Chapter 5
“The mother watches and waits for her children to learn.
Rarely does she interfere.”
- The Old Book
The Veiler clamped my hips tightly and stepped closer.
Far too close for comfort.
His hair fell to his chin in dark waves that stuck to his face, damp with what was probably a combination of sweat and blood. I wanted to retch at the thought.
I saw him roam the features of my face, then start below. Without thinking, I slapped him, shocking both him and myself.
Of course, my courage would pick now to appear.
He yanked my hair, forcing my head back. His brown eyes threatened to swallow me whole, but I met them head-on. It was a challenge that I accepted. I refused to cower.
“How old are you?”
His voice was thick and edged like a knife.
“Twenty.”
“It is not righteous to lie.”
“Yet it’s righteous to steal us from our homes in the night?”
“Watch that tongue carefully, Miss. You are not required to keep it.”
“Zealot,” I spat out.
“There you go again.”
His grip on my hair tightened, nearly ripping out the roots.
Through gritted teeth, I continued.
“You are nothing but a pawn who murders innocents at the whim of those who control you.”
Fury lit in his eyes. Good, I’d struck a nerve.
“No one controls me, Miss. You’d be wise to remember that,” he growled.
He was a fool if he truly believed that. Veilers were puppets. They executed the will of the king, whatever it may be, on the grounds of protecting the faith of the realm. I lived in a kingdom that didn’t care about causing bloodshed, as long as it maintained control.
The Veiler suddenly released me from his grip, staring at me as if he were looking for something. I should have run, self-sacrifice be damned, but I didn’t. My body felt glued in place. He squinted, almost confused. Then, his eyes widened just as I noted the outline of a faint scar through his short beard, cutting across his upper lip.
“What’s your name?”
I rolled my shoulders back. “My name is Mavis Ashbone, sister of Willam Ashbone,” I declared.
“Should I know who that is?” he asked, bored.
“Yes. He was taken in the last Culling of Oak Hollow. It is in his name that I seek justice for my family.”
He smirked. “I don’t know if you’ll succeed, but I’ll enjoy watching you try.”
