Fate Dark Side of Betrayer

Get your hands off of me, Caius! I whirled my arm away from his hold. "You believe you can just walk in and pretend to be on my side? You are not someone I trust.

His mouth closed and his black eyes flashed with something I couldn't quite identify: rage, irritation, maybe even hurt. He said evenly, "You don't have to trust me," but "you're going to have to work with me unless you want to end up as Faith's next pawn."

My chest heaving from the adrenaline coursed through me, I shot him. Now the clearing we had come upon was deserted, but the explosion of the orb left invisible energy buzzing in the air. My wrist still hurt, a continual reminder of how profoundly I was caught in something far beyond my grasp. The symbol shone weakly.

With shaking voice, "You don't get it," I said. "I have one past betrayal under me. I have no intention of allowing it to repeat.

Then stop treating me like I'm the enemy, he shot back, stepping forward. "I'm not the one who put that mark on you, and I most definitely not broke your world."

Deep down, I knew he was true, hence his comments touched a chord and I detested their stinging. But I wasn't ready to accept that felt like giving up another bit of myself—not yet.

Quietly returning to the manor, the tension between us felt as though it were a live entity. The rain had passed, leaving the air moist and heavy, and the faint brightness of dawn stretched long shadows across the woodland floor.

When we at last arrived at the great door, I halted to turn to face him. "You said this marks ties us to fate," I said. "What does that mean?„

Caius stopped, running his hand through his hair. "We are players in a game we did not choose to participate in," he remarked. "And the regulations?" Their design is meant to break us.

I scowled, his comments just aggravating the knot of discomfort in my gut. "What sort of game is it? \\"

"The kind where trust is a liability," he added softly, staring right back at me. And the better the sooner you come to see that.

Inside the manor, the traces of the turmoil of the previous night were all around—broken glass, tipped furniture, and a general sense that something had changed drastically. The house seemed to be bearing down on me, its once-familiar walls now strange and chilly.

Caius vanished into still another room, leaving me alone myself with ideas. I focused down on the symbol on my wrist and used my finger to follow its complex patterns. It pulsed weakly, as if alive, and I couldn't get rid of the sensation that it was observing me, poised to move.

I was startled out of concentration by a knock at the door. Tensing, I reached for the dagger Caius had ordered I carry, then walked carefully toward the entrance.

Opening it turned me into face-to-face with someone I hadn't seen in years—someone I never would have thought to see once more.

"Arden," they murmured, their voice a mix of relief and caution. "I: ... I have to talk to you.

My breath hung in my throat. "This is where you are working? My voice just above a whisper, I asked.

They lingered, peering past me as if expecting someone else to show up. "I can explain everything," they said. "But not here," says It is unsafe.

Heart thumping, I welcomed them inside and guided them to the sitting room. Moments later, Caius materialized in the doorway, his face darkening upon learning who my guest was.

He crossed his arms across his chest and replied, "You're kidding me." "What is he doing in this place?"

"I could ask you the same thing," my guest shot back, their voice fierce. "Arden trusts individuals like you from when?"

"Enough," I yelled, cutting them off before the fight got hot. "Sit down and shut up both of you. I choose who to trust; right now, neither of you inspire me.

Caius arched an eyebrow but said nothing; my guest grudgingly seated herself. The stillness that followed was weighty, tinged with conflict and unwritten charges.

Turning to my visitor, I urged, "Start talking." You claimed to be able to explain. Explain then.

They inhaled deeply, staring at Caius then back to me. "The betrayal wasn't what it seemed," they continued. "This goes beyond what you know..."

"Don't," I murmured, my voice frigid. Try not to defend what you did. You made a decision now you have to live with it.

Their voice growing, they added, "I had no choice." Do you believe I intended to harm you? Do you suppose I was looking for any of this?."

Why then? I insisted, my voice breaking. "Why did you engage in this? The "

Their expression hurt as they hesitated. "Because Fate demanded it," they responded at last. And if I hadn't, the results would have been considerably worse.

Their utterances hung in the air, loaded with connotation. I wanted to trust them, wanted to believe there was a cause for all that had transpired. Still too fresh, though, the betrayal too stinging.

"Leave," I said with shaking voice. "Right now I cannot handle this."

They started, "Arden, please," but Caius rushed forward to cut them off.

"You heard her," he replied, his voice low and menacing. "Get out."

One final time, my guest gazed at me; their eyes were full with regret then turned and left. Once more alone with Caius, the door closed behind them with a finality that permeated the room.

"You good? "After a drawn-out silence, he asked, his voice lower now.

"No," I murmured, slinking into a chair. "I am not."

The symbol on my wrist blazed to life as I sat there, stinging agony through my arm. I gasped and grabbed it while Caius hurried to be at my side. "What's happening? With my eyes swirling, I managed to spit out: "It's Fate," he added solemnly. And it is not done with you yet.