Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

DB Chapter 32 - What Could Have Been

ALLISON SAW THE lights of Manna City fade from the deck of the boat. She had left Vivienne inside where it was warm. Allison needed to see the city lights one last time. Somehow, she knew, she would never return to Manna City, not as long as Tercel still stood.

She rubbed her shoulders and wished she had thrown on more than a cardigan before leaving. Allison had a bag of clothes with her, but she had left it with Vivienne. Vivienne was lying on her duffel bag. At the moment, her body was covered in cold sweat.

Allison looked down at her phone.

No calls.

It was strangely silent. Nothing from Belig or Daste. Or any of the people she once considered her friends. She was gone now, and they had probably already forgotten about her.

Allison reached into her pocket and withdrew Vivienne's phone. She had to know if Blake was really dead. She called his number from it. She had no intention of answering if he picked up.

The number rang. Nothing. It seemed to ring forever.

Finally, Allison hung up. She contemplated throwing the phone into the ocean in anger, but she didn't. She already had enough to explain to Vivienne. Finally, Allison went back inside and sat down on the wooden bench beside Vivienne.

There were other passengers on the ferry. A concerned mother walked by and shook her head at the two of them. Allison supposed they looked like two drunk girls coming back from a wild night out.

"You didn't have to come with me," Vivienne whispered. Her lips were parched, and her breathing was labored. "I know you loved Manna City."

"I want to come with you," Allison assured her. "We're best friends, remember?"

Vivienne laughed softly and grabbed Allison's hand. Vivienne's hand trembled, but her grip was firm. Allison wondered if Vivienne would be relieved or disappointed to return to Lewisville, where her Blue Fire would be rendered harmless. No one could afford Nectar there.

"Thanks, Ally."

Allison wrapped her arms around Vivienne's narrow shoulders. Vivienne's clothes were soaked with sweat, but Allison didn't mind. She even offered Vivienne her shoulder to rest on.

"Do you think, wherever he is now, that he could ever forgive me?" Vivienne asked softly. Was she really asking that, or was she delirious? Allison prayed for the latter, but the awkward silence seemed to linger for an eternity.

"I don't think he blames you," Allison finally offered. "I think he wanted to become human for you and in doing so, he understood the risk he took."

"You're my best friend," Vivienne whispered and wiped her eyes again. "The only one left in my life that I can completely trust."

"Oh, that's silly. You have your parents. Your sister?" Allison laughed.

Vivienne snickered at that, even though Allison hadn't meant for it to be funny. Allison wondered if Vivienne was sleep-talking. Either way, Allison wished she would stop.

"I have no one else, Ally. You're the only one who has always been on my side."

Vivienne snuggled closer. Allison felt too guilty to push her away.

Allison stared out the window at the skyline, which was completely dark now. When she first saw Vivienne in Manna City, Allison recalled having been both disturbed and angry. Vivienne didn't belong there. She belonged back home with the rest of the ghosts that Allison left behind. Vivienne was stumbling around like some hysterical idiot begging to return home to that worthless town they were both from.

It was just like Melody said, wasn't it?

The moment Vivienne appeared in Manna City, Allison's days there were numbered.

Allison wondered if Vivienne weren't so gullible, if Vivienne knew the truth of what happened in Sulia, if she would finally get the chance to confront Vivienne about the night that began it all — that damned masquerade.

No, Vivienne would never understand why her presence in Manna City meant the end of Allison's. Vivienne would have argued that they could both co-exist in that city, that perhaps she would have even believed she was doing Allison a favor by sharing that glamorous apartment building with her.

Deep down, Allison realized she would rather be the Queen of Lewisville than be a supporting character to Vivienne Weisse's reign in Manna City. 

Allison sighed and leaned her head back against the paint-chipped wall of the ferry. It was magical while it lasted, but it was over now. For a second, she was the friend of Melody Balan. Allison didn't even care that Melody thought nothing of her, and couldn't care less if Maglania had killed her. For a second, she knew what it felt like to befriend a girl truly worthy of her.

Allison's mind wandered as Vivienne's breathing steadied, and she drifted further off to sleep. She imagined Melody was probably in some exotic locale like Nivarrin now, with its mountainous roads and romantic castles. Perhaps, Melody was dining with a prince right now, a real prince, not one of Maglania's orphan Sentinels.

What a friendship the two of them could have had if Vivienne Weisse hadn't shown up and ruined everything.

I would have liked to travel the world with you, Allison thought as she stared into the pitch-dark night. If only you had gotten to know me, you would have loved me too. We could have been such a duo, two princesses like Manna City had never seen.

Allison laughed to herself.

No, Melody would never waste her precious time on a nobody like herself.  Allison's mind went back to the vision she saw on the way to Sulia when Julian's car drove by the snowscape. She recalled that boy, Orion, talking about his parents and their loving marriage.

What if Blake did, in fact, survive? What if he goes on to marry Melody? Who else in all of Manna City would refuse to change her last name for Blake Thorne? Only one family came to mind.  Only one family would look down upon all five of the other families.

The Balans.

The Balans didn't mingle with the rest of the families. They barely spent time in Manna City as it was. But, Gabriel might be open to accepting Blake as a son-in-law over all the other boys of the Great Families. Gabriel had, after all, always carried a torch for Odelia. As Maglania always said, Blake's features favored his mother. There was the matter of Blake being a vampire, but Gabriel knew about all of it, and somehow it didn't deter him from offering his advice and aid.

Allison's mind raced as she slowly pieced everything together.

What if Blake refused to ask Gabriel for help because he knew the price would be to take Melody's hand in marriage? What if Allison had cleared the way for that to happen by removing Vivienne from the entire equation? The Orlin bond between Blake and Vivienne was broken. Vivienne had fled.

There were no more obstacles now.

Blake wouldn't come looking for Vivienne in Lewisville. He knew that bringing her back to Manna City would mean she would go after that altar in Aethon. For better or for worse, their love story had ended. Now was the perfect time for Gabriel Balan to make a move.

Oh, Melody, if only you knew the part I played in all this, you would thank me, Allison mused. You probably don't even remember my name. If you two do end up together, it was all thanks to little old me.

Just me.

Allison Devon, your most loyal and steadfast friend.