Are you dead?
Little girl
Tonight
Are you dead?
Little girl
Are you an angel in flight?
Or are you lost in your body?
Lost in the world?"
It was a thick blanket smothering me; Helka's power, the young lordling's, Elvira's and the lindworms, Panic's death and Rekke's, it threatened to choke the life out of me and leave me dead on the floor.
"It slowly takes and captivates
And wraps around our skin
The curtains that we hide behind
Cradle us in our sin
The night is dark
The world is cruel
And the stars are all on fire
But that little girl
That little girl
Her one only desire"
My throat was on fire. The words had always been there. A bloody hand grabbing a new lord's cloak, darkness lining the eyelids of humans wasting away, coldness inside my chest when I passed by the dying, betrayed looks by those who considered me a blood traitor; all I longed to forget now bubbling to the surface.
"Are you dead?
Little girl
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Are you dead?
Little girl
You're not supposed to grieve
Are you dead?
Little girl
Why does your skin feel so numb?
Little girl
Little girl
What have you done?"
The coldness of the river water against the agony of my burns and the lies and secrets swirled around, battering my body. Hunger gnawed inside me, so fierce I couldn't ignore it. But the hunger was for more than food; it was for blood and pain, desire and revenge.
"The world it shatters like raining glass
Veils eyes, thoughts, and minds
Our daily bread is all we ask
But it is too much to find
Your heart is weak
My breath is stone
And we weave a web of lies
Are you dead?
Little girl
You're not supposed to cry"
Strength poured from my once quivering voice as I straightened to look the nøkken in the eye. His glee-filled gaze at the pain coming from my lips made my stomach churn in disgust. Their shrewd, calculating nature made me naked before him.
But he wouldn't have me. No one would. Not unless I wanted it. No hands would roam where I forbade them, no lips or teeth would press against my flesh unless it was my wish. I was my own. The dregs of pain and fear I'd long buried bubbled to the surface but I stood strong against their blows.
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White Stag (PERMAFROST #1)
FantasyDon't show fear. Don't attract attention. Don't forget who the monsters are. Those are seventeen-year-old Janneke's three rules to surviving in the Permafrost. Her family is dead, her village burned to the ground, and now she's a slave in a court of...
Chapter Fourteen: Needless/Wantless
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