Blood Divided by Katie Keridan

Author:Katie Keridan [Keridan, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SparkPress

18

Rain drummed on the tin roof, and Sebastian lay in bed, watching the heavy drops slide down the windows, unable to sleep. The shock of seeing his father for the first time in over a year was still so fresh. It didn’t escape his notice that his father hadn’t come looking for him until he wanted something, and while that hurt, Sebastian had never experienced anything but pain from his father, so in a way, he was prepared rather than shocked.

Not liking the direction of his thoughts, Sebastian focused on the test he was supposed to take the following day. Would it involve needles? Would he be asked to demonstrate how fast he could run or how strong he was in a fight? Or would it be an academic test? He cringed at the thought of reading out loud in front of complete strangers.

What if he failed?

More importantly, what if he passed?

Part of him very much liked the idea of being an elite warrior in the Nocenian army. But at the same time, he knew he’d never be able to go along with anything his mother didn’t like.

When it became clear his mind wasn’t going to settle anytime soon, he decided if he couldn’t control his thoughts, he also didn’t have to be alone with them. He grabbed his stuffed toy dragon, slipped out of bed, and tiptoed to his mother’s room.

“Mother?” he called, pushing the unclosed door open a little wider.

His mother rolled over from where she’d been curled against a pillow and smiled, although her cheeks looked wet in the moonlight shining through the rain-splattered window. “Come on in, sweetie,” she said, patting the bed.

Sebastian crawled between the covers and let his mother pull him close as he settled his dragon beside him. She brushed his hair back and rested her cheek against his head as thunder rumbled.

Numerous thoughts fought for Sebastian’s attention, but he kept coming back to one in particular. “Father talked about you being pregnant and wanting to keep me.” He angled his head so he could see his mother. “He didn’t want me, did he?”

His mother’s silence told him he’d correctly understood the situation, and when she eventually spoke, she sounded both sad and frustrated.

“Your father has always wanted certain things for you,” she explained, “and I’ve wanted different things for you. Unfortunately, that means you’re caught in the middle, and it’s not fair.”

“He wants me to fight,” Sebastian surmised, “and you don’t want me to.”

“There’s nothing wrong with fighting,” replied his mother. “I want you to fight for the Daevals and causes you care about. You have a very strong sense of fairness, and I love how quick you are to defend what you believe to be right. I just don’t want strength to be the only thing you believe matters. You are so much more than your pyromancy and your portaling and your incredible reflexes.” She placed a hand on the covers, right above his heart. “You aren’t special because of what you can do.

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