A taste from The Sorcerer's Daughter

(I just thought I'd share this little snippet. It's right in the middle so you might be a little lost--hopefully you can figure it out. What do you think?)

Drew had not been to see the Goloth again since her birthday. She followed Mr. Winston down the stairs, Penny walking next to her, on their way to his room in the lower part of the building.

She glanced at Penny, trying to decide why she’d decided to risk her relationship with her father over him.

Penny was a couple of years older than she was, she knew. She knew his mother had died when he was very young and he didn’t know his father, and had grown up in various foster homes. Some of them, she thought, had treated him pretty badly.

She knew, even though they hadn’t talked about it, that the family he’d killed had done something to him that hurt him terribly. His grief and rage had awakened the power inside of him, and it would never completely go back to sleep.

They reached the bottom of the stair and Drew knew they were deep underground. He led them through the doorway and up the corridor to the heavy wooden door to the Goloth’s room. He opened it and stepped aside, gesturing that they should go in before him.

Drew walked into the room with no hesitation but Penny hung back—she turned back to him and gestured that he was to come, too. She saw him take a breath and swallow before he came in after her.

Mr. Winston stepped inside and closed the door.

It was dark but as her eyes adjusted Drew could see the crevasse that split the floor of the room—there was a faint, warm light coming from something deep down in it. Something moved to obscure the light, a gigantic figure that was the Goloth.

“Hello, old friend.” Mr. Winston called.

The giant figure seemed to lean forward and Drew heard the tinkle of the chains that bound the creature, and, a few feet in front of her, those two softball sized eyes appeared.  They blinked, the lids covered with scars, and she wondered briefly what terrible thing had happened to the Goloth to cause the wounds that led to them. She caught a brief glimpse of a hand—it was much bigger than hers, the fingers longer, with sharp, curving nails at the end of each one—and it, too, was covered with scars. “Greetings,” the Goloth said, with its whispery voice. “I see you bring another.”

“Indeed I do.” Mr. Winston said. “Another for you to consider.”

“You are going to replace Drew with him? He is much too old,” the Goloth said.

“No.” Drew said. “We rescued him. I want him to come live with us.”

The eyes closed and she heard a sniffing sound, as if the Goloth was inhaling, trying to smell them. “Ah,” he finally said. “He has the power. A distant relative.”

“What of it?” Mr. Winston said.

“He is wild. The power was only recently awakened within him,” the Goloth said. “There is great pain in this one. He has been lost and alone for a long time.”

“I know.” Drew said, glancing at Penny, who was staring at the Goloth, terrified. She reached over and touched his shoulder to reassure him, and he seemed to relax.

“He has killed,” the Goloth said.

“Yes.” Drew said. “He didn’t mean to.”

“He was provoked,” the Goloth said. “Yes, I know. But his rage and his pain are a part of him now. They are not tempered with knowledge and wisdom and training. His use of his power will always depend upon that, not upon discipline and a sense of duty.”

“We aren’t going to use his power. We just want to protect him.” Drew said.

“Yes, child, I know this, but you must acknowledge his power.”

“What do you think?” Mr. Winston said.

The Goloth sighed. “He will bring you much pain and grief. He will also bring you much joy. Whether the one is worth the other will be your decision. In the end, though, you will be forced to destroy him. Doing that now will save you much grief, but will also keep you from much joy.”

“What?” Drew asked, glancing at Penny, who looked like he was afraid to move again.

“That is all I can say,” the Goloth said. “I am sorry.”

“Thank you.” Mr Winston said, nodding at the Goloth. “Let’s go,” he added, turning and heading back for the door. Drew followed, Penny coming along after pausing for a last look at the Goloth.

They went through the door and, as Mr. Winston was closing it, Drew thought she could hear the Goloth sigh.