Transcend (Origin Book 2) by Scarlett Dawn

Author:Scarlett Dawn [Dawn, Scarlett]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-06-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“Are you all right?” I asked, my tone gentle.

“I…” Poppy sat on the train chair next to me, hugging her knees, utterly drawn into herself. Her delicate features were pinched, and she visibly trembled. “I didn’t faint this time.”

My smile was sympathetic. “You survived.”

Her eyes flicked to where I sat next to her. “But I’m a soldier. I’m stronger than this.”

I tilted my head to the side, examining the dried tears streaked on her face—that she probably didn’t even know were there, showing the evidence of how distraught she had been while trapped inside. “You believe you aren’t strong if you don’t fight?”

Her chuckle was cold. “Yes. I’m good at fighting.”

“Being good at something doesn’t make you strong.”

Poppy slinked down in her chair. “What do you mean?”

“If you are naturally inclined to a certain skillset, it doesn’t mean you’re above others—or better. The strong are made by their struggles, not what comes easily to them. That’s been proven throughout history. The nations that overcame their weaknesses and worked to better themselves are the societies that prospered.”

Her troubled brown eyes narrowed. “So you’re saying I’m not a strong soldier?”

I leaned back on my chair and tapped my fingers on my legs. The battle raged below with the corporate kings and the golems, Finn’s train now hovering high in the air, keeping Poppy and me safe. Though, Theron the Ancient was sitting in the back, his feet kicked up and playing a game on his silver bracelet—watching over us.

I asked plainly, “This is what you should be asking yourself. How can I become a better soldier? You should always want to be better than what you are. Whether it be in your current profession, in your home life, or with how you contribute to society and your friends.”

She stared. “You deflected my question.”

I sighed and shook my head. “I don’t think you’re a weak soldier, Poppy. But I do think you’re too proud right now to see the obvious. Or you know what it is? You’re too afraid to admit it.”

When her words came, she whispered, “I’m afraid.”

“I know. And that’s all right.”

“But I’ve never met an obstacle I couldn’t beat.”

“That’s a different problem and a hard lesson to learn when the truth hits, so I’m going to detour and focus on the issue at hand.” My fingers kept tapping away on the dirt-streaked silk I wore, teaching even on the battlefield—not just in a classroom. “It’s okay to be afraid, Poppy.”

Her nostrils flared and her head shook. “Not for me.”

“Poppy…it’s okay to be afraid.”

“No. It’s not.” She snorted and turned her head.

I gentled my tone. “It’s okay to be afraid.”

She sniffed, lifting her chin higher.

“Say it, Poppy.”

“Go to Hell.”

My head tilted. “I’m a professor at New City University. Do you think I’m weak because I prefer a pencil over a sword?”

Her brows knit together. “No.”

“If a student of mine decided to harass me, came to my home and vandalized my property, snuck inside my house and beat me and raped

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.