Lies for the liars

The plot thickens

Well, I kind of (admittedly) didn't (need another story, but I couldn't resist. This is inspired by Driven Under by Seether. It's title may change, though it is tentatively Lies for the Liars, any better ideas people have would be amazing.)

Erin

It's a long, lonely path that I've taken. I'll just start off with that. I mean, it's worth it, or so I was told, but I hate every moment where I'm faking. Does he know I'm just as much of a liar as he is? That everything is a fraud? I'll admit, I wish he knew sometimes, just so it would be over. However, I have a purpose, and maybe if I mull it over, it'll eventually make sense.

It all started when Thanatos reported Neferet to the High Council. I can remember clearly the conversation she'd had with me, that night in her office, after we'd all returned to the House of Night.

I guess that's when it all went to hell.

Thanatos closed her drapes, looking around nervously at the meticulously closed and locked windows and then scurrying to check the doors. It was completely unlike the normally cool, calm High Priestess. I picked at my already chipped pink nail polish, wondering why she had summoned me, and praying that it was just for homework, or something. I had fallen a little behind on Vamp Soc, so it could be that. Call me crazy, but I was praying that she'd give me the condescending teacher speech and send me on my merry way.

"Thanatos, what's going on?" I asked nervously. I looked around, trying to meet the High Priestess's eyes.

"As you know, Neferet has left the building. The High council is revoking her position as High Priestess. What would you do if it were you, Erin? Would you still want to know what goes on in your enemies' lives? Maybe send in a spy?" Thanatos looked at me, then down at her desk to search for something. "And with how fractured our side of things is it won't be difficult for her to invade our circle." She remarked dryly.

"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked, "I'm not really in the best position to have the circle listen to me, anyways. They sort of took Shaunee's side," I explained, hating the bitter tone in my voice. Hating the bitter feeling I got whenever I thought about how everyone seemed to sympathise with Shaunee.

Thanatos smiled, pulling an envelope from her desk. "Because Neferet sees that. It's doubtless that she'll send someone after you, to try to use you as a source of information. But, we can use that. The High Council needs its own infiltrate, and you, Erin, are ideal," she explained.

In shock, I widened my eyes and stifled what I wanted to say, something to the effect of are you insane!? "I think you got the wrong girl. I'm no spy, the best I can get you is gossip, and I doubt the High Council cares about that. Not to mention, Shaunee'll see right through it in a heartbeat. We're not twins anymore, but she knows me," I cut myself off from my babbling rant.

Thanatos handed me the envelope, and I opened it. There was a letter from Duantia, explaining the importance of my mission, which I skimmed, because it was seriously long, and used words I wasn't sure Damien could define, basically about how she was sorry it had come to this and about how she wished she had seen this earlier. The next page was my mission, and this was written by Alitheia, who I would be reporting to. I basically had to convince whoever Neferet's little infiltrate was that I had no clue what their ulterior motive was or 'fall for their ruse' to quote. Then, I had to find out what Neferet's little plan was and fire information off to Alitheia. Also, anything concrete I could get of her involvement with Darkness would be nice. But, I couldn't go near Neferet, or she'd read my mind, see my plan and kill me. Well, that was just great.

Then, I got to my cover story. I could keep my name, and my identity. That was a nice start. I couldn't associate with my friends, because my friends would get in the way of whatever my mission. They would try to keep me away from whoever I was trying to get info from. I was to use my falling out with Shaunee as an excuse to be 'looking for a new friend'. I was to tell no one of my mission.

"Why me?" I demanded apprehensively, balking at the idea of leaving my friends.

"It is not I who has chosen you nor Alitheia, it is Nyx, Erin. Nyx saw something in you, and told Alitheia."

I looked up at the ceiling, wondering why Nyx chose me. I prayed to her that she'd choose someone else. Unfortunately, Nyx isn't subject to the wishes of teenage girls. She chose me, and it doesn't matter whether the rest of us understand it.

I had to say it, despite the words condemning me "yeah, I'll do it."

Either way, I was condemned. One way I was condemned to a life off Nyx's path, the other way, I was condemned to a hard task on her path. Call me foolish, but I'd rather have the goddess on my side.

Thanatos smiled "may Nyx bless you for it." She seized the papers and held them in the flame of her candle, giving me a phone "Alitheia gave me this to give you. It has all her information in it already, password is your room number, you should change it to something safer."

The phone was a blackberry, sleek and black, with a lock screen picture of me and my friends when we'd travelled to Venice. I stifled a tear, knowing that for as long as this espionage lasted, I wouldn't have any true friends. It was Jack's carefree smile that gave me courage. Neferet had cost him his life, and us our friend. I was here to make her get what was coming to her.

"Now, I cannot know of this. Anyone other than you who knows is an enormous liability. I will erase my own memory of this." she put her palm to her forehead. "You will remember only that you did as Nyx asked of you." She said, and there was a rush of air that flowed around her. Her eyes went blank, and then snapped back to their normal sharpness.

"Erin, what are you doing here?" she asked

I shrugged "Damned if I know. You called me here." I replied, trying to sound nonchalant and downright bitchy, like I normally would.

"Erin, you shouldn't speak to a High Priestess like that." Thanatos reprimanded sharply. I turned and left, with a heavy heart. I went home, that day, enjoying my last moments as a normal Erin, with the people I cared about, but feeling the burning weight of the blackberry in my pocket, like a reminder that I had a mission.