Page 33 of Marked By His Hunger
He had grown thin. Hollow-eyed.
Not from lack of feeding.
From exhaustion.
From resisting.
From carrying it.
Soon he would relinquish it to me fully.
Soon it would not be partial inheritance.
It would be total.
Absolute.
And I did not know if I was strong enough.
That truth haunted me more than the hunger itself.
What if I fail?
What if I drain someone dry before restraint magic binds me?
What if the Clan suffers because I am weak?
My siblings would never say it aloud, but I have seen it in their eyes.
Relief.
They are grateful it is not them.
As the eldest, it falls to me.
As the strongest, it must be me.
But strength is a myth when your own veins burn like acid.
I roared into the wind, spreading my wings fully as rain lashed against them.
The storm answered.
Lightning struck somewhere below, illuminating the cliffs in white.
Students scattered across the courtyard below like insects seeking shelter.
I did not join them.
I did not belong among them.
They were here for degrees.
For advancement.
For magical prestige.
I was here to prevent catastrophe.
