Page 148 of A Blightress of Wrath
Allat once, they summoned all of their power.Blacktrails of magic wrapped around my mother as wet trails of black sludge knocked theBlightressto the edge of the stone stairs, her body covered with the thick substance.
“Lookat me,”Icalled to theBlightressin my mind, finding her there in a thin, weak threadIcould not pull too tightly for fear of severance.
Hereyes of many colors flashed my way as she scrambled, trying to regain her footing with the weight of my mother’s seeping power forcing her to the ground.
Borosleapt again, flying through the air as we neared.TheBlightressshifted her gaze and with a sweep of her magic, pulled my mother down from the abominations she’d produced with her own dark power.
TheBlightressgritted her teeth and swept her hand at her legs, forcing the ooze from her gown, splattering it against the rocky wall.
“It’sover,LittleOne,” she returned, pushing from the stair to rise again.
“Giveme your hand,”Iurged. “Channelyour power to me, andIwill show you.”
Timeslowed,Borosleapt, bounding off a thick vine, ignoring the thorns raised across its surface.Thevin’swords of love, of believing in me, came slow and sure as he kissed my head and grabbed my waist, lifting me further toward theBlightress.
Mymother’s scream of panic pierced the slow of time as she saw me reach high into the air, theBlightress’sface easing into something serene.Herlong fingers, tipped in sharp, black nails, reached down toward me as her question came without hinderance.
“Showme what,DaughterofFelgren?”
WithThevin’slast shove,Iflew fromBoros’sback, my hand reaching for hers, my fingers sliding over her open palm, grasping her hand asIanswered, “Thelife you’ve given me.”
Herfingers wrapped around my wrist as mine did hers, andIfelt the speed of time quicken, my body beginning to fall andThevin’sscream matching my mother’s asIsaid under my breath, “Revertaydenen tepiore.”
Chapter62
Saelyn
I WAS SEVENTEEN AND EMPTY
Aflashof white blended into the soft glow of lanterns hanging across the trees ofFelgren, decorated with brilliant colors of paper banners strung between them.
“You’vebrought us back in time.ToFelgren.”
Ishuddered at her voice beside me.
TheBlightressstood on solid ground, though she wasn’t solid at all.Ilooked down at our joined hands, our skin blurred, my own tanned from summer sun, hers a pale white.
Ibrought my focus back to the clearing.Thedecorations were familiar.I’dmade them and hung them not long before this day, weeks ago.
Itook a deep breath watching my past self in a birthday dress of cerulean velvet, rising fromPah-Pah’sside and heading straight through the crowd of people dancing.Atthe same time,Thevinleft his tree, crossing the crowd towards me.Wemet in the middle and picked up the slow dance together.
Iglanced around.Noone noticed us.
Noone knew we had ever been here.
Ireturned to her in my mind, “Ineed you to see all of it.Ineed you to know about my life.”
“Soyou’ve brought us here.Tothis day.Why?”
ThevinandIhad stopped dancing though the music still played.Hismournful smile hadn’t fooled me then, and it didn’t fool me now.
“Thisis the dayIturned seventeen.Thesame day my mother told me my father was still alive.Doyou see that manI’mdancing with?”Ipointed across the clearing.
Shesquinted and smirked. “Irecognize him.I’veseen him in battle before,LittleOne.”
“Ilove him.”
Insilence, she turned away from the scene ofPah-Pahinterrupting the dance to tell me to climb to the tallest tower to speak with my mother.
