Page 74 of Unmasked Prophecy

"We will cleanse her soul. We will purify her sins.”

I stagger back but force my feet to stay planted. The platform is wide, open, and terrifying. I take a shaky breath. I think of Talon, his steady hands, his calm eyes. I need to be that now—strong, unyielding. I feel the weight of the knife in my hand and grip it harder. I try to focus, to find a way out, but they are blocking the only exit.

They get closer, their bodies surrounding the platform.

"Nia," my father calls again, his voice smooth and unbothered that I am not tied to that cross any longer. "There is no escape."

I spin, looking for some hole, some means of escape. The chanting grows louder, more fevered, as if they are trying to will me back into submission. These motherfuckers are going to get everything that is coming for them.

But right now, I need to leave.

I don’t think, I just turn and launch off the side of the platform, slamming into a figure wearing white. I don’t know who it is, but my sneak attack is enough to knock them over, giving me a path through. Crying out in pain, I push to my feet and start running, heading towards the trees, praying I make it.

“Stop!” my father’s voice bellows, cold and furious.

It is him who charges towards me, his eyes wild. I try to run, but he’s on me so quickly I can do nothing to stop him. I spin, raising the knife, but he has my wrist in seconds, tearing it from me. His eyes are cold, emotionless, and in this moment, I’m more scared of him than I have ever been.

“No!” I shout, my voice breaking as I fight him, but he’s too strong.

The first thrust is a shock, the blade driving into my stomach, deep and brutal. I gasp, the pain exploding, white-hot, the world narrowing to a single point of agony. Blood quickly fills my mouth, and I choke on it, the taste coppery and thick. My father, the man who brought me into this world, is going to kill me. I know it as sure as I know the sun will rise tomorrow.

I gasp, but nothing comes out.

My knees tremble. My legs threatening to give way.

He pulls the knife out, and I scream, a raw, broken sound, before he stabs me again. The pain is everywhere, drowning me, and I feel the life slipping away, the world fading.

Another stab, vicious and final, and I know he’s going to kill me.

He is going to fucking kill me.

“Nia.”

The roaring sound of Talon’s voice has my head turning, as if in slow motion. I can’t see him, but I’m so certain I can hear him. Is this the end? Is this what happens when you’re about to die?

“Nia.”

Frantic this time, his voice so broken it pains me to hear it.

My eyes are blurry, and all I can see is the mass amount of people wearing white.

Where are you, Talon?

“God dammit,” he roars. “No.”

A pained moan leaves my mouth and I know I can’t let him have this.

He might kill me, but it won’t be without a fight.

When he pulls his hand back again, I raise my knee, just enough to hit him between the legs. His bellow is all too satisfying as we topple to the ground. I gather the last of my strength, a desperate surge, and fight back. I claw at him, my hands slick with blood, and the knife slips from his grip.

We both move to get it, and yet somehow it is me who closes my fist around it.

My father lands on me, hard as he rolls us, and then in a moment that feels so fast, and yet so impossibly slow, his body comes down over mine, my hand facing up, the knife plunging into his chest. His eyes go wide, the realization hitting him. My mouth opens in a gasp. I didn’t plan it, but it happened so perfectly, so effortlessly, I can only believe it is how this was meant to end.

His body jerks.

His eyes begin to lose focus.

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