Birds Of War

Chapter Sixteen Pt. 1: Sinner

Darkness cloaks me as I try to fall asleep. I can't help but think back to the conversation I had with him a fortnight ago. Things have clearly changed between since the beginning of my captivity. I answer him honestly and with less hostility. I'm not sure when I began to accept him. Could I forgive him? 

Suddenly the room brightens with the fire in the heart igniting, roaring with a temper. I jerk up, sitting up from the bed. Patrik stands in the doorway, shoulders pulled back. He barges into the room, slamming the door behind him. 

"Patrik?" I climb out of the bed, walking over towards him. "What's wrong?" He looks at me and I almost flinch. His eyes are full of fury, the normally deep green looking almost pitch black. 

"How could you?" He states in a deadly calm tone. 

"What?" I breathe out. "I don't know what you are talking about." 

"You see, one of our spies just arrived from after spending some time in Umbra. He had some interesting things to say about you." 

I take a step back, eyes widening as fear shoots down my spine. Patrik begins pacing the cramped room. "I-" 

"He vividly remembers the Princess, the little red witch of agony." He breathes out a chuckle of disbelief. "How she stabbed a man and left him to bleed out on the floor. How she would go on missions to pillage human villages. How she would heal men to continue torture?" He yells at me, ceasing his pacing to turn to face me." Does this sound familiar?" 

"Patrik I can explain-" 

"You are a killer Nilsia. There's nothing to explain." 

"You are a killer too!" I shout, feeling my composure slip away. 

Patrik scoffs, "That is ludicrous! I've never taken a life that wasn't an act of self defense!" 

I can almost imagine the thin line of my sanity and reason snap. "Except the baby." 

"The what?" Patrik yells in confusion. I look up at him towering above me. I can still see traces of fury in his eyes but his lips are pulled in a frown. 

"The baby. The one I was carrying when you left me." Patrik freezes, mouth open and eyes wide in fear. I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I continue to glare insolently at him. 

Patrik starts shaking his head desperately. "No-no it can't be." 

"Yes, the baby you abandoned. You left me and them to the slaughter! You are just as much a killer as I. You made me a killer as much as Father did!" I scream out at him. 

I start to lose control, sobs causing me to breathe erratically. My knees buckle and I collapse to the cold wood floor. My wails bounce around the room as Patrik stands there, frozen.