Hearken (Daughters of the Sea Series)
Page 33
A mass of light hair hung limply around her face, but from the bruises and lacerations on her legs, I could only guess her face would look similar. She appeared frighteningly malnourished and my heart went out to her. A light shuffling sound diverted my attention to the other wall where another figure was in the same position; arms locked into the wall while the rest of her body hung loosely beneath. Her legs were tucked underneath her; probably relieving some of the pressure on her arms. Dark wavy hair partially hid her face but Selene walked right up to her and clinched a fistful. She yanked the girl’s head up by her hair and a pair of dark, angry eyes settled on me.
I moved closer and stood next to Selene; unsure what I was supposed to do or who these two girls were. She released the girl’s hair and turned to me.
“These girls must be punished,” she stated plainly. She produced a sharp dagger from the folds of her dress and handed it to me. “And I want you to do it.”
I took the dagger and looked at her with questions written all over my face. “Punished?”
“This one’s wounds are healing,” she waved a hand at the dark haired girl. “Make sure they are reopened. Prove to me I haven’t made a mistake in choosing you.”
I took a deep breath and grasped the dagger by the hilt. The blade was sharp but I could tell it was extremely old. The markings looked to be from ancient Greece but I couldn’t make any sense of them. I knelt down beside the dark-haired girl and inspected her arms. There was a jagged slash running the length of her bicep and I put a hand on her shoulder to keep her still. She must have done something awful to deserve this fate, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to inflict more pain. I sat there for a moment too long. I could feel Selene becoming restless behind me.
“Do it or join them, Triton,” she hissed at me. At her words the girl’s head snapped up and she examined me with blood-shot eyes. Dirt and soot covered her skin and blood had dried on almost every inch of her face, but she looked familiar. She smelled of urine and infection, and I felt my stomach turn violently before I could look at her again. When I heard her gasp my head spun around and I was able to see her whole face. I knew exactly who she was. Olivia Campbell. She coughed and with a raspy, forced voice forced out one word.
“Liam?”
The Daughters of the Sea Series
The final installment, Proven, will be available in 2014!
About the Author
Kristen Day is a native North Carolinian who, in true southern fashion, is addicted to sweet tea, baked goods, and football. She graduated from Appalachian State University and bleeds black and gold. When she’s not kayaking or making jewelry, she writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. Forsaken is the first novel in the captivating and addictive Daughters of the Sea Trilogy.
Connect with her online at:
www.kris10-day.blogspot.com / www.goodreads.com/kris10day
www.facebook.com/DOSTrilogy