Rain of Shadows and Endings (Legacy, #1)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

“Do you really?” she demanded again, not bothering to check her anger at this point. “Because if you did, you’d know why we tried to prepare ourselves for them. You’d know that those tests are designed to push you to the edge of breaking to see what inherent magic resides inside you. You’d know that I have endured physical pain to the point of losing consciousness, only to be healed just enough to continue. You’d know that I have been made to watch those I care about most being tortured in front of me, and I have been tortured in front of them. You’d know that one time, they had me convinced that I had parents and siblings, that I had a fucking family who loved me for no other reason than because I was breathing. But when I couldn’t display an element on command, they killed a member of my mythical family until none remained; then berated me for failing my own flesh and blood until I wanted to take my own life. You’d know they layer grief and pain and fury on top of each other. They do anything they can to drag magic from you, and for what? So the Legacy can have a really good guess as to what element we’ll have when we emerge. So they can figure out the best way to use us.”