"Someone is coming."
"Thanks, my hearing is fine even after all these years."
"Stop bringing up how old you are every single time. It's dumber than all of Damien's ceremonies." I took out a cigar. I'd offer him one too, but he's too invested in a healthy lifestyle or similar crap. I assume his wife has a hand in it, but who knows. "Do you have a lighter?"
"Have you ever seen a fucking lighter with me?"
"He's right." and here it is, it didn't take long. But of all people, he should know this place the best, so he should choose the shortest route to get here. "Jonathan always took mine."
"Well, not always," I put the end of the cigar to the fire. Who knows where this will lead. But when my own daughter left me here so nicely... She is always in such a hurry. "I have my fingers." and I really don't need that either. I can set a few dry leaves on fire without thinking. By now it's a reflex, a part of me. "You should check on your wife, Marcus."
"Better not. You two, right now," he didn't even look at him, but he was here way before me. So he knows exactly how awful he looks. Even with the charms and the new suit. Strange that he put off his extravagance. After so many years, he resorted to simple black, no wolves, silver or steel. "that's not a good combination."
"Don't worry, I'll be on my way in a minute." he approached us. "I'm just looking for Steven." hazel eyes locked on me. I know that look. He wants to cut Marcus out of our conversation entirely. "Didn't you see him, Jon?"
"I didn't," I wanted to talk to him. And so did Andrea. And then she disappeared into the crowd of guests just like him. Though that doesn't seem like much to me. It's normal for my daughter to disappear in the middle of a conversation and not to come back. Almost makes me think at times she's rude. But not Steven, he respects the rules and has some common sense she lacks. "I thought we'd talk."
"About what?" he raised his voice so suddenly. He acts like a fool. A mad man really. "Do you want to offer him one of your lies?"
"I want to talk to him about Woose's mine." it's another thing he's really good at. Drafting good contracts. The boy did well for him, I just don't know why he's trying to ruin it all now. He's too skeptical to believe anything he hasn't came up with. "Why would I lie to him? About what?"
"How the fuck am I supposed to know, Jonathan?" he took the last step towards me. I feel like sending the sweet cigar's smoke straight to his face. For all I know, maybe it would help him to set his priorities back. Like we're his family and not traitors. And he belongs on our side. Whatever happens. Because that's just the way it is. We've both put enough effort into it. We fixed this part of the world. "You flaunt the truth and screw up the consequences."
"You're exaggerating, Edgar."
"Yeah really?" how many times have we been through this? I am well aware of the fact that he's reacting to everything more strongly. More intensively. He lets himself be illogically swept away by his emotions. And he lets himself be paralyzed by senseless fears. But I won't be offended. Not even by someone I considered a friend. I still take him that way. As unbearable as he is.
"I never lied to you."
"You don't have to. You just keep quiet." he threw up his hands in exasperation. I should try to calm him down. It used to work. He's not that complicated and I'm sure he hasn't changed that much. "You let me join this twisted game and you knew full well what I would risk."
"I let you become one of the most powerful people in this world. I offered you the exact same terms that apply to me." I offered him much more. Despite my own brothers because I wanted my friend to stay with us. Because I always believed that Sevrin had no idea how gifted he was and someone had to appreciate it. "I pulled your name from the depths of those mines of yours and gave it the weight it deserves. You were given a crown and a second chance at a family, which is far more than I have. So please, don't turn it against me."
"You only gave me that chance because you knew all along what was going to happen!" his voice lowered but gained importance. "You allowed me to raise my children without mentioning that your gift would one day kill them."
"You know very well what it means to be one of us." he agreed to this long before declaring an independent Athran. He agreed to our terms. My terms. "I never lied to you about that either. You knew who they were going to be when they were born."
"Like you knew what would happen when our children met. Emmett first," he took a deep breath. To be honest, I didn't know. I had no idea that these two would ever fall in love. It didn't work out when they met. It sounded like a silly theory. And I still have no clue how they ended up together. I always thought she was bored and he was pretty enough to entertain her. "And now Steven." he added in a whisper. That part is clear as a sun. There's something between them, no one could ever contradict.
"Immense power unites them. You yourself willed them to meet. Reunite the whole empire you so much desire." it's a pretty unpleasant thought. At least for me. In all respects, I support that Andrea should be able to choose. But she loves him and he loves her. Fortune-telling and assumptions go aside in this case. The two will go in defiance of fate. "But I didn't lie to you about that either."
"Then why didn't you ever tell me there were more of you?" so this bothers him. How much did he find out? I suppose not much.
"Because there's not. They're not like us." I mean it, the piece they shares with us is not enough. They are simply a mistake that needs to be erased from history.
"Perhaps there is another path to Immortality.* I can't really explain this to him just a short distance away from a crowd of people. He turned around. Sure, he leaves because he thinks he's eaten up all the wisdom in the world. What an arse.
"Edgar," I have to hold him in place. I'm not done here. Fortunately, I can speak quietly enough that only he can hear me. "I honestly don't care what you think you've discovered. You don't understand who those two are and I wish you never did. But now, more than ever, you should understand that the affairs of the Inheritors are none of your business. Steven is with us safe, but you are not. Not after you've made it so obviously clear to her and Stephan you support Narral.."
"You don't get it, you're too weak Jonathan," he whispered. "you always were. It didn't occur to you until now because your daughter can't die." I feel like sending him to the ground. In front of all those people. I will break my own promise with a calm heart. I'm anything but weak. I had to surrender my daughter to death in the first place and pray to the bottomless void left without her she'd choose to return. And I know much better than him what it's like to fear for the life of your child. No one is in more danger than a bloody Successor. "All you have is your name and the false sense of you being in charge here. But the Hallies' time is coming to an end."
People start staring at us. But I'm only interested in one look. Green eyes found me. They smiled and turned away again. Disappeared. Time to leave for me too. "I guess you're right, my friend." I raised my voice. If he wants a lie so much, he'll get one. And the others too. "We cannot stop the progress and inevitable change that our children are planning." I blew out the smoke with a smile and let him move freely again. Not that he would take advantage of it. "Come to think of it, I think they needed some air. Both of them, outside the main hall."
Comments