"I know, Papa. I don't understand all of it, though." And sometimes, all this weird talk frightens me. This thought she kept to herself.
"You will," he assured her. "Don't be afraid, my daughter. I've trained you the best I could. Your powers will soon know no depths, and you'll be able to unite the realms. Instead of being the reject, you'll become a princess."
When she was younger, she'd loved it when he told her this. At her age, the words sounded strange. She didn't believe she'd turn into a princess any more than she believed she wanted anything to do with killing anyone.
"First, I need his secrets, then we'll kill him," her father said.
"Will he have many secrets?" she asked, perplexed. "And why do we need them?"
"In time, my dear. I need you to run to Doolin with me in half an hour. The Guardian has arrived. We will set up our plan to capture him."
"What? He has?" She started to fidget. "But I thought … I thought he wouldn't come for a while."
"It's been a while," her adoptive father said with a small laugh. "It's been ten years since I first told you this."
"I know … I guess … I hoped …"
"Your dear old father was crazy?" he asked with a glint in his eyes that made her cringe. "Don't worry, my love. You will soon see for yourself, and you will understand everything. Get ready to go." He rose and gave her a kiss on the forehead and then left her in the safety of her room.
I trained you the best I could. Bitterness crept through her as she dwelled on his words. He'd never tried to raise her as a true daughter. Train had been the perfect word. He'd drilled her in how to use and control her gift. She'd learned self-defense by the age of eleven and how to shoot a gun when she was twelve. He'd said it was for a good cause-to save humanity-but she'd long since thought there was something strange about his wild stories of Guardians and Gods. If not for her unusual power, and his cold magic, she would've considered him crazy.
"Are you ready, my daughter?" he called through the thick wooden door. "We'll be driving in the rain. Oh, and bring your things. We may stay there a night or two."
"Just a minute, Papa," she answered. Yully rose and crossed to her wardrobe. She pulled out waterproof ankle boots and her thick, lamb's wool-lined coat then quickly gathered her toiletries and packed an overnight bag.