Blaze by Krista D Ball

Author:Krista D Ball
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

There will be comfort. There will be peace.

— Prophecy of the Diamond, First Tablet

"Hello."

Silence.

Bethany let out a long, slow breath. She blew out her torch and watched the flickering candlelight bounce around the room. In spite of the heat outdoors, the room was relatively cool and damp. She latched the door behind her, not that the others would have come in. Apexia's room was sacrosanct. The monks and the knights would not have entered this room to light the candles. Only Apexia would have.

"Where are you?" Bethany asked the silence. "I want to speak to you."

Another moment passed. She didn't need to visit her mother in the chamber to speak to her but it made Bethany feel normal; she had to visit the goddess as opposed to inviting her mother over for tea. Silly, but vital. Not that it mattered much longer.

"Mama, I want to talk with you. Please."

A warm breeze tickled the wisps of hair around Bethany's face, the ones that had fallen out of their braids during her brawl with Jovan. Bethany inhaled the thick scent of lilac. The wind swirled and kicked up dust until it formed a glowing, curvy figure - her mother.

Once formed into mortal shape, Apexia stared at her blankly. Bethany eyed her mother and wondered if looking at her was its own kind of flesh-and-blood vision. She wondered if she would look as good as her mother later in life, with Apexia's silvery-streaked hair and well-set hips.

"Hello," Bethany said, standing straight and focusing on not appearing scared. Not that she was afraid of her mother - she wasn't. Rather, she feared admitting her mistake.

Apexia inclined her head and shifted her eyes to the side. The candles responded to the silent Power by producing a brighter, more intense light.

"A bit bare in here, isn't it?" Bethany asked, grasping at casual conversation. Usually, the room was filled with furniture, or if Apexia was in a good mood, a picnic area in a long, warm field, the sun gentle overhead. Today, no illusions. Just the cold, barren walls and flickering tallow candles with their sickening animal smell.

Apexia remained silent. She didn't frown, nor did she smile. Her lips remained pressed together in a thin line, her pale fingers clasped in front of her. Looking at her mother was like looking into a distorted mirror. Apexia's ears lacked the elven points and instead were smooth and rounded. Her body curved, whereas Bethany had inherited the lean, straight figure of her elven father, whoever that was. Mother and daughter did share the same red hair and innate mule-like stubbornness.

Bethany crossed her arms. "Aren't you going to speak to me?"

"You told me to never speak to you again, right after you called me a whore in heat. Are you expecting me to behave like other mothers and go make you a bowl of soup and pretend I've forgotten what you said?"

Bethany knew her mother would not allow that particular section of their argument to remain unaddressed. Perhaps that was why she had put off going back to see her.

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