Legions of Bone: Dragon Rider Book 3

Chapter 24: Brought To Light

Norah

 Norah stared at the goddess.

The goddess stared back. Waiting like an expectant owner who'd given their dog a command. And Norah was not obeying.

"If you will not physically train then your teachings will come in the form of academia." She said it like it was Norah's fault that she couldn't stand. She wouldn't have even if she could, but--

Tiny little portals that reminded Norah of rippling water opened around her. Books fell out of them. Towers and towers of books nearly as tall as her thunked to the ground like corpses. Some were as long as her entire arm, clearly made for someone much bigger than her.

Norah gazed at all the books crescenting around, all out of the reflection in the pool of her blood soaking the floor, and sighed internally. She hated the goddess. Hated her as much as she hated life. She escaped from her cells only to wind up in a tiny wooden room with no windows, no doors or chairs or anything.

Her cell on the island had more life than this hell hole.

"Do you have questions about the gods?" Vaella questioned, her black stare unyielding. Her wicked-looking spear gleamed like silver flames in the room's light.

Norah glared at her, her insides as cold and icy as the frost she could conjure. She chained down the memories of the forest, kicking them down, down, down until they no longer threatened to rise.

No matter what she had wanted in that forest, it seemed Vaella was adamant on the exact opposite. And that left Norah's mind reeling. If she wasn't going to die, wasn't being tortured but instead trained... What would she do?

She didn't want this. She escaped Khalier only to end up in a room with invisible shackles, forced into training for this bitch who didn't even ask her what she wanted. Who just took her and threw her here and demanded that she be grateful for it.

Rage boiled up again.

She was draped in it. Painted in it. Buried beneath its black waters.

Norah couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't hear the goddess talking to her. There was just the ravenous roaring devouring her. Demanding something--anything--everything be destroyed.

A voice rose like smoke in her ears, caressing as it skinned her flesh. "Take everything from them."

Norah would love nothing more. To see everything gone. She knew she'd find enjoyment in watching those who'd hurt her suffer.

Is this how Etin feels? she wondered. A part of her wished she could talk to him. To the god who tortured her, who forced her to live out her worst nightmares and memories. Who was destroying her. Who understood her.

He had stripped away every layer of her--every wall she built. He knew exactly who she was, what she could be with the right encouragement. But deep down, Norah knew he understood on a personal level. She had seen his hatred for her morph into a twisted affection when he was in a good mood.

But Norah did not want him to invade her ever again and the goddess had rebuilt those crumbled walls in her mind. Impenetrable, thick walls that kept the god away. She couldn't even feel Etin scratching.

If he was.

Bitterness nipped at Norah, turning her sour. She should be overjoyed to have him gone.

"You are not listening."

Norah's gaze snapped to Vaella. The roaring rose again, filled her ears.