Page 1 of A Blightress of Wrath
PartOne
SEVENTEEN YEARS AFTER
Thesilence is cold.
Inthe absence of his voice, his warmth,Iam left out in the frigid wind.
Nowords to soothe what aches.
Nobody to warm mine, to heat, to please.
Idon’t light the fire in our hearth.
It’sbeen as barren as my soul since the day he left.
Isleep in our rooms, butIdo not dream.
Ibathe in our bath, butIam not clean.
Idress by the bed, butIam not clothed in him…
Asit should have been.
Chapter1
Saelyn
“Saelyn,myLittleLove, your fatherlives.”Mymother lifted my chin asIfrowned. “Andour time has come to save him.”
Istepped back on the balcony, refusing her touch. “Whatdo you mean my father lives?”Ishook my head.Mybody chilled with her words in the beginning of the summer storm. “Myfather is dead.He’sbeen dead since the nightIwas born seventeen years ago.”
Mymother’s eyes brimmed with tears.Itwas rare to see them turn from the black eyes of aBaronto the brilliant green they now glinted.Sheswallowed in hesitation, wringing her hands in her black skirts. “Itwas necessary to let you believe this.Ihad to?—”
“Letme believe this?”Ispat. “Youlied!”Iswept my gaze north. “Whereis my father?Whydoes he need to be saved?”
“Thereis so much to tell you.I’vebeen waiting seventeen years to tell you all of it, and?—”
“You’vebeenwaiting?Waitingfor what?”Ididn’t understand.Icouldn’t.Myheart had been ready to soar.Ihad been ready to confess my love forThevinthis night of my birthday celebration, and he had stopped me.BeforeIcould push to confess my feelings further, my mother had given me this weighted truth.
“Imade a promise to your father,” she said, reaching for me. “Hewanted you to have a childhood.Tohave a life without the knowledge that he was forced to be gone from it.Heloved you,Saelyn.Heloves you now.Ican feel it.”
Ibit my lips together, backing away from her again.Ihad lived my seventeen years in a lie.Whattruth didIreally hold?Iknew nothing.Nothingabout life, about love, about my own mother and father.Itwasn’t fair.
“Ifyou’d sit,LittleLove,Iwill help you understand?—”
“Ismy father in immediate danger?”Iinterrupted.
“No,” she returned with a shake of her head.
“Whendo we leave?”
Shesighed heavily, recognizing my anger. “Tomorrowmorning.Weleave for theSpire.”
Itried to keep the surprise from my face and nodded. “Whoknows my father lives?”
“Pompeii.Aswell as three others.”
“Who?”Angerspread through me.
