Silver Blood (Series of Blood Book 1) Emma Hamm (mobile ebook reader .TXT) 📖

Wren muttered angrily as she stumbled to her feet. Balance had apparently not returned to her yet. She shook her head to try to clear it and walked around the woman to sit down on an ornate chair. Immediately, she scrunched her face up and wiggled. “You don’t even have comfortable chairs?”

“It’s for decorative purposes.”

This time, it was Wren’s turn to arch a brow at the woman. “Right. Of course it’s decorative.”

Gaia was clearly confused. She had probably never had to deal with a creature that was so bluntly disagreeable. Wren was acting as though she didn’t know that Gaia could kill her with a mere thought. But she was uncomfortable and fighting very hard to not smudge dirt deep into the expensive weave of the chair.

If she didn’t know for certain that Wren’s creature was slumbering within her, then Gaia could assume that the creature inside of her was to blame for her acerbic attitude.

“Where did you come from?” Gaia asked while staring down at the woman sitting on a chair that was not meant to be sat upon. “You have no fear of me when you should. You have no clear understanding of what this prophecy is. Nor do you appear to care that the world is falling down around us and you are one of the few who can help.”

Wren crossed her arms firmly over her chest and looked Gaia up and down. “You tell me your secrets, Gaia, and I’ll tell you mine. I’m usually difficult to talk to when someone kidnaps me and then tries to force me to help them.”

Gaia’s lip twitched for a second before it returned to the calm mask. She had to admit, she liked the fire in the girl. She would need to learn respect, of course, but there was a certain refreshing quality to being challenged.

Wren was unusual in that she still had her own mind. No one was telling her what to do, and she did not take the Five’s opinion as law. She would need to learn that there were some things that the Five knew more than she, but she also provided a unique opportunity to learn.

“There is little known about the Five other than we are the strongest creatures known in existence. I’m certain you remember that from your schooling.” Gaia attempted to ease into the conversation with Wren. Surely the girl would listen.

A soft snort erupted from Wren’s mouth, but she gestured to continue. Gaia paused for a moment longer to study the other woman. Perhaps she did not remember her schooling. She was, after all, nothing more than a lowly Juice producer. Schooling wouldn’t have been important or even provided to children such as she in many circumstances.

“Are you not familiar with this story?” she asked.

“Not really.”

“How is it that you have lived this long without proper education?”

“I have proper education.” Wren leaned forward to place her hands firmly on her knees. “I know how to survive. How to make money. How to live. I do not consider knowledge of you or your people essential to my existence.”

“Well then.” Gaia supposed she shouldn’t be surprised at the tone. These rude quips were quickly becoming tiring. “You should know how you came to be.”

“I came to be from my mother’s belly. I think you mean how the creature inside me came to be.”

“You are an extremely forward individual.”

Wren snorted again. “I have a feeling if I wasn’t forward, you wouldn’t listen to me.”

She was right. Gaia wouldn’t have listened to her at all because she had already dismissed the girl as someone less important. Now, Wren had her attention through sheer arrogance.

“Would you like to learn now?”

“Why should I?” Wren asked.

“Because it is your history. Because it explains what is happening to you. To all of us.”

Wren blinked a few times as the gears turned in her head. Slowly, she nodded. “Okay. Fine.”

“You will listen?” Gaia had to be sure that the girl would pay attention.

“Yes.” Frustration made the word harsh. “Yes, I will listen. Just start talking, would you?”

Gaia gave her another censoring look before she remembered that Wren likely didn’t care at all. A spark of belief ignited in Gaia’s mind. If she were to choose someone to fulfill the prophecy, it would be this headstrong girl who did not show fear.

“In our realm, magic was created in the form of ten creatures. Five made out of darkness and shadow. Five made out of light. It was only natural that they would be at odds with each other. For many centuries they fought against each other before realizing that none of them could be killed by the other. The only harm that would remain on our forms was harm that was self inflicted. We were never meant to kill each other.”

Wren’s hand raised to interrupt. “You’re trying to tell me that you’re one of the originals?”

“I am. As are my brothers and sisters.”

“You sure?”

“I have been alive for thousands of years. I was here before all others.”

“Huh.” The exhale wasn’t a question but more an admission of shock. At least she was believing the story.

Gaia smiled in response. “For many centuries it was only the ten of us. As you can imagine, existence grew rather tedious. And with that came the need to end such an existence. My youngest sister was the first to willingly harm herself in an attempt to disappear from this world. But when her blood was willingly spilled upon the land, she created new life.

Our first born were simple creatures. They were elementals, capable of controlling all elements of the earth. They took after us.” She smiled softly as though remembering, but that smile quickly fell. “Our siblings who erred towards the darkness quickly realized what was happening as we populated the earth with these new creatures.

They realized that by tearing themselves apart they could create an army which could destroy ours. They did not understand we were not creating an army at all. We were simply creating