The Enki

Chapter 46

Magnus has been frozen for around ten minutes like a beautifully carved ice sculpture. Christophe sat on the grass in deep concentration. I was a bundle of nerves fighting the instinct to bite my nails like I had in high school. It had been so long since I had felt insecure. The power in me had disguised the very human young woman that was only a few weeks ago, a naive girl.

My mother, irritated by both men's lack of response, had left shortly after the revelation. She was angry at me too for revealling the one secret that kept me safe. Now, I would either be surrounded by friends or enemies. I tried to push into both Christophe and Magnus's minds, but the walls were so high that I doubt the mother could penetrate them. I pulled the one card that I had.

"I'll go to my father."

At once, the men both respond. Christophe with anger, Magnus with relief.

"Rose, you can not be serious. You drop this bomb on us and then go to the one person that would destroy you?"

"He can not destroy me, he cannot destroy anyone. Only the dagger can and by my own hand. You taught me that. "

"You can destroy someone without having to kill them. Do you really want the same fate as your mother?"

"The mother will protect me."

Christophe sighs out loud and begins to pace, trying to control his anger.

"To what end? You have the power to destroy all of us. Do you really think releasing her is a good idea. I know you aren't that niave. "

"I promise you I wont".

Christophe stands in front of me and grabs my arms.

"Can you really promise that? You have been Enki all of five minutes. You can not know how it is to have our power. Our responsibility. For those like myself, we protect humans. We will continue to do this until the earth ends. Whatever the Mother has planned for you, you must ignore it, Rose.".

"Maybe we deserve to die."

Christophe eyes flame in anger. I hesitate for a moment, shocked by the fact that maybe Christophe wouldn't protect me like he promised to. I recover quickly and stare chillingly back.

"Rose, you are but a child! You know nothing about us, what we are, what we will do! I didn't protect you to have you destroy me!"

I feel the mother push at me, and I almost let her out. Not yet. I could get angry without her protection.

"I am a child!?! A child that you profess to love? Do I mean that little to you, Christophe? I revel a secret to you, and it takes you less than ten minutes to betray me. Who are you, I doubt I know you very well at all. "

Christophe opens his mouth to retaliate but stops. His eyes crease in pain.

"Rose, I, I, I didn't mean to react that way. It's a surprise I did not see coming. A secret you kept from me. "

I speak without emotion. Cold.

"Like you kept a secret from me? Can I trust you, Christophe? "

He tries to hold me, but I push him away.

"Rose, please, do not judge me for reacting to the news that your purpose is  to destroy me and our kind."

Magnus steps over to me after having witnessed the breakdown.

"I do not judge you, Rose. This was put on you not accepted willingly. We must make haste. Your father will surely be killed if we do not go to your Tharn. Let's leave this nasty scene behind us. "

Christophe turns to hit Magnus, but I grab his arm.

"No, Christophe. You can not take your frustration out on us. I trusted you most in this world, but you have destroyed that. Perhaps you should be upset, but you didn't give me a chance to explain what my own intentions are. You assumed I wanted to end us all. You clearly do not know me very well at all. "

Tears prick the eyes of Christophe, and his pain is like a knife in the heart. He tries to hold me again, but I can not bring myself to accept his embrace.

"Rose, please, I love you. I know you love me too. This can not be the end of us. I trust you, I know you would not hurt me."

"I do love you, Christophe. This is why it makes this so much harder. Do not follow us. Do not try to rescue us. This is something I have to do alone without you. My father said once that my emotions would make me weak. With you, they have."

I turn away from Christophe, Magnus, and I start to walk away.

"Please come back to me, Rose."

I do not turn back because I do not know if I can promise that.