Avarice | Sample 10 Chapters

A v a r i c e | E i g h t

E i g h t

❝The seventh son of a seventh son;

destined to be the chosen one.❞

THE CLOAK WAS BLOOD RED AND had beautifully crafted designs on it. It truly looked enchanted. I was awed by the craftsmanship and time Lilith had surely put into making the cloak. It certainly wasn't something she could've just whipped up in a few days. She had to have been working on this for quite some time.

Lilith was smiling proudly at me. "Well," she ushered, "go on. Try it on. See if it fits."

It fit perfectly. All of the measurements were correct: the length, the width, the string...all of it was pristinely accurate. Lilith was an absolute genius. "It's gorgeous, Lilith. Your aptitude is remarkable!"

Lilith's smile widened and she reached out, rubbing the fabric of the cloak between her fingers. "Why thank you, Cerise." The cloak was soft and warm. I could probably wear this all through the winter and I wouldn't be cold in the slightest.

"I wanted to give you something warm for the cold. We're going to be outside often and I didn't want you shivering too much. I do hope you like it." Lilith gazed longingly at the cloak. I smiled wider, nodding gratefully and assured her that I really did like it. Lilith nodded. "Good, good. I suppose now is as good of a time as any to begin our training, hmm?"

I stopped fawning over the cloak and looked up at her seriously. "Right now?" I questioned.

She nodded. "Is that a problem?"

I grinned at her. "Not at all. Do I need anything? Besides the cloak, I mean."

Lilith shook her head. "No. Meet me outside, and make sure to wear the cloak."

I did as I was told and tied the cloak about myself before exiting her cabin. I waited outside for her for a little while before she came out holding that great big book I had seen her prancing around with before. She was looking through it, but as she came up to me she closed it abruptly.

"First thing I will teach you is loyalty and honesty." She told me. I stared at her, expecting a bit more. I wasn't sure what exactly, but she seemed like she was going to teach me something more...unique and powerful. This was just school stuff. I supposed I would have to get through it until I could reach my end goal.

So, I nodded. "Alright. And how do you plan on teaching me this?"

"By observing you. I do not want you to tell anyone, not a single being about our encounters, you hear me? And if they ask you about me, you will lie."

"That's kind of going against the whole 'honesty' thing, don't you think?" I mumbled, but she wasn't paying attention to anything I had to say.

"Your loyalty lies with me now. And to prove it, you will meet me here every day for the next three days at the exact same time, not a second late. You must trust in me completely, Cerise. Otherwise you will not receive want you want so desperately."

"But what will I learn about these days?" I asked, furrowing my brows. Lilith was being harsher than normal, and her demeanor had changed drastically. But soon she calmed down a bit, and her eyes were back to their homelike state.

"You will learn about your ancestors. We will start from the beginning." I nodded. "You trust me, don't you Cerise?" I knew if I hesitated, she wouldn't trust me, and that was what she was really asking, so I nodded quickly again. "Good, good. You come from a long line of seers, I'll have you know. Powerful women, indeed. The past, present, and future was ours to see and know. This power wasn't always passed on, though, and often times skipped generations."

This was a task to wrap my head around, and I didn't fully believe in it, but for now I would say anything. "So mother did not receive the gift?" I questioned. Lilith shook her head.

"She was upset, and she never quite got over it, you see. She still hates me to this day." This did make a lot of sense. I could never understand why mother didn't like Lilith. Sure, Lilith was strange, but she was nice enough to our family and never showed hatred to any one of us. I had always thought mother was simply irrational, or spiteful towards her mother. "But you, you got the gift and then some."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Have you heard of the seventh child?"

I blinked slowly. "That's an old wiseman's tale. Nothing to believe in. And besides, I'm a girl and all my siblings are boys. And there's only five of them."

An ashen expression crossed her face, shortly replaced with anger. She opened the book. "Now, do you know why being the seventh child is such an honor?"

I shook my head. "Not really. But I always thought it was supposed to be the seventh son of a seventh son. Not just the seventh child."

Lilith tilted her head to the side. "Not exactly, although that is far more powerful than just being the seventh child. Being a seventh child has to do with being a seer, which you may be. As you said, however, you are not the seventh child. But we will start by learning about them. The seventh son of a seventh son is their worst nightmare."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Because their job is to kill them."

I was completely taken aback by this knowledge. "They're trying to what? Why?"

Lilith sighed. "Sit."

My frown deepened. "On the cold, hard ground?" She nodded and repeated herself. She then sat down herself, cross legged and with the book set out sideways between us. I sighed and followed her lead, sitting in just the same position as she was.

"No more questions," she ordered, and putting her hands on her knees in a strange fashion. I did the same thing with my own. "Now close your eyes and take deep, calming breaths. Release your mind and just listen to what I have to say. Do not question me. Never question me."

Do not question her. Never question her.

I repeated her words in my head, my frown disappearing as my breathing became steady, and so did my heartbeat.

"Being the seventh child is an honor because of the responsibility and power that comes along with it. The seventh child is more powerful than anyone else in his or her lineage, and surpasses any other seventh child older than them.

"I am a seventh child, Cerise. And because of this, I am your queen, your superior. You will give yourself to me."

I will give myself to her.

I promised.

"Take my hands." I didn't need to open my eyes to know where her hands were, I just knew. Lilith grasped my hands in her own. "And I will teach you to be like me. You will become stronger and stronger until I can teach you no more. But beware, Cerise. The seventh son of the seventh son is my worst enemy, and you are my guardian now."

Lilith let go of me, and we both opened our eyes. She smiled at me. "You should probably be on your way now, Cerise. It's beginning to get dark outside."

I nodded and pushed myself into a stand. "Thank you, Lilith," I told her, and then turned and walked away. A strange tiredness had come over me, and it didn't disperse until I had reached town. I shook myself a bit, trying to get Lilith's voice out of my head, but her words were on repeat. She couldn't be serious, could she? She was just a crazy old lady, right?

I just didn't know what to expect from her anymore.

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QoW: Thoughts on the seventh child thing?

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