Love & Deceit

Chapter 24: Twist Of Fate

I felt like my body was being stretched at the speed of light for a few moments, before feeling an intense falling sensation that ended with me dropping onto something solid with a thud. Everything was spinning, so I closed my eyes for a brief moment, waiting for the world to stop spinning from my position on the ground. I cracked open an eye to check if the world had returned to normal when Jasper and Moira came to check on me and helped me up from the floor.

"It worked..."

"I knew it would."

"Raven, Moira and I cannot thank you enough. You saved us."

"Don't mention-"

Matt's voice rung out from behind us.

"It's Raven! Ash she's here!"

I could see them running towards me. When they reached me, Ash looked at me in disbelief, while Matt hugged me fiercely. I returned the hug before turning to look at Ash who was still looking at me as if he saw a ghost.

"...How are you here? We thought The Darkness took you."

"I was able to get out."

"...How?"

"I had help..." I trailed off as I gestured to the two figures behind me. I slowly watched my brother's and Matt's faces shift to utter bewilderment.

"You-What...? How?"

In a flash Ash tackled Moira, bringing his Plight knife – which is imbued with magic – to her throat.

"Ash don't!"

"She was his accomplice, Raven! I know everything!"

"She's also my mother!"

Ash looked at me with a mix of pity and sorrow, but didn't let her go.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill her right here, right now."

"She's the reason I escaped the Darkness, without her, I wouldn't have been able to get out."

"..."

"Let her go, Ashton...for me."

He looked at me, unwilling to budge before he saw the look on my face. He sighed heavily and got off her, pocketing his knife. She looked at him, grateful.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do it for you."

He bumped her shoulder as he stalked off. I sighed heavily.

"Stay here; I'll go check on him."

I raced to catch up with my brother, stopping him by touching his shoulders from behind.

"Ash..."

He turned around and looked at me wordlessly.

"..."

"Ash...talk to me."

"She's part of the reason you're in this mess, Raven. She was going to help him get to you...she was gonna help him end the world."

"You think I don't know that?"

"Then why is she not buried in the ground? Heaven knows she deserves it."

"That's just it, she doesn't Ashton. I saw everything, experienced what she went through, through her own eyes. Felt what she felt. She was never okay with what he was doing, but her love for him blinded her, well at least until..."

I trailed off, lost in thought.

"Until what?"

I snapped my attention back to him. "Until my happiness was at stake."