Page 44 of Riftborne
“Do I detect subordination in your tone? Keep your mouth shut, officer,” the General shouted, his words slick with a dark form of amusement.
The guard’s eyes widened as he took a few steps backwards. The General slowly turned to face me. I glared back at him, fighting the urge to claw his face off with my bare hands.
“Fia, this man is the reason your friends are dead. He pulled the lever. You know this. If it weren’t for his hatred and ignorance, Mairyen… Luka–”
“Don’t you dare say their names,” I spat, fury pulsing through my veins. My body was shaking.
The General moved towards me, slow and calculating. He stopped a few inches from my face and leaned in.
“Direct that rage towards the man who deserves it,” he whispered, stepping to the side. The guard now stood in my direct line of sight. The General circled me, staying close enough for me to feel his breath on my neck.
“You have my full permission to punish him however you see fit.” His voice was like razor blades. I was on the edge of control, and it was slipping with every passing second.
The General leaned in closer than ever. I felt his lips graze my ear.
“Let go, Fia.”
And at that moment, time stood still. I felt the ringing in my head. The air around me crackled with energy. My vision went white. I fought the urge to lose myself completely, but time was running out. I was going to explode. A rush of static splintered across my skin.
Then I felt it.
The translucent web. I could see it in my mind. I felt it latch onto my spine and begin to braid itself up my vertebrae, sending pulses of energy into the surrounding cartilage. It knotted and twisted until it reached the base of my skull, and white hot light raced through me with a maddening force.
My eyes shot open just as the guard began to lift off the ground. The look of terror in his eyes ricocheted through my mind. He opened his mouth to scream, but I stole his voice. Waves of essence vibrated around him. I cocked my head to the side as the temptation to end him became stronger. I felt my power wrap around his mind. It would only take a few more seconds to liquify it…
But I didn’t want to.
The revelation overcame my rage. Killing him wasn’t important.He’d served his purpose. My elusive focus was found, and I could direct it.
Now how do I stop it?
I slammed my eyes shut and began to visualize that same force of energy, the web of translucent fibers that latched onto me only seconds ago. Clenching my fists, muscles straining, I felt a sharp thud as my knees hit the cold ground. Just as my mind felt like it would explode, the strands began to fray, untethering themselves from my bones. They crept down my spine, sinking back into their resting place, and the air around me went calm.
Reality returned, and I faltered, but managed to catch myself, planting a firm hand on the ground. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to find the guard's face twisted in horror as he gasped for air. He was conscious.
Alive.
I exhaled in relief. A sudden heat from behind indicated the General had crouched down beside me.
“Impressive,” he murmured. I looked away.
I couldn’t process all of the feelings that were now tumbling through my already swirling mind. Overwhelming pride was at the forefront. I had done it. I had figured out where the access point was. But even more, I had channeled and controlled it.
I had won.
I didn’t want to kill the blue-eyed guard. I knew he probably deserved death, but I had gained so much more than his blood on my hands.
General Ashford rose once again and strode over to the guard, his boots echoing in the tense silence. The man was a wreck, heaving and gasping, sweat slicking his face. His hand hovered over Ashford's outstretched arm, trembling before finally grasping it with a white-knuckled grip, allowing the General to bring him to a standing position.
“I really appreciate your cooperation tonight.” I could hear the smile in the General’s voice, and it sparked something within me.Everything with this man was an act. And he’d gone too far tonight.
I wished pride was the only thing rushing through me at this moment. But there was a heaviness surrounding all that accomplishment–a feeling of betrayal and exploitation. I couldn’t help wanting to have achieved this for myself, by myself, without being manipulated by the General once again. A dull pain gnawed at me in places I couldn’t quite reach.
Ashford placed his hand on the back of the guard’s armor and patted his shoulder.
“What happened at the dam was truly just a tragic accident. A matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the General said, giving the guard a calculated smirk.
Nausea flooded my body once again.
