In the Name of the Otherworld by Hermione Lee

Author:Hermione Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC
Published: 2021-06-21T20:29:25+00:00

Chapter Nine

Trapped

(Eric)

“Eric Williams, how dare you betray your own mother!”

I was kneeling at the foot of Alta’s throne. If looks could kill, I would have dropped dead right on the spot. Utmost hatred shot from Alta’s eyes. She wore her long red hair in a loose side ponytail and was dressed in a turquoise gown, the one with tiny diamonds shaped like skeletons embroidered on the hem. Yet I knew too well that underneath that elegant façade was the heartless woman that had traumatized me for years. Alta’s turquoise diadem, tucked firmly in place, was glowing, which wasn’t a good sign.

“Betray?” It was probably reckless to do so, but I retorted. “I never betrayed you. I was never yours to betray.”

“YOU’LL PAY FOR SUCH INSOLENCE!” Alta screamed, hurling her diadem at me.

The diadem exploded as it hit my arm, and I felt myself plummeting through blackness. A searing pain spread through my body. My injured arm was killing me; my lungs were on fire, and I couldn’t breathe.

“Eric…Eric…Eric!” Somebody was beside me, pinching my arm.

“Mmm,” I murmured.

“Wake up!” the voice shouted.

I opened my eyes and blinked twice.

There was no Alta, no throne, no exploding diadems. Only Daphne and my bruised arm. Daphne’s blue hair was messy and tangled.

“Oh hey, it’s you,” I murmured. “Could you leave my poor arm alone?”

“I’ve been shouting your name for one solid minute, and you were still conked out.”

“Okay, okay, I’m getting up. What’s the time now? And where are the others?”

“It’s eight in the morning. Alexandria and Eileen are making our breakfast. Clarissa’s with them, and both Helen and Zack went for a bath. We’ve all got chores assigned. The two of us are supposed to get these sleeping bags, and the tent cleared and packed.”

Yawning, I pulled myself out of my sleeping bag. “When can we have our baths?”

“As soon as the two Elders are back. In fact, the others and I have already taken our baths in the early morning, before everyone was up.”

I crawled out of the tent and saw Alexandria and Clarissa debating heatedly about something. Eileen was pouring us bowls of porridge. Clarissa, who wore her hair in pigtails today, waved and said “Good morning” to me. Alexandria frowned and looked away immediately.

I understood her disgust at my mother, but it was definitely not my fault that I was Alta’s son. Hatred for that madwoman bubbled in me, like water boiling in a pot.

“Eric!” shouted Daphne. “Stop horsing around and give me a hand!”

Reluctantly, I crouched down and started packing up the sleeping bags.

“I’m not lying to you! It’s true, everything about Eric! We’d better talk about this somewhere else.”

I poked my head out of the tent and saw Alexandria and Clarissa arguing. From what I could make out, Alexandria had told her the truth about my parentage, and she obviously didn’t believe her.

My heart sank at the thought of being an outcast again. Alexandria did not want anything to do with me, and soon, all of my cohorts would be following suit.

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