Page 167 of Curse of Darkness
Slam into her,Finn whispers, and I realize he’s actually in my head right now, telegraphing the fight to me.
Scrambling to my feet, I drive into her, my shoulder slamming into her midriff.
With a scream, we both go down, rolling and fighting. Twisting and hitting.
She throws me off her, and I roll, my fingers unerringly finding my fallen sword hilt.
I twist, raising the sword and—
“Vi….” Mother crawls to her feet. Her trembling fingers reach toward me, her eyes softening in horror as if she can finally see clearly. A tear slips down her cheek. “Oh, my Vi…. Oh, what have I done to you?”
It’s like finally seeing a glimmer of my mother buried deep inside her. The one who sang to me once. The one who would stroke my hair off my forehead as she tucked me into bed. And that has always been the hardest part of this: Because she didn’talwayshate me.
Once upon a time she loved me too.
Or maybe sometimes she loved me. Sometimes she hated me.
And you could never guess which day would reveal which mother.
This is always what I’ve secretly wanted. For her to look at me like this. For her to understand what she’s done to me.
The apology I’ve never dared long for.
And I hesitate.
Iknowher.
But I fucking hesitate.
“Oh, Vi,” she whispers, and then the sadness leaches from her eyes. A split second of warning comes before she lifts her hand with a snarl, the knife within it gleaming in the sunlight.
I catch her wrist as it descends, throwing her off-balance and slamming her into the ground. The dagger clatters to the stones. She’s taller than I am, but it’s been a long time since she’s fought hand-to-hand, while I’ve had the benefit of Eris and Finn training me.
“Did you truly think me a fool, Mother?” The words tear from my lips, even as I curse myself for believing her, just for a second. “Did you think I would fall for your ruse? Iknowyou, Mother. I know you.”
I shove her away from me.
Eyes glittering with rage, she scrambles for the knife, but with a flick of my fingers, a tree root nudges up out of the ground and sends it flying.
My heart feels like lead.
This only ends one way.
I have to accept that.
Mother straightens. It’s one thing to go for your dagger, quite another to be crawling on hands and knees for it. “I see someone’s learned a few tricks since last we met.”
There it is.
The burning spark of fury deep inside me.
“You took my magic from me because you were scared of what I could do with it if I ever learned to control it,” I say softly. “You had no right to do so.”
Her lip curls. “I had every right, Iskvien. I carried you inside me. I birthed you into this world. You were mine to do with—”
“No.” I stop her there. “I shouldn’t have to be grateful that you gave me life. I was yourdaughter. You were supposed toprotectme.”
She throws gravel at my eyes and lunges forward, but once again I’m ready.
