Power of a Name: Tales of Darkness and Fate by Liz Cain & Anne K. Whelan

Author:Liz Cain & Anne K. Whelan [Cain, Liz & Whelan, Anne K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Clan Whelan Publishing (CWP)
Published: 2024-03-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

Pain blazed behind my eyelids as light poured into my cell. I shifted, holding onto my swollen belly, and squinted at the figure who had entered. My head was propped up by the wall, the rough stone digging into my scalp, but I had little energy to move.

“After weeks of no sunlight, you are a pale wretch.” Lent’s voice carried to me, echoing around my small cell. “No one would consider you the more beautiful one of us now.”

“How long?” I croaked, coughing, ignoring her barb.

Lent brought the faelight to my face, leaving the cell door open and I winced back. “You should be due any day now.”

She was right, it had been weeks. My eyes flicked to the open door, so close and yet too far for me to make it. Panic gripped me and I reached for Lent.

“Don’t hurt my youngling,” I begged. “It must be born in the human realm; it can’t be born here. It won’t survive.”

Lent scoffed. “What happened to your pride, Rumpel? High and mighty elder of Alecantra. Indeed. I was glad to take that role from you, our people are better off with me in charge.”

I could beg for my young, I could forsake my pride. “You’re a fool,” I spat, somehow finding some of my old spirit. So much for forsaking my pride. The dank walls of the cell glistened in the light, water streaming down them and driving me crazy in the normally silent cell. I wrinkled my nose at her actions and at the damp smell. “You are Zellia’s puppet. She will use you up and replace you. The only reason she gave you that position is because she can control you.”

The sharp crack of Lent’s slap reverberated around us, and my head snapped back. My hand was on my cheek, putting pressure on the pain. My limp hair fell around my face, unwashed and the smell made me gag.

“Once your youngling is born, you will finally leave this world.” Lent grinned at me. “I will finally be rid of you, sister.”

“What did I ever do to you? We used to be friends,” I wheezed.

“We were never friends.” Lent threw back her head and laughed. “You were popular and had influence over the others. By befriending you I got the same status. Then you took my job and started spouting your ridiculous beliefs about banished elderfae and granting wishes.” Lent laughed.

My fatigue-addled brain could barely understand what she was saying. My mother had told me we were sisters, but we were so different. It was hard to believe we had the same parents.

“If you were never really my friend then what do you want?” I snarled, wishing I had the energy to lunge for her.

Lent smirked. “To see how far you’ve fallen. You always thought you were better than me. Everyone loved you and I was always in your shadow. You know that you’re not the only one they’ve imprisoned for your actions. You’re so selfish, dragging everyone down with you.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.