Raising Amalia (Veredian Chronicles Book 0) by Regine Abel

Author:Regine Abel [Abel, Regine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Regine Abel
Published: 2017-11-10T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

Sevina

The shuttle landed and I fought the urge to yell at Piruk to get a move on and lower the ramp. These last four months since my last visit with Eryon had been even more excruciating than usual. Obviously, I missed Eryon, but more than ever before, the Revenant felt like a prison, choking the life out of me. Despite Mama’s devotion and my beloved daughter—my most cherished treasure—I was fading away, deprived of contact with the Sisters and from even the semblance of a normal life.

The missions Master Gruuk sent me on gave me anxiety attacks. Infiltration, stealth, thefts, sabotage, and escaping pursuit by the skin of my teeth weren’t the life for me. With each passing year, my Master gave me increasingly risky tasks to complete. Granted, the away team accompanying me put my safety first, even above the mission, but that gave me little comfort. I couldn’t breathe until we returned to the shelter of the ship.

As much as the thought of parting with my mother pained me, I wanted to stay on one of the breeding fortresses and never return to the Revenant. However, Gruuk would never let me leave with Amalia. He loved my daughter just like he loved my mother.

But he sure doesn’t love me.

The familiar sense of rejection struck at my heart. It took me long enough to see that Gruuk didn’t love me because I didn’t have my mother’s and daughter’s strength. They were tough, daring, and bold; so many traits respected by the Guldans. He tolerated my presence for Mama’s sake. Under different circumstances, he would have sent me away and replaced me with another, more adventurous kinetic. His gift to my mother was my burden to bear.

And Mama… It took me even longer to realize her romantic involvement with our Master. I felt betrayed, as a slave, as a daughter and, above all, as a Veredian. How could she lay with the monster that robbed us of our future? How could she love the male who sold her children? I often thought of confronting her about it, but that too made me anxious. Plus, what would it accomplish? So I pretended not to know and not to see her sneak into his quarters, or him into hers.

In some ways, I pitied her. In fifty-one years of slavery, Mama only got to set foot off the Revenant a total of nine times, when the ship underwent major repairs or was replaced by a newer model. Each time, she disembarked only long enough to embark on the new vessel. Mama didn’t exactly have a long list of potential romantic interests. Gruuk was the only male she had ever known who showed her any kind of respect or genuine affection. So while my head understood how it could have happened, my heart still resented her for it.

And yet, I crave his affection and acceptance.

Yes, I had daddy issues. How could I not? He represented the closest thing to a father figure I’d ever known.

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