Page 9 of Savage Throne
That terrified me.
She wasn’t built for that kind of brutality.
Not like I was.
And even if she did survive whatever twisted trial my father had planned for her, what would it do to her mind?
To her spirit?
I’d been trained for that kind of darkness from the moment I was born.
But Moni… her spirit was different.
She wasn’t cruel.
She wasn’t heartless.
She had fire, sure, but there was a softness in her too. Something pure that I couldn’t bear to see tarnished.
Goddamn it.
“Lei?” TT’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.
Devastated, I opened my eyes and tears spilled from them. “Yes?”
“Moni is stronger than you think.”
“I agree, but. . .” I wiped those tears and crouched down to TT’s level, trying to keep my voice steady. “I made her my Mountain Mistress so she wouldn’t have to be strong anymore so. . .she wouldn’t have to lift a finger, worry about anything, or even deal with problems. She was only supposed to be spoiled. Pampered.”
“But that’s not how life works.”
I swallowed hard, trying to process these wise words from a smart eleven-year-old—a kid who had already lost both of her parents.
TT spoke. “You’re not as scary as your father.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Yes and no.”
“Why no?”
“It means you can’t stop what he is going to do with Moni tonight.”
Another tear left my eye.
Why can’t I control my emotions right now? Is it because I’m high?
TT continued to speak. “It’s okay that you can’t stop him Lei, because Moni is strong and he won’t hurt her.”
I wiped the tear off my cheek, disgusted that I’ve cried so much in one damn night. “She told me to take care of you and your sisters.”
TT gave me a sad smile. “That sounds like Moni.”
“Right now, I'm not supposed to show you any fear or sadness. You are supposed to be the one that gets reassurance, not me.”
“That’s okay too,” TT widened her eyes. “Sometimes Moni would get overwhelmed with bills and stuff and cry. And if I walked in, she would try to hide it but all I would do is give her a big hug like this. . .”
TT wrapped her small arms around me.
