Page 94 of Daughter of the Serpent

His words left the air heavy between them, thick and oppressive. Sylvie forced herself to hold his gaze, though her heart pounded with the urge to strike back. Instead, she swallowed the bitterness on her tongue, her silence a vow - one she intended to keep.

One day she would make Rederick feel as small as he had ever made her feel.

One day she would snake her blade along his own throat, and watch his blood spill.

One day he would pay for all the pain he had caused.

With that he let her go, disappearing back into the light of the feasting hall once more.

“Sylvie?”

The sound of Haldor's voice cut through the night, though she barely heard him. With a touch of his hand on her shoulder, she spun around, barely masking the storm brewing within, meeting his face pinched with worry.

“Are you okay?” His voice held a thread of urgency, but she caught the uncertainty in his eyes as they searched hers. “I saw Rederick follow you outside.”

She bristled at his concern, turning away from him, arms wrapping around herself like a shield. “I’m fine.” Her voice was forced. “Leave me be, Haldor.”

He winced,“I know you are still angry with me, but can’t you put that aside, just for a moment? What did Rederick want with you?”

“What he always wants.” She tensed her shoulders as she looked away. “To make a fool of me.”

She drew in a ragged breath, exhaustion filling her. She didn’t have the strength for Haldor right now, nor the patience to soften her edges.

Her hands clenched into fists as she tried to sooth her nerves.

He exhaled sharply, a frustrated huff escaping him as he stepped closer, steering her toward a quieter corner. “Fine. If you won’t talk about Rederick, then at least tell me what happened tonight.” His voice was low, careful. “Your mother and sister - they came to see you.”

“Yes, they did.” Her words were curt, clipped, each one a little knife between them.

Why did he have to dig so deep? Why did he have to pester her now?

He reached out, barely touching her shoulder. “How do you feel?”

“Angry,” she bit out, her voice trembling with the force ofemotions she struggled to keep in check. She could feel the heat burning beneath her skin at the mention of her mother and sister - the anger, grief, and confusion all tangled together.

He frowned. “I thought you would be more... pleased, elated.”

She swallowed hard, her gaze darting away as she tried to sort through the chaos in her head. “I am...I…I was.” Her voice cracked, and she cursed herself for letting him see even a hint of her turmoil. She had learned to guard her true feelings, to hide them behind a mask. It was what the temple had demanded of her, what she had learned to survive. But between seeing her mother again for the first time in so many months and Rederick, this moment had shattered her defenses, leaving her exposed. Then there was the matter of Haldor himself -could she trust him?

When she had shared her fear over the trials, she had felt disregarded, chastised, and unheard. When she needed him most, he hadn’t given her the support she had needed so desperately.

Could she share this truth with him now?

The truth she had buried so deep it scraped at her ribs, clawing to be free, ready to tear from her lungs if she let it.

That she doubted the temple. The gods. Their so - called plan for her.

That she questioned the faith itself - saw it for what it truly was: cruelty wrapped in silk, dogma disguised as divine will.

That Rederick wanted her dead.

And that he would make sure of it.

Haldor’s experience with the temple had been different - he was rewarded, granted freedoms she had never known. He had never felt the sting of Rederick’s whip, never tasted that bitterness. He didn’t know the weight of those lingering, judgmental eyes, the ones that assessed and accused her for simply existing. Haldor was welcomed, accepted - he belonged. He believed in the faith without question.

How could he possibly understand?

Her mind raced, every instinct screaming for her to hold her breath, keep silent, hide. If she spilled this truth it would only bringmore pain, more separation. Haldor would see her for what she truly was inside - a betrayer of the temple, a weak link - the one who lacked faith.

---