“What’s option B, then?” I ask weakly.
Sin chuckles.
I’m too exhausted to point out how weird that is.
Sin releases my arm and turns back to look at the water as he answers, “Well, I am getting the impression that you might be a little bit more than human. You’re in a position to make a difference in the lives of others who can’t fight for themselves. You can help change things for the better.”
I stay silent, considering his words. Sin is content to sit beside me and wait, saying nothing else.
It isn’t lost on me that what I decide now will change the course of my life. If I choose to stand up and fight, if I decide to go against the Council, I will give up any chance of ever returning to my normal life.
There’s no coming back from this.
But too many people out there don’t get to make a choice. They don’t get to decide if they want peace. And knowing that, I can’t walk away.
Finally, I nod and whisper, “Okay.”
Sin nods back before standing and reaching down to help me up. He looks towards Morgana’s castle before asking, “Were you planning on climbing down, or can I apparate us back?”
I walk to the edge of the cliff where I climbed up, looking at the vertical drop. I’m on the edge, but Sin doesn’t try to grab me or hold me back. He waits patiently for me to make up my mind.
I step back from the ledge to stand before him.
“Let’s go home,” I answer.
Sin wraps his arms around me, and I let myself enjoy the feeling, if just for a second, until together, we apparate back.
Part 2 – Threads of Shadow
“Evil thenceforth became my good.”
- Mary Shelley,Frankenstein
Chapter 16
Rule sixteen:Do not let the Destroyer be nice to you.
There’s a soft knock at my door, just barely loud enough to wake me.
Despite the exhaustion that still clings to me, I grin. I haven’t run with Damien in a couple of days, and it will be nice to get back into a routine. Maybe if I don’t mention my depressive spiral, he won’t either. Worst case, I’ll just misidentify a muscle group and he’ll be distracted.
Opening the door to tell Damien I’ll just be a second, my brows raise when I find Rosie there instead.
“Good morning! Do you have a minute?” she chirps warmly.
My anxiety immediately flares full force. Is this an intervention? Did Sin tell everyone about last night?
I am not ready for this. But I step out of the doorway, regardless of my hesitation.
Rosie flits into my room and sits cross-legged on the chair by my bed, her wings hanging off either side. She gives me a hopeful smile before asking, “Sin mentioned this morning that you might have made up your mind about staying here?”
“Oh! Uhm –” I pause, trying to formulate my thoughts into a coherent answer.
I want to help with stopping the Council. But do I want to stay here? Thoughts of Sin on the cliff with me last night float to the surface. He had every chance to be cruel to me, but instead, he helped me. I’m not ready to hand over a friendship bracelet to the man, but it’s enough to make me believe that maybe there’s some good in him. I can’t fight the Council alone. I need allies, and I need to trustsomeone.
“I think I’d like to stay. Unless you guys threaten the Mortal Realm, or Morgana turns out to be an evil villain who murders innocents.” I add the second bit with a hint of amusement, even though I’m one hundred percent serious.
Rosie purses her lips as if trying to stop herself from laughing. “For the record, I would be leaving too if those things ever happened.”
