The strength to resist

Chapter 14- The big reunion

We drove back to the camp. And all this time I didn't let go of Nicholas. I still couldn't believe that he was sitting next to me.

We arrived back in Highland. But this time it felt different. I didn't feel anything when I stepped out of the car. It's what made us sick was cured. I killed the illness.

"How is Amelia?" I asked.

I killed somebody.

"She is fine." He answered.

I killed somebody.

"How? How did you find me?" I was literally hyperventilating. My brother was here. I killed somebody. Amelia is fine.

"Calm down. Everything is fine." He whispered putting a hand on my shoulder. "I am like you call us a "masked one". And..."

I killed somebody.

Amelia came running and interrupted us. She hugged me tightly. "Are you okay?" She asked me. She cupped my cheeks with her hands. I just nodded.

"Nick!" a girl with a black mask in her hand came running towards us. "What do we do with the one who struggle. We put them in the main tent. You told us to be civic but they keep insulting us and I am losing patience."

"Anna, don't do anything. This is an order. We will be there in two minutes." He answered. She nodded.

"Cece, the other day when we broke into the hotel. I saw you. And I hesitated to take off my mask. And wanted to hug you so bad but it wasn't the right moment. I would have risked to many lives. So, I ran away. But the next day I came back and you weren't there anymore."

I looked down at my feet. I was already back in Highland.

"I explained everything to Jacob. He wasn't that pleased to find out who I was." Nick laughed. "Then he told me where you were and I wasn't that pleased. Thanks to your friends Jonathan and Dorian, we convinced Jacob to attack Highland. And then spies told me about the wedding preparations. So, we needed to act quickly. And here we are.

I will never leave you. Ever again. Do you hear me?" He said.

"You promise? Pinky promise?" I asked and held my pinky up. We shook pinkies.

"Nick!" shouted Anna impatiently

"Duty is calling. Let's go." Said Nick.

"I will wait for you outside. Go and save the world." Amelia said smiling and she squeezed my hand.

We went into the main tent.

There were people tied up in the middle. All horded into the middle. This looked wrong. "We thought with Jacob this would be a good idee until we figure out what to do with them." Said Anna.

I could recognize Angela, Camy and Lucy. And many more.

On the other side there was Dorian and Arthur. They looked rough. But I was relieved to see them standing. And so were they when they say me walking in.

Arthur waved at me and I smiled back. Then I nodded at Dorian. That is the friendliest way Dorian and I have ever greeted each other, I thought.

"We have to let them go." I said to Nick.

"But what they did was horrible. They killed people. They put us in this misery." Answered Jacob who joined us. Arthur followed him.

"Some of them are innocent." I said.

"To one degree or another they contributed to Ezra's violence, Cece." Nick replied as if I was a kid. He looked at me with this soft smile.

"So, your answer to violence is violence? We are not Ezra. We are better than this. We are going to break the cycle." I said with a firm voice.

Nick nodded but he was still thinking about it. "Alright, I guess. If you think this a fair decision for everything, they did to you." He said after a time.

Jacob sighed and his eyes darkened. "Don't come back to me crying because of them. And don't expect me to welcome any of them into the hotel."

"Come on." Said Arthur and he led Jacob outside.

While the prisoners were being untied, I went out to find Amelia. But instead, I found Jonathan laughing next to a younger girl. He saw me and waved for me to join them.

"Darcy, meet my sister Octavia."

"I heard a lot about you." I said smiling.

"I hope only good stuff." She answered. "And see, I am not crazy. Jonathan is alive." Octavia grabbed on to him like I did with Nick.

I smile. "Thank you for coming to my rescue." I said to Jonathan.

"My pleasure princess." He said and I rolled with my eyes laughing.

And then I saw her leaning next to a tree waiting for me to be done talking to Jonathan. I grinned at her.

"Would you excuse me for a second." I said and ran to Amelia.

She looked up and down at me. "Let's go and get something to change for you..."

My dress war tearing apart. I had blood stains everywhere. His and mine. But I didn't even want to think about how I looked. All I wanted to think about is Amelia.

"Shut up Amelia and kiss me."