Ephemeral

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"I decided to be merciful," Aidan spoke, and after the past few hours of complete silence between the two of us...I wanted there to continue being silence.

I hadn't wanted to hear his mocking voice since it was just a reminder that I was never going to win and that I would forever be stuck in his grasp. It didn't matter what I did or how smart I thought he was...he was always two steps ahead of me and I was completely running out of options...

Not to mention ideas.

I bit my bottom lip nervously, not wanting to answer him back.

"About what-?" I couldn't help the words that fell off my tongue. "It couldn't be with me because..." I shook my head in denial, although I said the opposite. "I'm still stuck here with you..."

He leaned back in his seat, being comfortable while I was forced to be tied up and sit up straight.

The only thing that I could do was dig my nails into the leather of the armrests that my arms were tied against. I was really only free to breathe and that was it – to breathe in the utter contempt that I was currently feeling towards him.

"Despite your disobedience," Aidan turned to look at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him, not being subtle that I hate him with every bone in my body.

"I let those Americans, and the rest of Stockholm, live." I turned my head instantly away, settling for looking at the floor of the private jet instead.

It didn't have a single spec of dirt or bundle of trash on it. I wouldn't be surprised if Aidan demanded it be kept clean – it was such a menial task to do but spoke volumes about someone's impulsive need for absolute control.

"You gave off the impression that you were satisfied that they would die as long as I would..."

I continued to grind my nails into the leather armrests.

Is he still talking to me-?

He's trying to push my buttons.

I just needed to shut the hell up and --

"I had no idea you were that cruel as to kill thousands of people all at once –

"I'm not-!" I began to say, letting his words get to me.

I always seemed to let his words get to me, and even if I wanted to deny them...I couldn't deny the truth that were in them.

Letting out a sigh, I looked up to stare at Aidan.

He was resting an elbow on his armrest, propping his head up with his hand. I hadn't been aware that he was looking at me with that adoring, amused expression lingering on his face. He was reveling in the fact that I was feeling guilt about what I had decided to do on a split-second decision. I was willing to sacrifice thousands of lives if it meant ridding the world of the menace that was in front of me.

It was such a stupid idea – I knew that Jonah wouldn't have approved of that sort of recklessness --

Jonah wouldn't have approved of me sacrificing even myself to begin with.

"Killian is alive, then?" I asked, about to start another game that I wasn't sure I was going to win with Aidan.

His reaction was instant – the small smile he held on his face quickly dropped, and his eyes darkened. Gone was that mocking expression, and it was instead replaced with one of annoyance. He sat up straight in his seat and no longer slouched or visibly relaxed.