I shout, running a hand through my hair, the voices becoming overwhelming! My heart races as if someone were banging my insides with a hammer.
“Don't touch him, Rose flower.” Grandmother looks over my shoulder, then at me. “It will be okay, Amias. It will be okay.”
“This damn voice-”
Kill the dreamscreecher!
My eyes strain with the very idea, the flowers tangling around my arms. A gasp escapes as I look at the black star shaped flowers. They're like wicked versions of Amare flowers.
Tenebris flowers!
Kill the dreamscreecher!
I scream. “What's happening to me?”
“Calm down, Valley Lily!” She holds my hands. “Calm down child!”
“Why am I growing Tenebris flowers?” I sob. “And the voice in my head is so damn loud!”
“What voice, Lily? What voice?” She cups my cheeks.
“There's a voice that's yelling in my-”
Kill the fucking dreamscreecher!
I flinch at the noise, shouting at it. My body’s hot, sweat dripping from my head and arms. It's so loud it's making my ears hurt! “It's telling me to kill-”
The tenebris flowers grow around me and Grandmother steps back. The flowers wave in front of me like towering monsters, ready to feast on its challengers.
I shout. “I'm sorry!”
Kill it!
Kill it!
Kill it!
“Your attraction to that dreamscreecher corrupted you,” Grandmother gasps. “But perhaps this can be used to youradvantage now that you're cleansed. Killing the dreamscreecher that hurt you will make it stop!”
“Make it stop?” I murmur.
“Yes. We should find where that little dreamscreecher was sent off to and kill it. Use these flowers as a weapon. Make it suffer. It will set you free. That's what helped Lydia.”
My heart skips. I'm in her shoes now. I'm just like her. Manipulated to love a monster.
I breathe heavily as I look into Grandmother's eyes. Will this voice stay if I don't kill that dreamscreecher? Will it be pounded into my skull forever? Will I be growing these tenebris flowers forever too?
There's no doubt on what I must do. I couldn't feel bad anyway if it's thatdisgustingcreature I have to kill. I'll do whatever it takes to heal and redeem myself from corruption.
Chapter 66
Ignatia
“This is the princess of Somnia?”
“Yes sir. It's her.”
I slowly begin to open up my eyes, only to squeeze them shut as Estrella's starlight shines in. I attempt to open my eyes once more, being more wary of the light.
