Evolution (Demon's Grail Book 2) Read Online Free PDF
Author: Amy Cross
exaggerating,” Absalom replies. “You have to feel different, Abby.”
Turning to him, I shake my head. “I'm exactly the same,” I tell him. “I don't feel stronger at all.”
He stares at me, before glancing at Oncephalus, and I can see that they're both a little worried.
“I hope you do feel different,” she says after a moment, “because if you truly feel the same after six months with me, the situation is hopeless. Trust me, Abby, when the time comes for you to fight, you'll feel the extra strength and confidence that I've tried to instill in you. You have to. If you don't, then...” Her voice falters for a moment. “Well, you will . I believe in you, and Absalom believes in you, and we're never wrong.”
“So gather your belongings,” Absalom adds, “both of you. We've got a long journey ahead of us.”
“Where are we going?” Jonathan asks, getting to his feet and standing next to me.
“Where do you think?” Absalom replies, smiling at him before turning to me. “We're going to Gothos. We're going to the home of the vampire species.”
***
“It's been a long time since I was there,” I reply a couple of hours later, as I close the zip on my backpack. “I don't remember so much.”
“But you went to Gothos with Patrick, didn't you?” Jonathan replies, hauling his own backpack onto his shoulders. “Didn't he tell you all about its history?”
“He wasn't much of a talker,” I point out. Understatement of the century.
“And our mother, Sophie... Was she with you as well?”
“No, she was already...” I pause for a moment. To be honest, while I'm always happy to talk to Jonathan about our father, our mother is a different matter. I never met her properly, I never really knew her, so she's always remained something of a mystery. “She'd been dead for a long time by then,” I point out finally. “I know it's a little complicated, but try to remember the sequence of events I explained to you.”
“They still don't entirely makes sense,” he replies. “If our father killed our mother, then doesn't that make him a monster? How can you excuse someone for something like that? It's murder.”
I want to tell him that he doesn't understand, but the truth is, I think maybe he's right. No matter what happened all those years ago, Patrick should have found another way. As much as I like telling Jonathan about our family history, he has a habit of asking difficult questions, and it doesn't help that he has a hint of our father in his eyes.
“Sometimes,” he says after a moment, “I find myself wondering whether -”
“Wait here,” I reply, interrupting him as I turn and head back up the temple steps. “I forgot something.”
“But Abby -”
“Just wait a moment!” The truth is, I just want to get away from the conversation before he asks too many more questions about Sophie, because I know I don't have any answers. Making my way around the side of the temple, I figure I can loiter up here for a few more minutes, and hopefully I can change the subject when I go back down and then we'll be busy setting off on the journey. For the first time in my life, I'm starting to think the past should be left alone.
Up ahead, from inside the temple, I can hear voices. Absalom and Oncephalus are talking in hushed, whispered tones, and although I know I shouldn't eavesdrop, I can't help but step a little closer to the doorway and listen.
“I thought she'd show at least some signs of improvement by now,” Absalom mutters. “It's been six months, but she's still the same scrawny, scared little thing she was when we arrived.”
“She doesn't have the warrior's edge to her soul,” Oncephalus replies. “There's nothing I can do about that. I told you I could train her, but I can't change her entire personality.” She pauses. “I'm sorry, Absalom, but I did everything in my power to make Abby ready for the fight ahead. I broke her and I waited for her to get stronger, but she
Turning to him, I shake my head. “I'm exactly the same,” I tell him. “I don't feel stronger at all.”
He stares at me, before glancing at Oncephalus, and I can see that they're both a little worried.
“I hope you do feel different,” she says after a moment, “because if you truly feel the same after six months with me, the situation is hopeless. Trust me, Abby, when the time comes for you to fight, you'll feel the extra strength and confidence that I've tried to instill in you. You have to. If you don't, then...” Her voice falters for a moment. “Well, you will . I believe in you, and Absalom believes in you, and we're never wrong.”
“So gather your belongings,” Absalom adds, “both of you. We've got a long journey ahead of us.”
“Where are we going?” Jonathan asks, getting to his feet and standing next to me.
“Where do you think?” Absalom replies, smiling at him before turning to me. “We're going to Gothos. We're going to the home of the vampire species.”
***
“It's been a long time since I was there,” I reply a couple of hours later, as I close the zip on my backpack. “I don't remember so much.”
“But you went to Gothos with Patrick, didn't you?” Jonathan replies, hauling his own backpack onto his shoulders. “Didn't he tell you all about its history?”
“He wasn't much of a talker,” I point out. Understatement of the century.
“And our mother, Sophie... Was she with you as well?”
“No, she was already...” I pause for a moment. To be honest, while I'm always happy to talk to Jonathan about our father, our mother is a different matter. I never met her properly, I never really knew her, so she's always remained something of a mystery. “She'd been dead for a long time by then,” I point out finally. “I know it's a little complicated, but try to remember the sequence of events I explained to you.”
“They still don't entirely makes sense,” he replies. “If our father killed our mother, then doesn't that make him a monster? How can you excuse someone for something like that? It's murder.”
I want to tell him that he doesn't understand, but the truth is, I think maybe he's right. No matter what happened all those years ago, Patrick should have found another way. As much as I like telling Jonathan about our family history, he has a habit of asking difficult questions, and it doesn't help that he has a hint of our father in his eyes.
“Sometimes,” he says after a moment, “I find myself wondering whether -”
“Wait here,” I reply, interrupting him as I turn and head back up the temple steps. “I forgot something.”
“But Abby -”
“Just wait a moment!” The truth is, I just want to get away from the conversation before he asks too many more questions about Sophie, because I know I don't have any answers. Making my way around the side of the temple, I figure I can loiter up here for a few more minutes, and hopefully I can change the subject when I go back down and then we'll be busy setting off on the journey. For the first time in my life, I'm starting to think the past should be left alone.
Up ahead, from inside the temple, I can hear voices. Absalom and Oncephalus are talking in hushed, whispered tones, and although I know I shouldn't eavesdrop, I can't help but step a little closer to the doorway and listen.
“I thought she'd show at least some signs of improvement by now,” Absalom mutters. “It's been six months, but she's still the same scrawny, scared little thing she was when we arrived.”
“She doesn't have the warrior's edge to her soul,” Oncephalus replies. “There's nothing I can do about that. I told you I could train her, but I can't change her entire personality.” She pauses. “I'm sorry, Absalom, but I did everything in my power to make Abby ready for the fight ahead. I broke her and I waited for her to get stronger, but she