Tempest (Fairytale Collection Book 5) by Nicole Ciacchella

Author:Nicole Ciacchella [Ciacchella, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Dragons, Fiction / Fantasy, Fiction / Romance, Folklore & Mythology
Google: TxK_DwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B07Y999Y4D
Barnesnoble: B07Y999Y4D
Goodreads: 49467836
Publisher: Sweenix Rising Books
Published: 2019-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Having convinced herself she would feel better in a few days, once her initial shock had worn off, Clio was dismayed to find that time did not prove the balm she'd hoped it would be.

Life had been hard but simpler on the exile island, and she found herself longing for it. During training Kastas had showed her what to do and she had done it. Her father had instructed her in merfolk history, ensuring she was well versed in the wrongs humans had committed against them, and she had worked hard to absorb the information so she could repeat it back to him, proving her diligence.

She hadn't had to form her own opinions or draw her own conclusions. She hadn't been presented with conflicting evidence that made her question the truths she held dear. Yes, she had spent time with the humans Kastas had procured to train her in specific skills, but none of those humans had ever uttered a word that didn't have something to do with what they were meant to teach her. Of course, Kastas had been there every time, watching every move the humans made and listening to every word they said.

Are they monsters?

Why had she never questioned any of these things?

She feared she might crack under the pressure, and so she did the only thing she could think to do: she resolved to stop thinking about her problems for a few days. She didn't know what to do other than try to clear her mind, come back to her thoughts once she'd given herself some breathing room.

The thought of eschewing her duty even for a few days was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. Her entire life had been devoted to preparing for this task. She couldn't remember ever having been idle for even a single day over the past decade.

Letting go proved more intoxicating than she could have imagined, and with each day that passed she felt herself growing lighter. Her sense of duty never left her, lurked always in the dark corners of her conscience, ready to pounce on her as soon as she let down her guard. But she became skilled at evading it.

After three days, Demetrios remarked on the change in her. They were in the ruins, his guards farther away than ever before. Each time they went to the ruins the guards withdrew a little more, gave them a little additional privacy.

She no longer felt such a burning urge to plunge a dagger into his heart. The truth was, the thought of killing him had begun to make her queasy.

"You seem different of late, and I'm not quite certain what to make of it," he said.

"Oh?" she asked, straightening. She'd been toying with a wildflower she'd plucked, running her fingers over its petals to test its texture, holding it close to her face to study its structure. She didn't know why she'd never before appreciated how complex, how different, land plants were.

"To be honest, it reminds me a bit of a period I went through after I lost my own father.

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