NaNo Day 2: 15,110 (35149 total)

I had to do work today! Otherwise I would have had at least 20k, and maybe more. Well, it's probably just as well. My hand hurts tonight a bit, though it was better than I had expected. Oddly, doing dishes helped. I think it was the warm water.

Here is a quick scene from the book. I have to go off and do some other work (at 2:15 am!) or else I'll have to get to it when I get up tomorrow, and I would rather have it out of the way tonight.

***


I looked up as someone came into the room, and blinked in surprise to see my father.

He saw me.

I don't think the others realized he meant to attack me, but I saw it in his eyes and I had already started to push back and get to my feet. He was faster. Darion and Aria were both moving, but I was closer to him than either of them, and he caught hold of me --

I hadn't expected the knife. I would have fought him, hand-to-hand, but the knife changed things. I tried to slip to the side, and I caught hold of Aria and pulled her back out of the way. "Knife!" I warned, just before he came at me again.

The knife caught me in the side. Oddly -- in that moment before the pain really hit -- I knew it was just about in the same spot where Aria had pushed a knife, though not of her own free will, back when Earis had control of us. I gasped and staggered back -- but only far enough to get one really good kick in to my father's knee. He howled, and nearly went down. Darion was on him then, and got the knife away, though my father got past him again and came on. He pounded me with a fist and when I went down, he kicked me.

"What did you do with her! What have you done!" he yelled, even as others grabbed him and dragged him back.

It had been a strange near-echo of my mother's words. I gasped, trying to sit up, trying to --

Be still," Donal ordered. Then he turned to my father and waved his hand. "You are banished, Cedric No House. You are forbidden from this house and clan."

He went silent and pale and even Darion let go of him.

"You cannot -- for it --"

"You broke the covenant of this house," Donal said. He reached out and grabbed my father's hand and yanked off the rings. I had never seen Donal look so enraged. I glanced at Aria, and even she was glaring at my father. "You attacked a guest at my table, a guest come at my request. Even if Skye had been the worst enemy of the clan, it would have been unforgiveable. Be gone from this clan. Never come back."

Cedric -- I had not really thought about his name, though my mother had said it sometimes -- backed up a step. He shook his head. "You can't. It is evil. It stole my daughters from me --"

"Lily was taken by something we don't yet understand," Aria said. "But you drove me away."

"No --"

"Be gone or I will have the others throw you out," Donal said.

He turned and fled.

Donal turned and looked at me as I started to stand, and then he looked startled and worried. "Someone get Perren Ruby Day!"

"Oh hell, Skye! I didn't know he had stabbed you!" Darion rushed over and caught hold of me. I was about to fall flat on my face. "Damn! I didn't expect --"

"None of us did," Donal said. "Can you carry him? There is a sofa in the other room. Peren will come quickly, I'm sure."

He was right. Peren was there before they got me to the sofa. He looked angry as well.

"What happened?"

"His father -- who is no longer of the clan," Donal said.

That caught Peren by surprise for a moment, but then he nodded. "Probably long over due. He's been over the line a long time -- and no, that is not a reflection on you, Skye."