Chapter 132
Chapter 132
Samara's POV
I was dragged to what appeared to me to be a small cove. I did not notice any huge edifice in sight here, just a cluster of coves and caves that looked molten black from the outside, a complete contrast to the beautiful skies in this place. But inside the cove itself was white as though to confuse those who stumbled upon this place.
“Samara!” a man's voice, deep and rumbling from his stomach pierced through my skull. It filled me with instant irritation because a part of my brain knew he must be the ‘father’ the man who held my arm was speaking of.
When his image came into view, I was horrified by how different he looked from other people I had seen in my life. He had a nose shaped more like a beak and his eyes were a glowing yellow. I took a step backwards instinctively, immediately distrusting him. He noticed and looked hurt but given that he had kidnapped me and my friend, I did not care in the least that I hurt his feelings.
“I want nothing to do with you!” I hissed.
He looked at me like he almost pitied me and that was when I knew that freedom was a fairy tale for me. He was not going to let me go. At least not so easily.
He was seated on a chair woven from what looked like olive branches. It was shaped like a throne so he looked like one who had great authority here. He stood up from his chair and when he did, the few people in the cove with us, including the man who had brought me before my supposed father knelt on the ground and bowed their heads. All of it only made me scoff. If he was so powerful and I had lived my entire life a slave, what was the use of all that power?
He approached me slowly and with every step he took, I could feel a hum underneath my feet. I knew he was meant to scare me but I felt no fear within. The only thing that grew with every step he took to close the space between us was contempt.
I hated this man.
He was the reason for all my bullying growing up. My grandfather had hated me and discriminated against me because my father was a monster and I was an anomaly that should never have been born. The only thing seeing my father did to me was put a face to the person I had resented my entire life.
“I know you hate me, Samara,” his voice thundered around the cove. When he got to my front, he stopped, then glanced around.
“Leave, all of you!” he barked and the men on their knees rose up slowly and walked out of the cove leaving just him and me alone.
“I have waited a long time for this day, Samara,” he said to me.
Wasn't that unfortunate? I had rather hoped that a day like this would never come. I loved Nyla but I had never been once interested in meeting the person responsible for my dragon nature.
“You're no father to me,” I took a careful step backwards, “just let me go and pretend like I have never existed just like you have done all your life.”
His face went dark and I saw his eyes shift from yellow to a bright fiery red. I had never known eye colour to change before and it sent a cold chill through my body like I was in front of the embodiment of evil.
“I have never pretended you did not exist,” he sounded angry too and my ears appeared to pick up the faint sound of thunder rumbling outside the cove.
“Our separation…” he continued, “it was your grandfather who kept me away from you.”
“I searched all over for you but you were not… at some point I was convinced you were dead.”
It mattered little to me that he did. I was certain though that I did not wish to be associated with this man.
“You can go back to thinking that I'm dead,” I spat.
The colour of his eyes shifted to grey.
“I do suppose you have a right to be angry,” he said, attempting to soften his tone, “all your life I've been described as the villain. Your grandmother even gave you that evil necklace to hide you from me.”
My hand flew to my neck and my heart went cold. That was how he found me. My necklace was no longer with me.
“I was able to pick up your location every time you took it off,” he hissed, “but you kept wearing that thing back on. It is a good thing you have lost it.”
A sense of dread passed through me.
My grandmother had been the only one to genuinely show me love. She had given me that necklace to protect me, to keep me hidden from the monster that now claimed to be my father.
I took tentative steps backwards but he grabbed my wrist to stop me from moving away from him.
“Give me a chance,” he said, his voice sounding molten, “you have lived in your mother's realm where you were treated like an outcast. Here, you are Lord Zarion’s daughter, prince of the fiery dragons. You do not have to live your life in fear or keep your true nature hidden. Here, you will have the respect of my men, my army at your command…”
“I do not want any of it,” I said to him.
My father looked surprised that I would say that.
“I did not want any of it!” I seethed in rage, my chest heaving as heat pulsed beneath my skin. “I built everything up just to survive. Just let me go! Just leave me alone! Why can’t everyone just leave me alone?”
I was at the absolute point of breaking down, but I refused to fall apart in front of a stranger who was now calling himself my father.
“I believe you need some time,” he said calmly, though his eye colour shifted into a fiery, dangerous red. He was clearly filled with anger himself.
“I do not need time!” I shouted back. “I just need to be away from you and from the rest of the world!”
He stared at me for a long time, the violent red in his eyes never fading. He looked as if he wanted to burn me with fire—as if he wanted to see me in pain. He paced slowly around me, his gaze cutting deep into my soul. Was my grandfather right? Was this man truly the monster he had been described as my entire life?
“Unfortunately, Samara, I cannot let you go,” his voice sounded grave, almost regretful. “So you will just have to stay here until I say so.”
Hot tears spilled over my lashes. “Then what makes you different from the rest of the world? Holding me against my consent, keeping me hostage without my permission... what makes you any better than they are?”
He cocked his head to the side, his lips parting slightly in an expression of sheer disbelief, as though he could not fathom the words coming from my mouth.
“I am different, Samara,” he murmured softly, the crimson in his eyes flaring with ancient power. “You will see that soon.”
We were both quiet for several minutes as we did a face-off, just looking at each other, waiting for the other to make a comment or a move. When all was too still, I cleared my throat to say, “I want my friend to be gone.” I said, “I want to make sure she is not held hostage like I am. She should not have to suffer for me.”
His eyes bored into mine. “Your problem is you have lived with the wolves too long, and still you have the heart of a human.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“You are too soft. Can you not see that your friend is staying with you to use you?”
I was immediately offended by his summation of Lillian when he had not even laid eyes on her. She was the epitome of a good friend. She had been by my side, stayed with me, fought with me and for me, even when it would not benefit her, or when it would put her in trouble. How dare he say that about my friend?
“You know nothing,” I hissed at him.
He shrugged. “I have no business with your friend,” he said to me, “except, of course, if she decides to hurt you. Then I shall have a problem with her.”
I spat at his face. “I find you absolutely despicable.”
“Are you not judging me a little bit too early?” he asked me. “You have not had time to get to know me. I can be a rather interesting person to know. Some might even tell you that I am kind.”
I looked into his eyes and decided that what he said could not be true. I had never known my mother either, so I was not sure how she had fallen for this kind of a man.
But maybe I was wrong for judging him so early. Maybe I was wrong for judging him based on what I had been told my whole life—that the dragon part of me was vile and evil. And yet Nyla was the sweetest soul I knew.
Nyla, I said in my head, wondering why she would not come to me.