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“It’s a choice only you can make.” I pulled Lena to her feet. “Look at what’s happening. People you love are fighting for their lives right now. You can stop it. Only you.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Why not?” I was shouting.
“Because I don’t know what I am.”
I looked into her eyes, and they had changed again. One was perfectly green, and one was perfectly gold.
“Look at me, Ethan. Am I Dark, or am I Light?”
I looked at her, and I knew what she was. The girl I loved. The girl I would always love.
Instinctively, I grabbed the gold book in my pocket. It was warm, as if some part of my mother was alive within it. I pressed the book into Lena’s hand, feeling the warmth spread into her body. I willed her to feel it—the kind of love within the book, the kind of love that never died.
“I know what you are, Lena. I know your heart. You can trust me. You can trust yourself.”
Lena held the tiny book in her hand. It wasn’t enough. “What if you’re wrong, Ethan? How can you know?”
“I know because I know you.”
I let go of her hand. I couldn’t bear to think of anything happening to her, but I couldn’t stop it from coming. “Lena, you have to do it. There’s no other way. I wish there was, but there isn’t.”
We looked out over the cavern. Ridley looked up, and for a second I thought she saw us.
Lena looked at me. “I can’t let Ridley die. I swear she’s trying to change. I’ve already lost too much.”
I
already lost Uncle Macon.
“It was my fault.” She clung to me, sobbing.
I wanted to tell her he was alive, but I remembered what Macon said. He was still Transitioning. There was a possibility he still had Darkness within him. If Lena knew he was alive and there was a chance she could lose him again, she would never choose to go Light. She wasn’t capable of killing him a second time.
The moon was directly over Lena’s head. Soon the Claiming would begin. There was only one decision left to make, and I was afraid she wasn’t going to make it.
Ridley appeared at the top of the steps, breathless. She hugged Lena, taking her from me. She rubbed her face against Lena’s wet cheek. They were sisters, for better or worse. They always had been. “Lena, listen to me. You have to choose.” Lena looked away, pained. Ridley grabbed the side of her cousin’s face, forcing Lena to look at her. Lena noticed right away. “What happened to your eyes?”
“It doesn’t matter. You need to listen to me. Have I ever done anything noble? Have I ever let you sit in the front seat of the car a single time? Have I ever once saved you the last piece of cake, in sixteen years? Ever let you try on my shoes?”
“I always hated your shoes.” A tear rolled down Lena’s cheek.
“You loved my shoes.” Ridley smiled and wiped Lena’s face with her scraped and bloody hand.
“I don’t care what you say. I’m not doing it.” Their eyes were fixed on each other.
“I don’t have a selfless bone in my body, Lena, and I’m telling you to do it.”
“No.”
“Trust me. It’s better this way. If I still have some Darkness inside me somewhere, you’ll be doing me a favor. I don’t want to be Dark anymore, but I’m not cut out to be a Mortal. I’m a Siren.”
I could see the recognition in Lena’s eyes. “But if you’re a Mortal, you won’t—”
Ridley shook her head. “There’s no way to know. Once there’s Darkness in your blood, you know…” Her voice broke off.
I remembered what Macon said. Darkness does not leave us as easily as we would hope.
