Page 107 of Demons and Darlings


Font Size:  

A strange, comforting wave of calmness washed over me. Theia wanted my blood. The only reason I had been locked away, tortured, and punished was because of my blood.

They key to everything, she would say.

The Night Ravens sought the same thing, although they didn’t know that yet. The entire reason Alek had sought me out in the first place was because of it.

Which meant, ironically, that my blood had been both my biggest curse and greatest blessing.

I couldn’t live like this. I didn’t have to.

Without me, there was no way that veil would open. There was no way the demons could use me as a weapon, and there would be no reason for Theia to keep me locked away.

In euphoric clarity, I saw exactly what I needed to do.

I twisted Alek’s knife in my hand. It was heavier than I thought it would be.

He stared at me from the ground, finally understanding what was happening around him.

I held the knife in my right hand.

Dropped to my knees.

And dug the metal into the flesh of my left arm.

Everything stopped. Theia stopped fighting. Salem and Zac stopped, too, and I think I heard Salem scream.

The sound of blood rushing through my veins filled my ears.

I looked down at the blood, at the warm, red substance that had cursed me for twenty-two years.

How wicked it had been. The one thing that kept me alive for so long was the thing that had left me wanting to die so many times, too.

“Lyra!” Alek yelled.

“Stop!” Theia screeched.

I paused for a moment. The four of them were frozen in fear as they watched the blood drip from my fingertips.

Good. They should be afraid.

They were losing the one thing they wanted so badly.

Not me, of course. No.My blood.

Even Alek wanted my blood, even though he didn’t know that’s what he was on the hunt for.

They all wanted it. It was, after all, my only reason for existing on this planet.

“Why?” I asked, although I couldn’t stop my voice from cracking. “This is what you all want, isn't it? My blood?”

Alek pushed himself to his knees and held both hands in front of him. “Lyra, put the knife down.”

“You don’t know what you're doing!” Theia yelled. “You have no idea!”

Tears threatened my eyes. I let them fall. “I do have an idea,” I replied. “I think I know exactly what I’m doing, Mother.” The blood continued to drip from my fingertips. “I’m tired. I’m so damn tired of living for everyone else. Of living locked away just to keep your little secret.”

Salem and Zac stiffened behind her. I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t care if they knew. I didn’t care if the whole damn world knew.

“You want to drop the veil so badly?” I turned my attention to Alek and held out my bleeding arm. “Here you go. My blood is the key. What you all have been looking for this whole time.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like