Page 74 of The Divine Lies We Weave

She swung the godsblade through the air and smashed it down onto Hema’s.

“Good,” Hema said, shoving her back. “Again.”

Leela furled her lip and swung again, her arms bearing down. All her anger was on the edge of her sword, and she wasn’t ready to lay it off. She wasn’t ready to give in to the Viperess or let the Flame control her again. She supposed the Viperess had waited until it was just her and Rajesh. Until she knew the layout of the ship and how Leela really felt about Rajesh before she snuck out and got a blade to kill him.

“Whoa,” Hema said, stumbling back.

The onslaught of thoughts blocked out Hema’s discernible cry. Leela kept swinging and swinging… and swinging.

“Leela!”

Hema’s word reverberated, and she finally stopped. Leela grabbed her chest, heart beating wildly. She looked at Hema cowering against the edge of the training field.

“I’m sorry,” Leela said, her weapon clattering to the floor. “I… I don’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay.” Hema hesitantly picked up Leela’s weapon. “You’re getting better at least, especially with the thrusting and movements.”

Leela took the hilt of the godsblade and studied it. Ever since the night when the Viperess took over her body, she’d been too scared to go near Rajesh. What if she killed him? She had slashed his throat. Or at least tried to. It scared her more knowing the Viperess was stronger than her.

Hema cleared her throat. “Training takes time. Heck, it took me three years of just basic weapon training and then more to work with my Fox. You will get there.”

“I know,” Leela said. “I just…”

Her thoughts were a mess. Her body taking the brunt of the impending thoughts, feeling her muscles weaken and a headache form at the base of her skull.

You’re useless.

You’ll never be able to harness her.

She’ll kill him.

“I’m sorry, I can’t today.” Leela’s emotions were boiling over. She glanced at the sky and bit her lip, noticing the waning moons. Her body was right on time.

Her thoughts were beginning to spiral. She needed to be away from people, otherwise she’d be more of a monster than a friend. And she was already one of those.

A cramp rode on her pelvis, and she slumped forward. She grabbed her hips and groaned, her mind overcome with a swarm of emotions. Happy. Sad. Happy… Sad….

“Thank you,” Leela told Hema. She put the weapon back on the shelf. “But I need space today.”

Before Hema could protest, Leela ran back to her room and shut the door, clutching at her pelvis as the pain continued to drill deeper. With every throb, her mind swelled with more and more words of hate.

Worthless.

Pointless.

Look at you! Can’t even hold a sword.

You expect this to help…?

Worthless.

The Viperess stirred. Why are you thinking these things? What is happening?

Leela groaned. You. You are what is happening!

You do not need to snap at me. I am merely concerned, the Viperess muttered.

White dots flashed across Leela’s vision. Fuck the Viperess. Fuck her for being inside her and causing her to lose her mind. Fuck her for adding to the too-many voices, screaming about how worthless and shitty she could be. This time of the month was the worst—the week before her menstruation, when the all-too-powerful thoughts pulled her under. The mood swings. The pain that took her spinning, over and over again, like a ship she couldn’t get off of. The thoughts were the worst, the way they twisted their thorns in and sank, until they were pruned, and Leela could feel like herself again.