Rhea wants nothing more than to kill her father. But not just because he's any run-of-the-mill scumbag. No, he's a god. And he's the one who cursed her with being a goldblood -- half human, half godling. Good for her, she's willing to do anything to...
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"YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND SISTER," I say slyly.
I throw a dagger at Soren's head. She dodges -- like I knew she would.
I knee her head as it comes down, and she growls at the pain. But it is nothing more than something to buy me time.
I jump behind a taller stack of crates. She lunges at them. They topple over with a few well-placed kicks, and the loud crashing of work and glass shattering against the floor is near deafening.
"Wouldn't understand what?" Soren says, snarling. She is perched on top of the wreckage she just caused. Sharp splinters of wood poke up from the floor, but she doesn't seem to mind. She steps on each thin spike like it is nothing.
They crunch underneath her boots.
I jump on top of a stack of boxes as she comes closer.
"Running away, are we?" she says, smiling.
"No, you've never tasted freedom, my sister. You cannot know what it is like to run towards something, instead of away from something."
Soren comes closer. I jump backwards, flipping in midair. I land roughly on the floor and roll on my back a few times. Splinters crunch beneath me as tumble.
"I think all that running has made you weak." Soren smirks as she stalks closer to me.
I wait until she is close enough that I can see the gold of her eyes. Then I jump up, foot first. My heel connects with her jaw and she stumbles back and winces.
"How dare you," she growls, shaking it off. "You're just a mutt. A failure. Couldn't even finish your assignment. Can't even manifest your powers."
She stalks toward me and I watch her, waiting for an opening, a moment when I can strike.
"Then what are you? Her loyal dog? And are you happy to remain like that for the rest of your life?"
"Better a golden cage than broken bird, my dear sister," Soren purrs. "Wouldn't you rather go back to a place where you are needed and wanted? A place where when you kill, when you hurt, you are rewarded, not punished?"
My eyes widen. "My dagger...the boy...you!"
It all makes sense now. A lame attempt by the Mistress' lapdog into getting the goldbloods to turn against me.
I laugh bitterly. I can't help it.
"And that was the best you could do?"
I'm done wasting my time here. I narrow my eyes and concentrate.
Soren lunges at me again. This time, I do not dodge or stall.
I throw one dagger. It flies past her head, grazing the tip of her hair and snipping off some of her hair.
