“Oh, Zion, you’re foolish to think she has what it takes to save you.”
“You’re foolish to assume she doesn’t.”
“Seeing as I've known her since she was a child,” she says smugly, “I think I would know better than you.”
I level her with a cold stare, knowing full well she’s trying to get under my skin. “Let's not pretend that you didn't spend her entire life keeping her under your thumb. You held her back passively, and when that didn’t work any longer, it switched to much stronger tactics. Somehow, managing to stay under the wire so she would remain oblivious to your true nature. A shameful way to treat someone who idolized you.”
“Well, you know what they say about idols.”
I snort and shake my head in disgust. “Exactly. Especially false ones.”
Her eyes narrow until she’s glaring at me. She stands, her hands extended in front of her as if she’s presenting me with a prize. “You’ll see that there’s nothing false about me. And when I’m done, when Vivian is nothing but a pile of dust, you’ll spend the rest of your days kneeling by my side.”
“That will never happen.”
“Keep lying to yourself. I won’t even have to tell you I told you so when the time comes. You’ll be busy being my lap dog.”
“As long as you remember that power taken by force is tenuous at best. Any leader who has to use clandestine tactics to take control won’t remain in control for long.”
“Maybe so, but Vivian will still be dead. And without her, you’ll be lost.”
She doesn’t say anything further as she turns away. I bite my tongue, though not having the last word grates on my nerves. I watch her go until she melts back into the shadows, and then silence echoes around me.
Surprisingly, the constant parade of copycat Vivians ceases. Resting my head back against the wall, I close my eyes, allowing myself to sink into a meditative state meant to center me. In my mind's eye, I’m sprawled in that clearing in the woods, cushioned by moss and grass, staring up at a cloudless sky.
A gentle breeze washes over me like a quiet murmuring. “I’m coming.”
TWENTY-NINE
A DEVIOUS SCHEME
Gemma
The Time Before Now
“This is it, Gem,”Vivian gushes excitedly.
My lips press together as I do my level best to fake any semblance of goodwill I could possibly muster. Luckily, in her excitement, she barely even notices my obvious mixed feelings. She continues to dance on her toes, attempting to look over the heads of the mass of people who stand between us and the new beginning.
As if she's just now realizing what is about to happen, she turns to me, her hands gripping mine tightly, her eyes locked with mine. “You must come with me. When we get to the gates, you hold on tight. You don't let go.”
My eyes narrow slightly, and I only allow myself a tiny bit of warmth before I squash it, knowing there's no place for sentimentality here.
This is the place where the truths overlap—the moment where we all literally meet our maker, and sometimes, our executioner.
Everyone here is on their own individual journey—some at the beginning and some at the end. I’ve come here to meet my maker even if I have to make a sacrifice to the executioner in order to get the ending that I yearn for.
One of the biggest untruths of humankind is the idea that we’re all either good or evil. That it’s a one or the other equation. Humans go about their lives completely unaware of the fact that everyone is good and everyone is evil, and the only thing that tips the balance is free will. So it isn't so much that people choose to be good as they're just choosing not to be bad.
Slowly, we creep closer and closer to the front of the line. Or in this version of truth, the end of the line.
The closer we get, the more fidgety Vivian becomes. She's still gripping one of my hands in both of hers, making sure I stay directly beside her, occasionally glancing up to make sure I'm truly there.
Because, you see, Vivian Jones is the poster child for someone choosing not to be bad. And, considering the purity of her lineage, this is a feat all in itself because those who came before her excelled at being bad.
Not that she has the first clue about any of it.
At one point, I considered explaining it all to her, considered being honest and allowing her to decide for herself which path she wanted. But then, I had to accept that I'm not one to so clearly make therightchoice. Sometimes, choosing to be bad is the only option one has for survival.
