TAKE TWO, kotlc

Chapter 22- Arella

"Your... dad?"Arella choked. "But... but... how did you-?"

"You said Paris.  My Dad said he was going to Paris," the Wayward said simply, like illegally going to the Forbidden Cities wasn't that big of a deal.

"He's part of the Neverseen! Wait... do you not know that?"

"Of course I know he's part of the Neverseen. Why's that bad?"

Oralia stared at him, ready to throw something particularly heavy right at his forehead. "They almost killed my best friend!"

The Wayward went quiet. "That's what they told you?"

Arella snorted, all signs of friendliness gone. "It's not what they told me, it's the truth! The Neverseen also tried to kill my parents more times than I can count on my fingers, abducted all three of us, kidnapped my mom, killed a bunch of innocent elves- and who knows what else I'm missing?"

"And you guys killed a bunch of Neverseen members too! You exploded their headquarters- my home at the time, held a bunch of our members captive, made our leader burn his own hand off-"

"Okay, now that's just unfair!" Oralia cut in. "They did that in retaliation for what you guys did first- "

"So the Black Swan really thinks that they're the good guys?" 

"Um, well you did try to overthrow the Council," Arella said pointedly.

"That's because the Council is just as bad as the Black Swan! We were trying to help the Lost Cities! None of this Council madness! No one sticks out.  We get rid of everyone who does- like your mother -and boom! You have a perfect, equal world because everyone is one and the same."

"There's a big difference between equality and sameness," Oralia informed him, well aware of how nerdy she sounded. 

"Hesitation causes difference. Difference causes problems. It's the philosophy I've learned since I was a kid, and I'm not going to start forgetting it." He kicked the ground with the toe of his boot and added, "And someday when I get out of this place, I'll go in and join their ranks too-"

Oralia glared at him."If you're so set on this, why did you help me in the first place? Why'd you pretend like you wanted to be friends-"

"I do! But I didn't realize you were as messed up as your parents-"

"Don't call my family messed up," Arella snapped.

"Well your sisters' circlet too. Anyone who gets the Council worked up enough to put that on them is my kind of girl-"

Arella blushed slightly and tried to hide it. "You disgust me, you know that?"

There was a small beat of silence.

"I don't get why this is so hard for you two to grasp," the Wayward admitted. "You criticize us for killing people, when your parents do that too-"

Oralia gave a sigh of exasperation and glared at her sister for help.  When she didn't say anything she turned back to the Wayward.

"I trusted you! I actually thought we could be friends-"

"Sometimes people aren't who you think they are.  How do you think the Neverseen managed to get those notes in your locker? I'm the only one affiliated with the Neverseen that's young enough to pass as a prodigy-"

"....so stupid..." Arella muttered.

"But you trusted me too, right?" Oralia asked desperately.  "You thought I was going to help you so-"

"Sometimes people aren't who you think they are," he repeated.

"Well maybe you can change!" Arella urged. 

"Sorry. Once a bad guy, always a bad guy," the Wayward said with an evil smile. 

His intention clicked a moment too late- the last thing Arella heard was the her sisters' scream before the tent set on fire.