Elysian House: Silver Bullet (2)

Chapter 17: The Bad Guy

"Well, well," said Snow as I came down the steps and approached her cell. Finally, she was defeated and locked up. Chained away and away from society. I looked down at her, my eyes narrowing as I stare. She was chained up to the wall, with a lock around her neck. Her arms were held down by two separate chains and her hair was messy, greasy and hanging unappealingly around her face. "I am blessed. The Queen's Knight herself has come to me."

"Snow," I wanted to capture her attention, and I wanted her to remember my words. Because this would be the last time I would ever speak to her again. I would not come back. Or that's what I thought at the time. "You have nearly ruined my life. You made my childhood a living hell. You killed Sage. I spent all of my life trying to please you."

"Quite poorly, I may add," she says, as if this were no big deal to her. Which truly angered me, considering how important it felt to me to say these words to her. She has no choice but to listen this time and she would not ruin this for me. 

"But I'm done. And so are you," I say. "I can't kill you. You're my mother. You raised me and taught me. But do not mistake my mercy for you as something friendly. You will rot here, alone, and you will never, ever have power again."

She looks up at me through her stringey white hair and her red eyes looked into mine. Even now, she held so much more influence over me. Even though she is the one behind the bars. I wanted to scream in frustration. "Rowan, I am Snow. Nothing, nothing, is impossible for me." 

We will see about that, I thought and turned my back to my Mother. I opened the door to the stairwell. But just before I left my Mother for the final time, I looked back at her once more. A sense of sadness settled over me. I knew I hated her, but there was another part of me, a part of me deep, deep down, that loved her for everything she has done for me. Because I know she made me strong. 

"Goodnight, Mama."

---

"No," I say into the phone, shaking my head back and forth. "No, Winter. I will not let him be involved with this. He is just a kid."

"It doesn't say anything about him being the one to fight Snow, Riley," she says, trying to use a tone that would calm me. But it didn't do anything when I thought of my little brother standing on the front lines, with Snow charging at him. "He knows things we don't know. We need to know what he knows."

"He doesn't need to have any part of this," I say again. "I refuse it, Winter."

"Riley, I promise you, he will be taken good care of if you bring him here. I will personally ensure his safety and well-being within the walls of the Tower. I simply need to see what he knows."

"Winter, even if I wanted to, my Mom would never, ever allow this. Especially if I told her it was dangerous. If I tell her that I'm in a war with a crazy addict that loves blood, she would lock us both away and never let us leave the house ever again."

"We need him, Riley. He has the answers. He knows what we need to know."

I think for a moment or two. If I were to bring Ricky to the Tower, I would need to make sure there is someone protecting him at all times. Someone I trust. To protect him from any crazed Bittens or blood-thirsty Vampires. If he were to get hurt, I'd never forgive myself. "How did you figure this out, Winter?"

"I had another vision," she said. "I saw him. Your little brother. He is the one I've been seeing in my dreams. At first, I thought it was just a mistake, but then Adelene told me the same thing." I thought back on the crystal ball I gave to her. "She found his secrets in the crystal ball. He knew who he'd be reincarnated into even back then. He knew how it would all turn out. But the future now is unclear. So we need him to be the one to finish what he started."