Healing Ties (Ties, Book 2) | ✓

Chapter 50

Yore got to see his room at the base of the Spire through fresh eyes as Fanner stepped into it. The thick, deep blue curtains that were drawn down over the glass walls for privacy, the marbled blue glass tiles that made up the floor, the plush white rug on the floor, the large bed that Yore was looking forward to not sleeping in alone. There was also a table in the corner that someone had left plates of food on. Yore guided Fanner over to it and sat him down.

Libby flopped down on the bed, making herself comfortable. "Being a leader is so hard and nobody understands."

Yore went over to his closet and began looking through it for some nicer clothes to change into. "Mm. Especially in times like these."

"Yeah," Libby said. "That's why I wanted you to talk to the human. I mean, I guess also to help, but mostly I just wanted you to see what I've been seeing. Of all the other leaders, you're the most empathetic. You get it."

"What do I get?" Yore asked as he crouched to take his shoes off.

Libby threw up her arms. "That everything's so complicated! The other leaders just want to kill all the humans, and maybe that's the best outcome we can hope for, but I can't even tell them that I wish there was a better way because that is the best way to them. And I get that too! I get everyone's perspective because that's what I do, that's what I am. If an army of humans have killed someone you love, of course all you want is for them to all die!"

"It doesn't fix anything, killing them. It doesn't bring us any closer to a better world."

"It's just a bandaid, and bandaids haven't existed in over a hundred years," Libby mused. "But it's even more complicated than that, because it's not just like, oh, humans are all just misguided and innocent if you can see inside their heads. No. Some of the humans we captured have no real reason to hate us and just do because... because I guess that's satisfying? To have an enemy and be a part of an army that destroys that enemy? But then there's also a nineteen year old kid who only ever signed up to fight vampires and has no idea what any of this is or what's going on, and there's probably a lot of them who are like that because none of them really know what goes on out here, and do they deserve to die? Does someone deserve to die because they were told things and they believed them because they couldn't have known better?"

"It may not matter what anyone deserves," Yore said as he buttoned up the clean pair of trousers he'd just put on. "I'm not sure we have that luxury."

"I know. We have to defend ourselves, and at the end of the day that's my responsibility as the person who's ultimately in charge around here and I'm not going to not do that, just... ugh!" She threw up her arms again. "I wish everyone was like I am, just for a little while. If everyone could see what was in everyone's else's hearts and minds, there wouldn't be a war. I truly believe that. Most people can only do the kinds of things that happen in wars because they convince themselves their enemy aren't people."

"I feel the same way. I wish—"

"Shh shh shhh," Libby said, waving her hand at Yore to signal for him to be quiet. "Thinking."

"Okay. You think."

Yore found a nice button up shirt and put that on as well and then he combed out his hair and tied it back. Clothing wasn't something werewolves typically put much value on, but when Yore came here, when he was interacting with other leaders, he put in an effort to look presentable. Technically Libby, as the one who had created the Spire and formed the union of leaders that gathered here, was the highest authority around, but it had always felt unnecessary to put on a show for someone who could literally read his mind.