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Jay let out a large sigh at my words, as if I was inconveniencing him by not humoring this conversation. But I knew he couldn’t say anything to change how I felt towards him. My mother was my entire world and he ripped her away. And then he tried to do it again to the people I had finally found to fill the hole in my heart. He was delusional if he thought anything he said could change the facts.
“I loved your mother. I truly did.” I tried to interrupt him, but he held up a hand, cutting me off. “I’m an intelligent man Halley, I know you will never forgive me. But I need you to hear my words. As the two last Divines on this realm, hear me out.”
I debated once more in my mind, stuck between the two decisions, but I finally came to the conclusion that I wanted to hear this. I wanted to know more about my mother, the selfless woman that threw away her life to saveme.
Nodding my head, I gestured for Jay to continue.
“Lenora and I grew up in the same community. We lived in the Capital and had become close friends in our first year of school. We did everything together, even when boys and girls started wanting to do their own things, we continued to play together. And as we grew, so did our feelings. Your mother was the first and only woman I ever loved.”
Jay paused and I swallowed, unnervingly hearing the truth in his words. And I couldn’t help but imagine two small children, not knowing the future ahead of them, basking in the innocence of their friendship.
“We attended Willow Grove together, your mother a month older than me. When I arrived, she showed me around and introduced me to all her friends. However, this academy was where we started to drift apart. Lenora was an Enchantress, I was a Seer, and as the years went on, we made new friends and spent less and less time together. But I still loved her, and when we graduated, I asked her to marry me. I wanted what we had back.”
“At what point did you decide that her life meant nothing to you?” I couldn’t help the hatred in my voice. I couldn’t sit here and listen to him spew about his love for the woman he had killed in cold blood.
Shaking his head as if I was an insolent child, Jay continued, his words turning cold and calculated.
“It’s not as simple as you’re making it to be. It wasn’t one day I decided on my true path. We graduated Willow Grove and moved back to the Capital, wanting to be back home. Lenora took a job as a doctor and I started working for the Council. Quickly, I began to move up the ranks, getting to learn more and more from those in charge. You don’t think I was the first leader to want to stay on this realm, do you?”
Chuckling humorlessly, he answered his own question. “The Council has been avoiding the prophecy for years. Once you have a taste of power, you don’t want to give it up. You would have learned that one day. And as I continued to learn from the Council members, I realized I wanted that power as well. I wanted to rule the Divines. And I would have, continuing the legacy of Head Councilman’s, if it wasn’t for your grandfather’s insistent need to find the prophecy.”
Acid dripped from his words, loathing for the grandfather I never knew apparent in his tone.
“He filled your mother with wild stories, idiotic ideals. I tried to steer her away from the plan, but she was too far gone. And then they found the prophecy. I knew it was my duty to inform the Council, so they could stop it. However, your grandfather refused to give up the information. Unfortunately, you got your stubbornness from that side of the family.”
His words were spoken with disdain, but I couldn’t help but feel pride that I was less and less like the man sitting in front of me.
“Is that when you decided to start killing innocent people?” I questioned, in this moment truly wondering how mass murder ever became an option.
With another humorless chuckle, Jay answered my question with a chilling answer.
“Do you think the Enchanters were the first people to be killed off? The Council has been killing for much longer than that. We didn’t know the prophecy, but we knew it would take the strongest of each Sector to be an Heir. And so those Divines would be executed. An accident in the eyes of their loved ones. Anyone that thought to question the Council and their decisions, another accident wiped away from history. Power is ruthless Halley; it has no remorse.”
“And do you? Do you have remorse for killing my mother? For openly murdering an entire Sector of Divines?”
I knew this was the last answer I needed. I couldn’t hear more about the torturous deeds the Council had committed throughout centuries. I had enough darkness in my mind, I didn’t need more.
With a wry smile, Jay stared directly in my eyes, before responding.
“I will miss your mother until the day I die, but remorse? If I could, dear daughter, I’d do it all again, but this time, I’d make sure to take you with her.”
Chapter Five
Eli
After Knox stormed out of the room, the rest of us remained, stunned into silence from his statements. I knew we were all holding onto hope that Halley would somehow find a way back to us, but we didn’t speak about it. And then there was his other statement, that none of us would be fighting the creatures alive in the Darkness. I knew the others weren’t thrilled and we needed to take a stand. Knox may be running the political side of our makeshift leadership, but that didn’t mean he got to make decisions without us. We were a team, a family, and he couldn’t just push us all aside.
“We won’t let others fight in our place. If we do, we’re just as bad as the Council. Protecting ourselves and letting innocents die.” I uttered and the room came back to life, everyone shaking themselves out of their inner thoughts.
“I’m the only one with a creature of this realm, I sure as hell won’t be sitting out.” Kalani responded and we shared a smile. I knew she was struggling with the loss of Halley as much as the rest of us and so I made sure she knew I was there to lean on when she needed. Usually, Maeve was there to help comfort her, but you could never have too many people there for you. Halley was proof of that.
“We’re the strongest Divines in existence, if we can’t fight the Darkness, then no one can.” Wilder added and Madden nodded in agreement, standing close to Wilder’s side.
In the past four months, I had seen them begin to grow closer and closer. Although a different dynamic, I knew that they felt for each other what Knox and I felt. They were brothers now, willing to sacrifice for each other, even if neither would utter it out loud.
“So, we all agree then? Knox can’t keep us out of this war?” I asked, wanting to make sure. Although I refused to let others fight for me, that belief stood the same for those in this room with me. I wouldn’t ask any of them to fight if they didn’t want to.
“Fuck no. I can’t wait to rip some creatures apart.” Madden’s burly answer made me chuckle. The grumpy Shifter had been too quiet lately, quieter than usual, and I worried he was closing in on himself. Thankfully, he spent lots of time with his mom and brothers and I knew that brought him a sense of peace.
