s a stream of my blood flowing down the table. That is, until the door opens wide and my father strolls in ahead of another man.

“Don’t heal the cuts or stop the bleeding but take away some of the pain. We have things to discuss, and I need her awake. And clean up the vile mess she made. The smell is horrendous,” my father orders, and the man accompanying him steps up beside me, glaring as though the sight of me is repulsive.

Freezing water floods my mouth and nose as he damn near waterboards me to clean up the throw-up that’s dripping downmy chin. As I cough and snort, trying to force the water back out so I can breathe, he gathers up the mess and slings it off somewhere out of sight.

All the air I was able to suck in gets pulled right back out when he latches on to one of my wrists tightly. His fingers dig in to the burnt, bloody flesh and I scream out, attempting to pull free.

That causes him to grip me tighter, and I quickly give up my fight, letting my poor, mangled wrist fall limply in his hand. Slowly, the pain fades as his slimy magic starts flowing through me.

My magic shudders in my chest from the intrusion. Unlike Dr. Evie and especially Jamie, who is extra sensitive when he uses his magic on me, this man’s magic feels tainted. Like his allegiance with the Mastery has somehow made it dark, disturbing rather than comforting.

When he pulls his hand away, I hold in my sigh of relief. I refuse to be thankful to this asshole or my father for taking the pain away. A father should never do something like this to their child, and any normal person would never be okay seeing someone having this done to them, when they’ve done nothing to deserve it.

“That’ll be all.” My father dismisses the man without bothering to turn from the table to acknowledge him.

I give the guy the same courtesy and keep my eyes trained on my sorry excuse of a parent now that the pain isn’t affecting all rational thoughts, and I can process some of the things he’s said.

“Did you kill my mother?” I ask coldly.

The sound that falls out of him startles me once again. It’s yet another reaction I’ve never seen come from him.

He laughs. Loudly.

“Unfortunately, I did not get the pleasure of ending her. That would be you who did that, daughter.”

My jaw slacks and all the blood in my face drains away as the realization of what he said sinks in.

What?

Did he just say…

“It’s not as he’s making it seem, Willow,” CC says gently in my mind, cutting off the frantic thoughts about to run wild.

“What are you saying?” I mumble, shock taking hold of my voice, barely letting it surface higher than a whisper.

“I’m saying you killed her. She was already a fragile, broken woman. Your birth did her in. She apparently lived long enough to hold you and name you. Then died right there with you in her arms. Pity really. I had more plans in store for her.” He says so callously, anger burns through every fiber of my being.

“Are you even my father?” I grit out through my rage, my eyes narrowing on the vile, disgusting piece of shit standing over me.

“One hundred percent. I had you tested, although it was pointless because there would’ve been no one to have her after me. But I needed to be sure. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she somehow found a way out of the cage I kept her in to whore herself around to the men who accompanied her.”

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