The Inner Circle: Holy Spirit Read Online Free PDF Page A

even
know what resurrection was. I’m pretty sure I still thought I was
human at the time.’
    ‘ I’m sorry.’ El-i-miir nodded with
renewed interest in the story. ‘So what happened?’
    ‘ I can’t remember it very well. I
was so young. I remember the tree going down.’ Ilgrin’s voice
caught. ‘Mother was dead but I refused to let her go and before I
could make sense of what was happening, I’d already brought her
back.’
    ‘ It’d be hard not to in such
circumstances.’ El-i-miir shrugged. ‘It’s not like anyone can think
rationally under such pressure, let alone a six-year-old
boy.’
    ‘ It doesn’t matter anymore.’
Ilgrin’s eyes became wet.
    ‘ I remember you told me your
family were gone.’ El-i-miir clutched his hand
reassuringly.
    ‘ Yes.’ Ilgrin pursed his lips.
‘She’s dead again. They killed her and my father when they
discovered us in Sitnic.’ Ilgrin rubbed at his eyes. ‘I don’t know
what I’d have done if I’d had the chance, but by the time I was
able to return, they would’ve been too dead anyway.’
    ‘ I’m so sorry.’ El-i-miir repeated
her earlier sentiments. ‘It can’t have been easy.’
    ‘ I’ve hardly had the time to think
about it,’ Ilgrin said. ‘I’ve been in fear for my life so long that
I haven’t even been able to process it.’
    ‘ I’m sorry about that, too,’
El-i-miir apologised yet again.
    ‘ It’s okay.’ Ilgrin touched her
cheek. ‘I don’t blame you, El-i-miir. I was taught the same things
you were. There’s no way you could’ve known there was a silt like
me: someone not entirely evil.’
    ‘ Say that again.’ El-i-miir
smiled.
    ‘ What?’
    ‘ My name.’
    ‘ El-i-miir.’ Ilgrin’s expression
became one of curiosity.
    ‘ I like the way it sounds when you
say it.’ She smiled.
    Ilgrin placed a hand on El-i-miir’s knee. ‘I’m not
going anywhere, so I guess you’ll be hearing it a lot,’ he
whispered as they embraced.
     
    *
     
    Despite the frozen consistency of the walls
surrounding her, the room was not cold in the slightest. Seteal
turned over in the bed and put her fingertips against the wall. It
felt cold to the touch, but the temperature travelled no farther
than a milliwidth from the wall. El-i-miir had told her that the
walls were painted annually with an oil that helped contain the
cold.
    Seteal bit back on an audible sob and swallowed in
an attempt to prevent any further tears. If wasn’t working. Her
pillow was wet. She swung her legs over the side of the bed
intending to get up, but instead gave in to the pain inside. Now
everything stopped and the world became still; she really didn’t
have any other choice but to face her fears.
    Giving up against the tightness in her chest, Seteal
allowed the tears to cascade down her cheeks as she cried bitterly.
Her face was hot and she began to sweat, but once she’d started she
couldn’t stop. She put a hand to her stomach and gasped for air
with renewed misery. How much longer could she hide her shame? A
larger woman might’ve been able to get away with it, but Seteal was
skinny at the best of times. She examined her belly through foggy
eyes. Was she showing yet? Did she have long before people would
notice? How long would it take before the world started sneering at
her in disgust? She was a pregnant woman without a husband and with
a bastard child on the way. The shame was unbearable. The
self-loathing was worse.
    Soft laughter floated in from the next room. It was
the sound of Ilgrin and El-i-miir courting, which made Seteal all
the more bitter at her fate. Had she been willing to stoop so low
as to seek out such a vile relationship, not even a demon would be
interested in her anymore. Seteal had been used and discarded like
a dirty old rag. She would never feel the embrace of love. She’d be
alone with her bastard until she met her end.
    Seteal rolled over to face the wall, folding the
pillow around her head as she went to muffle her screams