rational. Everything's fine, isn't it? You're stronger for
what you've been through, and I've no doubt that once you can
properly control your powers, a hoard of dragons won't be able to
stop you. Now...”
Stepping
forward, she lifted the axe and stared down at my legs. I could
move them away, but what then? She'd swing at me, not caring where
she struck.
“I'm
sorry, I'm sorry!” I heard myself call. “I'm sorry, I—thank you,
thank you, Katja, I know what I'm doing, you can stop this
now...”
She
wasn't listening to me. She never would.
Reaching
out, I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed everything she'd
done to me into her.
The axe
struck the floor before she did, and she crumpled in on herself as
the dragon had.
I held
my breath and she didn't move.
It was
over. She was dead.
I didn't
waste any time.
If I
could get the axe, then I could hack my way free of the chains. I
stretched out as far as I could, stretched until my shoulder
threatened to pull from the joint, but it was still inches away
from my feet. Metal cut into my wrist and I was sure I kept seeing
Katja move from the corner of my eye, necromancy finally becoming
her.
Her
glassy eyes were wide-open and empty, and I felt the swarm of death
fester within her. I'd done it. Finally, I'd done what everyone had
silently been afraid of: I'd taken a life, the life of another
person, and all it had taken was a single look, a fleeting
thought.
My
throat was still raw and my head pounded every time I thought of
calling out. It'd take days to gather my strength, and what then?
What would the pirates think if they rushed up and found me like
this, covered in my own blood and vomit, scars on display? Worse
still, what if Katja had been right. What if Akela returned,
loyalty to Queen Kidira unwavering...
“Gods,” I managed to hiss, “No, no, no .”
I
brought my fist down, striking the floorboards, and knocked the
death out of Katja.
“You ,” she breathed, scrambling back
across the floor, “You had the temerity to murder me, and—”
Praising
necromancy had been all well and good, until I'd used it on Katja.
Now she was as horrified by the concept as everyone else had ever
been.
“Leave,”
I said. “Leave, or... again.”
Katja
was burning with righteous indignation, but she wasn't foolish
enough – brave enough – to take my threat lightly. She stormed back
into her bedroom and stayed there, no matter how much noise I made
in trying to break the chains free. Not that it made a difference:
all I succeeding in doing was bruising my body, no closer to
escaping after hours.
The two
of us weren't alone, divided by a single wall, for long. Boots
striking the steps up to the front door was the first real sound
I'd heard beyond the apartment in days, and the whistling
accompanying the click of the lock was unmistakeable.
Akela
was home.
“Kouris!” she called out. “Good afternoon! I am running two
days late, I am knowing this, but work was good . Hah, you will not be believing
what—”
The
words dried up in Akela's throat. Her axe was in her hand the
moment she saw me, and I wanted to cry out for her to help me, for
her to cut through the chains, but Katja burst from her room,
flying into Akela's arms with no regard for the blade.
“Kouris,” Akela said, gripping her shoulders. “What is
happening? What is... Northwood, why is she like that?”
“I had no choice!” Katja wailed. “Rowan, she, she killed me, Akela. I-I
did all I could to stop her, b-but she wouldn't. Over and over
again, I...”
Settling
her jaw, Akela turned my way, and stared darkly at me.
“Shh,
shh. You are needing to calm yourself. Already, you are being put
through too much,” she said to Katja, wrapping one arm around her.
“You are going back to your room, yes, and I am dealing with this
one. Soon, it is all over. Do not worry.”
CHAPTER V
The
stove began to heat up, and with Akela towering over me, I had no
choice but to press my back
what you've been through, and I've no doubt that once you can
properly control your powers, a hoard of dragons won't be able to
stop you. Now...”
Stepping
forward, she lifted the axe and stared down at my legs. I could
move them away, but what then? She'd swing at me, not caring where
she struck.
“I'm
sorry, I'm sorry!” I heard myself call. “I'm sorry, I—thank you,
thank you, Katja, I know what I'm doing, you can stop this
now...”
She
wasn't listening to me. She never would.
Reaching
out, I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed everything she'd
done to me into her.
The axe
struck the floor before she did, and she crumpled in on herself as
the dragon had.
I held
my breath and she didn't move.
It was
over. She was dead.
I didn't
waste any time.
If I
could get the axe, then I could hack my way free of the chains. I
stretched out as far as I could, stretched until my shoulder
threatened to pull from the joint, but it was still inches away
from my feet. Metal cut into my wrist and I was sure I kept seeing
Katja move from the corner of my eye, necromancy finally becoming
her.
Her
glassy eyes were wide-open and empty, and I felt the swarm of death
fester within her. I'd done it. Finally, I'd done what everyone had
silently been afraid of: I'd taken a life, the life of another
person, and all it had taken was a single look, a fleeting
thought.
My
throat was still raw and my head pounded every time I thought of
calling out. It'd take days to gather my strength, and what then?
What would the pirates think if they rushed up and found me like
this, covered in my own blood and vomit, scars on display? Worse
still, what if Katja had been right. What if Akela returned,
loyalty to Queen Kidira unwavering...
“Gods,” I managed to hiss, “No, no, no .”
I
brought my fist down, striking the floorboards, and knocked the
death out of Katja.
“You ,” she breathed, scrambling back
across the floor, “You had the temerity to murder me, and—”
Praising
necromancy had been all well and good, until I'd used it on Katja.
Now she was as horrified by the concept as everyone else had ever
been.
“Leave,”
I said. “Leave, or... again.”
Katja
was burning with righteous indignation, but she wasn't foolish
enough – brave enough – to take my threat lightly. She stormed back
into her bedroom and stayed there, no matter how much noise I made
in trying to break the chains free. Not that it made a difference:
all I succeeding in doing was bruising my body, no closer to
escaping after hours.
The two
of us weren't alone, divided by a single wall, for long. Boots
striking the steps up to the front door was the first real sound
I'd heard beyond the apartment in days, and the whistling
accompanying the click of the lock was unmistakeable.
Akela
was home.
“Kouris!” she called out. “Good afternoon! I am running two
days late, I am knowing this, but work was good . Hah, you will not be believing
what—”
The
words dried up in Akela's throat. Her axe was in her hand the
moment she saw me, and I wanted to cry out for her to help me, for
her to cut through the chains, but Katja burst from her room,
flying into Akela's arms with no regard for the blade.
“Kouris,” Akela said, gripping her shoulders. “What is
happening? What is... Northwood, why is she like that?”
“I had no choice!” Katja wailed. “Rowan, she, she killed me, Akela. I-I
did all I could to stop her, b-but she wouldn't. Over and over
again, I...”
Settling
her jaw, Akela turned my way, and stared darkly at me.
“Shh,
shh. You are needing to calm yourself. Already, you are being put
through too much,” she said to Katja, wrapping one arm around her.
“You are going back to your room, yes, and I am dealing with this
one. Soon, it is all over. Do not worry.”
CHAPTER V
The
stove began to heat up, and with Akela towering over me, I had no
choice but to press my back
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