I closed my eyes. “Izzy—”
“Hewill.”
I opened my eyes and we locked gazes. I saw something I’d never seen in my sister before: trust.
Trust for someone else, that exceeded her trust for me.
I realized then, that all I could do was pray that she hadn’t been deceived. Because if she was wrong, it was going to kill both of us.
5. This is War
SOUNDTRACK:Sound the Alarmby Astyria
~ MELEK ~
When the door closed behind the girls, I turned back to face Gall, who stood with his feet apart and hands fisted. I recognized his posture of determination. He got stiff when he believed hehadto be strong, and was bracing himself to do so. Even though it ached that my son thought he had to be strong against me, it also warmed me that I still knew him. He was still here.
“Gall,” I started, stepping closer, but he shook his head and backed away until I stopped moving forward. There was a warning in his eyes, a shadow flickering behind them, that made me wary.
I couldn’t lose this opportunity to finally talk to him alone though, I had to break through.
I raised my hands, open palms towards him so he knew I wasn’t aggressive. “Gall, I always told you, and I meant it. I willneverharm you.”
“Well, I never vowed, so… so I don’t have to say that in return,” he said with a firm, single nod, as if reminding himself that it was true.
I was stunned. Of all people, I was the one Gall had always felt safe to be soft with. I’d thought if we were alone, he’d let himself return to me, whisper his fears, and tell me all the ways he was in trouble.
Instead, he stood before me, determined to be hard.
I swallowed hard. “Why would you want to hurt me?”
Gall’s shoulder twitched and his brow furrowed. “I didn’t say Iwantto—”
“Then you don’t have to.”
“—but it doesn’t matter what I want, or why.”
“Gall, that’s not true. We’ve talked about this before. The reason whyalwaysmatters. If you’ve been pressured—”
“I have my own mind!” he snapped, brows pinching into a v of anger. “I’m king now, and I have to be responsible. Right? You always said that too.”
“Of course,” I said as gently as I could, my hands still up while his remained fisted. “I’m just asking because… why would you be willing to hurt me if I’ve vowed—and proven—that I won’t hurt you?”
“Youdidhurt me. A lot.”
I sagged a little at that. “I know, and I’m sorry. I got it all wrong, Gall. I wish I could go back and change it, I do, but that was amisjudgment,not a desire to hurt you.”
“It doesn’t matter—the end is still the same.” He blinked a couple times, apparently arguing with himself, because he shifted his weight like he was uncomfortable with his thoughts. “I was scared, and you lied to me. I thought I was alone, because you went bad. Even when you told the truth, you still hid things!”
I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice soothing. “Son, if you think Lucifer isn’t hiding things from you—”
“I’m not talking about that!” Gall said, his tone edged with panic, but as he took a breath, his expression darkened. “I’m not supposed to talk to you at all.”
“Who told you that you can’t?”
“I’m king, and you’re trying to take away my power!”
“Gall… son, it’s notyourpower,” I said as gently as I could.
