Page 139 of Fires of the Forsaken
But when Byron moved into my line of sight, my anger shriveled into fear.
Warped and wrinkled burn scars covered much of his face and neck. He was missing his left ear and much of his hair, although a few blonde strands still clung to the right side of his scalp. His nose had melted into disfigurement as well. And his left hand was little more than a gnarled stump.
“Morning,” he said cheerily, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I’d offer a full greeting:‘good’morning. But I’m not sure that’s appropriate. It will not be a pleasant morning for you.”
He paced as he spoke, continuously fading in and out of my limited line of sight.
“I’mnota Celestial.” It took great effort to keep the tremor out of my voice.
“I know.” Byron drew his sword, smiling when I flinched, and tapped the edge of the blade against my aching wrists. “You bleed red. Celestials bleed light. No, the claims of you being Seruf are, admittedly, laughable.” He resumed his pacing. “I’ve seen Seruf.” He ran a hand over his disfigured chin. “But most have not, so it’s hardly a surprise they believed the rumor so easily.”
“I am not working for Seruf.” I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the throbbing in my shoulders.“Nor have I ever worked for her.”
“Nowthatclaim,” Byron raised his stump of a hand and pointed it at me, “is much more difficult to confirm.”
“It’s not,” I snarled. “If you’d cease talking andlisten—”
“You have her power,” Byron interrupted.
“I am a hybrid,” I said. “No different from any other.”
“No different? There are no other hybrids with your power.”
“You are merely unaware of their existence.” My skin prickled.
“And you’ve seen others like yourself?” His brow raised. “Give me their names. Their existence will free you from those chains.”
I glared at him, but I had no names to give. So I said nothing.
“Lies. As I thought.” Byron crossed his arms over his chest, surveying me. “What isyourname?”
“Lass.”
“That is not a name.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
“Well, then, Lass,” my name sounded like a hiss as it escaped his mouth, “tell me… how did you get your power?”
“The same way other hybrids get theirs.”
“You’re lying.”
“I am not.” My palms itched. “I was taken by a Celestial after my mother died. I suffered the transformation and awoke alone.”
“Lies.”
“My words are only lies because you’rechoosingnot to believe them.”I wriggled my hands in the shackles, trying to alleviate the itch.
Byron’s lip curled. “I’m not interested in listening to you spin a tale, no matter how well fabricated it may be.”
“You’re not interested in facing the possibility that you may be wrong.”
“We have worked too hard, and lost too many lives, ridding Sakar of Ramiel’s filth.” Byron’s jaw ticked. “Seruf was, admittedly, quite intelligent in choosing to send a child into our midst. Too many will forgive a child. Too many will care for one.”
I thought of Terrick, my heart sinking. “I am a child no longer,” I said. “And you are wrong. No one offered me forgiveness. I was driven out of Swindon and Darfield—”
“Because you murdered innocents.”
