A Deadly Love- Book Two

Ch. 25- Night Changes

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who's going to stop me."

***

"We could have had her, Sebastian," screamed Grace. "We were seconds away from curing her, god damn it." I sat down at the desk of Elora's bookstore with my hands covering my face. We had just gotten back to New Orleans, a meeting place for us because of how it is her city. I let her yell at me just because I deserved it. I failed. At least I let her do it for a few minutes, then I will tell her what's on my mind.

"She's the one terrorizing everyone in this country, not your sister." Oliver's voice raised. Ellie was still asleep upstairs while we impatiently waited for her to wake up. God knows what's going on in her head right now. Oliver was pacing back at forth, as he always does, with two fingers pinching the skin in between his eyebrows. "We need to figure out how to put a stop to her, if we need to-- 

"Don't even finish that sentence Olly or I will have your head on a stick." I grumbled loud enough to shake the whole building. My friend of many years winced and stopping pacing, long enough to stare me down. I did the same, placing my hands on the light wood table in front of me. "Did you want to say something else?"

He waited a long time to finally speak. "Sebastian, if you want to act like a King to us, fine, but do not threaten me. I am the one helping you out remember, when you severed our friendship all those years ago, you also ended the right to tell me what to do and say." Olly said quietly but deadly. I almost opened my mouth in surprise- almost.

But Grace, on the other hand, was gapping from ear to ear. It was most someone said to me in a lot of years, even my own friends. So, without thinking, I backed the chair I was sitting on and stood up, straightening my white button-up. "I apologize, Oliver. For all the things I did to you, for everything I made you do in the events before Segovia's betrayal. Not one day goes by that I don't regret you have to leave my sister because I forced you to. I was young and stupid and I was terrified that you were right about her. And you were, by the way, I just didn't have the courage to tell you until now."

It was not an easy thing for me to say. To apologize for my actions in the past. My pride always got in the way. But I only looked at him, his eyes only full of sorrow and his hands in his pockets. Then his eyes darted to the doorway that led upstairs, where my sister was supposed to be.  

I followed his gaze and found her there, standing before me, her violet eyes looking to Olly and then back to me. As if she heard our entire conversation. I instantly felt the urge to explain to her what I did. She needed to know. From me.

"Ellie, I can to explain," I said, my words cracking a bit. I love my sister, so much that I don't push her when it comes to our family. What we lost all those months ago. And how she dealt with that loss before she was kidnapped. She was silent and it was the first time in a long time that I was afraid of what she might say, or do.

And then my younger sister exploded and I knew she was back to normal. At least for her, anyway. "So, you mean to tell me that after all these years that I believed Olly left me, you were the one that threatened him to leave? That my years of heartbreak and mourning over the love of my life was because my brother didn't want to know that he was telling the truth?" her voice was raised and yet was still capable to hold its own.

I looked down at my feet, not daring to look at her. "Yes," was all I said. I let her keep it going if it means that it gets out of her system.

"Sebastian-," she started quietly saying, as if her voice was now a lethal calm. As if the words she is about to spill is about to render me speechless. "-I have watched you do many idiotic things in my life, Segovia being one of them. And, well, all of the girls you took to bed after her death. You are selfish and cruel and it's a wonder that people still put up with you. But you are my brother and I love you, no matter what because you are the only family I have left. But being family doesn't mean that I am going to forgive you any time soon."