your father’s protection is wearing off and they can see you’re struggling with your choices.”
“I’m not struggling! I’m on your side.” I threw my hands up in desperation and turned away from him with my shoulders slumped. “Sebastian said I’d make the choice to join him. But I won’t! I swear!”
“They won’t stop trying. You have the pendant so they want you.”
“The voice—Sebastian, asked me to join them and when I refused, he told me I would join them, that it was my destiny. Does that mean the choice has already been made? Why give me a choice when fate has already decided my path?” I wanted to scream. “I told you I’m going to fight with you. I choose light.”
With that Ethan sat down, suddenly looking tired. He barely looked me in the eye when he answered. “I don’t know what your destiny is. The only thing I can think of, like we told you before, is that your father was an Exiled. His blood flows through your veins. You have both the light of the Faithful and the darkness of the Exiled within you.”
“I will never join them, Ethan. Never.”
Looking wary, he replied, “I know, Sam. I know.”
Somehow he didn’t sound convinced and it scared me. He sighed and patted my shoulder in a half-hearted way before walking upstairs to take a shower, and I was left to the questions circling through my head. When I turned back to stare out the kitchen window, my eyes were drawn toward the spot where the shadows had been. The only evidence that remained was a charred spot on the ground, as though the forest floor had been burned. Placing my palm on the window I closed my eyes and focused. When I opened them, the blackened earth was replaced by lush green grass.
CHAPTER 9
I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, and letting the music drifting from my iPod speaker clear my head when Ethan knocked on my door. At my answer, he walked in, that I-need-to-say-something-but-can’t-figure-out-how look on his face again. Neither of us spoke as he lay down next to me and stared at the ceiling, too. The silence dragged on as though each of us waited for the other to break the silence.
Time slowly passed as my iPod shuffled my moody playlist. Jack Johnson, Van Morrison, Sarah McLachlan, and Josh Groban filled the room. As John Mayer began to play, telling us to say what we have to say, I felt Ethan’s hand inch over to mine. Our fingers intertwined, palms touching, breathing even, nothing needed to be said.
***
Later, when we all sat down for dinner, the atmosphere felt strained. After Ethan left my room earlier, he’d been avoiding me like the plague. And since Lucas didn't know what went on while he was out, he was obviously confused.
“So, does anyone want to tell me why I’m sitting, having the most uncomfortable dinner in recent memory?”
“It’s nothing,” Ethan responded.
“Nothing? If it was nothing, then why the silence, curt answers, and pushing around food on your plate?” When we didn’t respond, Lucas continued, “Okay.” He put his fork down and leaned forward. “So, what is it that you don’t want to tell me?”
Ethan pushed away from the table, looked at me and said, “It’s nothing.”
Lucas’ gaze shuffled from Ethan to me. I averted my eyes, confused by Ethan’s weird back pedal. The grip on my fork threatened to leave marks. I hated feeling like I did something wrong.
“Nothing,” I repeated as I, too, walked away from the table. Trudging up to my room and closing the door, I heard Lucas follow up the stairs soon after and walk into Ethan’s room. Their voices were muffled but I knew Ethan was quietly filling him in. It was obvious I was not meant to hear this conversation so I sat on the floor by my closed bedroom door and listened anyway.
“The voice told her it was her destiny, Lucas. Like she’s meant to become an Exiled. We’re grooming her to join the Faithful, but what if we don’t have any control over
“I’m not struggling! I’m on your side.” I threw my hands up in desperation and turned away from him with my shoulders slumped. “Sebastian said I’d make the choice to join him. But I won’t! I swear!”
“They won’t stop trying. You have the pendant so they want you.”
“The voice—Sebastian, asked me to join them and when I refused, he told me I would join them, that it was my destiny. Does that mean the choice has already been made? Why give me a choice when fate has already decided my path?” I wanted to scream. “I told you I’m going to fight with you. I choose light.”
With that Ethan sat down, suddenly looking tired. He barely looked me in the eye when he answered. “I don’t know what your destiny is. The only thing I can think of, like we told you before, is that your father was an Exiled. His blood flows through your veins. You have both the light of the Faithful and the darkness of the Exiled within you.”
“I will never join them, Ethan. Never.”
Looking wary, he replied, “I know, Sam. I know.”
Somehow he didn’t sound convinced and it scared me. He sighed and patted my shoulder in a half-hearted way before walking upstairs to take a shower, and I was left to the questions circling through my head. When I turned back to stare out the kitchen window, my eyes were drawn toward the spot where the shadows had been. The only evidence that remained was a charred spot on the ground, as though the forest floor had been burned. Placing my palm on the window I closed my eyes and focused. When I opened them, the blackened earth was replaced by lush green grass.
CHAPTER 9
I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, and letting the music drifting from my iPod speaker clear my head when Ethan knocked on my door. At my answer, he walked in, that I-need-to-say-something-but-can’t-figure-out-how look on his face again. Neither of us spoke as he lay down next to me and stared at the ceiling, too. The silence dragged on as though each of us waited for the other to break the silence.
Time slowly passed as my iPod shuffled my moody playlist. Jack Johnson, Van Morrison, Sarah McLachlan, and Josh Groban filled the room. As John Mayer began to play, telling us to say what we have to say, I felt Ethan’s hand inch over to mine. Our fingers intertwined, palms touching, breathing even, nothing needed to be said.
***
Later, when we all sat down for dinner, the atmosphere felt strained. After Ethan left my room earlier, he’d been avoiding me like the plague. And since Lucas didn't know what went on while he was out, he was obviously confused.
“So, does anyone want to tell me why I’m sitting, having the most uncomfortable dinner in recent memory?”
“It’s nothing,” Ethan responded.
“Nothing? If it was nothing, then why the silence, curt answers, and pushing around food on your plate?” When we didn’t respond, Lucas continued, “Okay.” He put his fork down and leaned forward. “So, what is it that you don’t want to tell me?”
Ethan pushed away from the table, looked at me and said, “It’s nothing.”
Lucas’ gaze shuffled from Ethan to me. I averted my eyes, confused by Ethan’s weird back pedal. The grip on my fork threatened to leave marks. I hated feeling like I did something wrong.
“Nothing,” I repeated as I, too, walked away from the table. Trudging up to my room and closing the door, I heard Lucas follow up the stairs soon after and walk into Ethan’s room. Their voices were muffled but I knew Ethan was quietly filling him in. It was obvious I was not meant to hear this conversation so I sat on the floor by my closed bedroom door and listened anyway.
“The voice told her it was her destiny, Lucas. Like she’s meant to become an Exiled. We’re grooming her to join the Faithful, but what if we don’t have any control over
Similar Books
