A Legacy of the Damned: Daughter of Astaroth

Chapter 62 - Trust

The thunderstorm has passed or maybe the Nephilims have stopped stirring it up. But the heavy clouds are still drifting over the night sky, occasionally covering the moonlight from shining down on us. The wind is still strong, fanning the fire that's ravaging the tree and whipping my hair about.

I glance at their faces before I stare down at my feet. My pristine white sneakers must be covered with dirt by now but they seem to glow in the pale moonlight and the crackling fire.

Nobody has said anything after my outburst. I think I've shocked the Nephilims into silence.

From the corner of my eye, I see Sacha lifting his hands up as though he's about to touch me, but then he forces them down. I wonder if the forcefield of energy that's shimmering around him is going to burn me if he gets too close. "Who was it? Who doublecrossed us, Danica?"

I have no idea, I didn't see his face.

"Did you see it happen?"

Only in my vision.

Yeah, I'm not stupid. My answers would only make me look guilty and desperate, but not answering them doesn't make me look great either. Danmed if I do and damned if I don't.

"Answer me, Danica," he presses.

"Maybe she's protecting someone," says the blond Nephilim.

Olivier scoffs. "Or she's lying."

His accusation seems to hang in the night air.

I see Sacha curling his hands into tight fists by his side. Then he turns his head slightly to look over his shoulder and commands, "Leave us."

The other two Nephilims follow his order immediately without question. They both bow and retreat. Olivier, however, hesitates. He looks as though he's about to say something but then changes his mind. He eventually he nods and complies.

I watch them walk away until the darkness swallows them. I wait until no one else is here but us...and maybe generations of dead Blackwells, buried six feet under. The rusted iron gates creak in the wind.

Then I turn to look at Sacha. The crackling shield of energy had fizzled out from around him and his body is no longer glowing gold. He looks like a perfect marble statue in the pale moonlight and glowing fire. Intense eyes, more dark than gold or hazel are staring back at me.

"You promised that we're in this together," I say accusingly. "You said no matter what happens, it's you and me, always."

"Well, you promised to never leave me," he returns, sounding equally accusing. "But you ran at the first opportunity." He steps close to me, crowding me. Then he curls his hand around my wrist as though to make sure that I'm not going anywhere. "You are not leaving me, Danica. You're not going anywhere without me."

"I told you I wasn't running away!" I exclaim. "You didn't believe me when I told you I didn't steal the Grimoire."

"I wanted to believe you. God knows how badly I wanted to believe you. But you made it so hard, Danica. You're hiding things from me and you gave me nothing at all. How could I trust you when you don't trust me enough to tell me what happened? Give me something, Danica."

I pull my hand out of his grip, turn around, and press my eyelids together. Maybe that's it. I never trusted anyone and I don't trust him enough. We made promises to each other and he told me that he loved me. It had been great but in reality, I'd been waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don't trust him not to abandon me when the going gets tough.

I'm scared that he wouldn't believe my truth and then I'd... lose him. But if I didn't tell him, I'd lose him anyway.

I'm a lot of things but I'm not a coward. I act helpless when it suits me but I'm never helpless. I've done a lot of things that required courage but why is it so hard to trust someone?