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@emily-waldorf

Glorious, beautiful chaos. Couldn’t have done it better myself XD

@calidris

Yayy!! Welcome back!

Aydin

I was so exhausted I was struggling to stay awake. The alternative was unbearable nightmares and I wasn’t up for that either. There were no good options. There never were.

There was another crackle that made me stand up straighter. If only I knew where that came from.

Quin was staring at me, as though trying to see clear through me. His gaze drifted down to my right hand and I glanced down to make sure it was covered then glared at him. He of all people should know how horrible it was to be stared at.

His gaze had already flitted away to seek where the crackling was coming from and I shrugged it off. He was probably just curious.

“That was extremely disappointing,” The metallic voice boomed. “You are all so kind; so trusting. So…forgiving! This next one should cure you of that.”

The unreasonable stubbornness was already taking over me. Whatever this voice wanted of me, I wasn’t going to do it. None of these people were my enemies, it was out to humiliate and harm all of us equally.

I was furious and I knew that was dangerous but I didn’t care. I had nothing left to lose and that would be the Castle’s problem.

“Assassins, three–or should I say five? Klein and Basil surprised me by classing themselves with the other assassins. I would have classed them as weapons…biologically enhanced, and all.”

“Aren’t we all pawns and weapons?” I mumbled, mockingly. It was my first open show of defiance and it felt terrifying and glorious at the same time. I was going to pay for this a hundred times over.

“Anyway, moving on.

Assassins, three.

Weapons, two.

Murderers, two.”

Yila and who? Misu, Quin and Leytara were too gentle, they couldn’t have killed someone if they wanted. Probably Quin’s brother, the one who seemed to radiate dark anger. If his temper was up it would probably get the best of him.

“Yila–the Shadow.”

No surprise there, we already knew as much.

The anxiety pulsed through the room, thick and tangible, latching onto me, making everything worse. I was tense, Yila’s knife still held in my left hand. It wouldn’t be any use but it coudln’t do any harm either.

Who?

“Quin Lieland Miller!”

Liar.

“Liar!” Basil echoed my thoughts, his fists balled and expression tight with fury.

My gaze shot to Quin. He had gone white as a sheet and sank down to the floor, his crutches cast aside.

Basil grabbed his shoulder.

“Stop it!” he yelled.  “You’re not going to listen to it, are you?  Don’t you know it’s lying?”

He was right but he wasn’t helping.

I had seen the cruelest dressed up as innocence and he wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t true and the Castle had known it would have that effect on Quin. That was pure, sadistic cruelty.

Quin’s expression was blank with fear and memories. I knew that and he deserved none of it. I wouldn’t let it happen again, I wouldn’t stand by and be silent.

It could do whatever it wanted to me but Quin was innocent.

“You have no right to accuse him,” I said, my accent coming hard and sharp in the tension.

“Him? I have as much right to accuse him as I have to accuse you,” the Castle said, picking up on how I hadn’t even tried to excuse myself.

“There is a difference between accusing the guilty and accusing the innocent. The former is justice, the latter is cruelty,” I said. I stood tall in the light. I wasn’t going to let the fear stop me again. This was right and I wouldn’t let that happen to Lachlin again.

(Author’s note: He’d confusing past and present again, that’s why it’s the wrong name, I know it should be Quin.)

“You know about cruelty, don’t you?” the Castle’s voice was lower now, almost persuasive, as though it was trying to guilt me.

I had seen it in all it’s forms and participated in it too.

“I’ve been on both ends and I never will again. Leave us alone,” I said, without recoiling.

“What are you going to do about it? You don’t know what I am and you don’t know what I’m capable of.”

“Do I genuinely look like I care?” I said, sarcastically.

“You should,” the voice said and crackled out, leaving only thick silence.

I was going to pay for that. I was going to pay for every word I’d said. Consequences were always present, sometimes they were just delayed, and those were the worst.

It knew everything about me. It knew where to hurt me. I felt vulnerable, as though I was going to be attacked from all sides. Above that, I was helpless. My destiny was decided. I was going to suffer.

My head was spinning and I retreated back into the shadows, trying to hold on to reality. I wouldn’t let myself think of what would happen now. It had been the right thing. It was the right thing. I had to try. I couldn’t let it happen again.

Everything slowly drew back into focus. Basil was talking to Quin, trying to apologize, trying to make it better. What was the use?

“You need actual malice to be a murderer.  Besides, you’re too timid.  You probably don’t even kill spiders, do you?” he finished.

Malice or desperation. The gentlest people were the hardest when driven to it.