Evolution (Demon's Grail Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

enough for a few spiders to survive.”
    “None of this makes sense,” he points out.
    “You kind of have to live through it to understand,” I reply. “It has its own logic. Let me tell you some more about our parents, about the way they were always -”
    “It's time,” Absalom says suddenly.
    Turning, I see him standing in the doorway wearing the coat he hasn't worn since the day we arrived.
    “Emilia didn't just come here to offer a deal,” he continues, stepping into the room. “I've been thinking about it, and I've come to the conclusion that the only reason she was here is that she had to be sure of our location. The plains of Jagadoon are harsh territory for anyone to investigate, and the spiders don't exactly have a network of informants in place around here, so it's probably hard for them to get firm news one way or the other. I'm sure they suspected we'd come here, but finally they had to know for certain, so Emilia was sent to check on us. To me, that suggests that they're moving ahead with their plans, so we have to move too.”
    “But I'm not ready,” I point out, feeling a stab of panic in my chest. “My training -”
    “Your training is complete,” Oncephalus replies, following Absalom through the doorway. “It has been complete for several weeks now.”
    “That's not possible,” I tell her, getting to my feet. “I haven't even managed to knock you to the ground once!”
    “The plains of Jagadoon have a force in place that prevents conflict,” she continues. “It was that force that meant you were never able to really fight me. That's why I chose Jagadoon many years ago for my own training purposes. Fighting with that force all around you... It makes you stronger than you could possibly imagine. If we'd been training anywhere other than at Jagadoon, you'd have felled me several times by now.”
    “Not a bad achievement,” Absalom mutters. “Trust me, Abby, I've seen Oncephalus on a real battlefield. I know I certainly could never have her measure.”
    “But you managed to knock me down,” I remind Oncephalus.
    “I've picked up a few tricks over the years,” she replies with a faint smile. “Or cheats, as you might think of them. Trust me, Abby, you've learned as much as you can from me. I've taught you how to fight, and more importantly I've taught you how to learn to fight. You must now take that knowledge and apply it elsewhere. This place is no substitute for a real battlefield and I'm no substitute for a real enemy. You and I will always hold back against one another.”
    “So I -” Feeling a knot of fear tightening in my chest, I realize that she wants me to leave Jagadoon and fight in an actual battle, with actual enemies and real stakes. “I'm not ready,” I stammer. “You're lying, you're just saying this because Emilia came and messed up the schedule, but you both know I'm not ready.”
    “You always knew we couldn't stay here forever,” Absalom points out.
    “I need more time!” I hiss.
    He shakes his head.
    “What if I refuse?” I ask, starting to panic. “What if I refuse to leave until I feel ready?” I turn to Oncephalus. “Do you seriously think I'm ready to face down more of those spiders? It was pure luck that I managed to defeat Keller back in New York, I'm not remotely ready, I can feel in my bones that I still have so much to learn!”
    “You're as ready as you'll ever be,” Oncephalus replies, with just the faintest hint of tears in her eyes. “You've learned everything you can learn from an old woman on a desolate plateau. The rest, you must learn in battle.” She pauses. “Or not. There can be no guarantees.”
    I want to argue with them, but I know there's no point. Looking down at my hands, I see that they're trembling.
    “I thought I'd feel different when I left Jagadoon,” I say finally, “but I don't feel different at all. I feel exactly the same as I felt when I arrived. Like I'm the same weak, scared person.”
    “Now you're