Fall Away
Deal With The Devil
“Danny?” I shook my head. “He can’t do that…. Can he?” I asked, sneaking a glance at Soren.
“No,” Soren replied. “But he thinks he can, or at least he thinks he can do something, and…”
“So is it working?” I asked. “I mean, Danny hasn’t – hasn’t – you know, so is he going to be okay? Can Kirian-”
“No!” Soren repeated vehemently. “There’s a balance. There has to be. And Kirian’s trying to change that and he’s suffering the consequences.
My mind flashed to the poor boy on his bed. He looked so miserable. And it could all be avoided if he…
“So what, you want me to tell him to stop? You want me to tell him to kill my brother?’
Soren threw up his hands. “I don’t know, Ellie. I just… I just thought you should know.”
“What would happen?” I asked after a moment of silence. “If Kirian didn’t stop, didn’t get better.”
“There has to be bala-”
“Yes, you told me about the balance,” I interrupted. “But it can obviously be messed with.” I eyed him carefully, silently wondering just how much power he and Kirian had.
“It can be. But it’s not supposed to be.”
“So what would happen if Kirian doesn’t give up?”
“That’s not an option,” he snapped, running a hand through his hair. “Someone has to… has to fill the slot, and I don’t want to see my brother die!”
There was silence in the room before he turned to me. “Ellie… I didn’t mean…”
“It’s not easy, is it?” I replied bitterly. “Knowing that they could die at any time, and that there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“But I can,” Soren snapped. “All he has to do is kill-”
He stopped short, but I finished the sentence for him. “My brother.” My voice was hollow as reality began to dawn on me. If Kirian, didn’t stop, he would die – but Danny might live. Might.
“So this is what it comes down to, huh? Danny or Kirian. You versus me.”
“Ellie.” Soren looked frustrated. “Don’t say it like that.”
I sank down to the ground and put my head in my hands. This was so screwed up. How had I gotten involved in this? “Isn’t there another way?” I murmured.
Soren was quiet for a moment too long. I glanced up at him sharply. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He sighed. “Ellie, I can’t just-”
“I am so goddamn sick of secrets!” I cried. “Just tell me if there’s another way!”
“Maybe,” Soren replied. I felt my heart leap. “But I don’t know if it’ll work.”
It was almost funny how different the boys were acting. For once, Soren was the cautious one, while Kirian was doing something dangerous. It was almost like they’d traded places. “Tell me.”
“Well, maybe, just maybe, I could see if I could… make a spot for him on my list.”
“So he’d live?” I replied. “You would… save him?”
Soren nodded quickly, then swore and turned away. “It’s so wrong,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “This is disrupting everything. I don’t know why Kirian thinks she’s…”
He stopped, as if remembering I was in the room. “If you can convince Kirian you don’t care about him, so he stops this stupid plan, I will try to save your brother.”
I nodded before I gave myself time to think. “Done.”
Even as I said it, a part of me wondered if I was making a deal with the devil.
“No,” Soren replied. “But he thinks he can, or at least he thinks he can do something, and…”
“So is it working?” I asked. “I mean, Danny hasn’t – hasn’t – you know, so is he going to be okay? Can Kirian-”
“No!” Soren repeated vehemently. “There’s a balance. There has to be. And Kirian’s trying to change that and he’s suffering the consequences.
My mind flashed to the poor boy on his bed. He looked so miserable. And it could all be avoided if he…
“So what, you want me to tell him to stop? You want me to tell him to kill my brother?’
Soren threw up his hands. “I don’t know, Ellie. I just… I just thought you should know.”
“What would happen?” I asked after a moment of silence. “If Kirian didn’t stop, didn’t get better.”
“There has to be bala-”
“Yes, you told me about the balance,” I interrupted. “But it can obviously be messed with.” I eyed him carefully, silently wondering just how much power he and Kirian had.
“It can be. But it’s not supposed to be.”
“So what would happen if Kirian doesn’t give up?”
“That’s not an option,” he snapped, running a hand through his hair. “Someone has to… has to fill the slot, and I don’t want to see my brother die!”
There was silence in the room before he turned to me. “Ellie… I didn’t mean…”
“It’s not easy, is it?” I replied bitterly. “Knowing that they could die at any time, and that there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“But I can,” Soren snapped. “All he has to do is kill-”
He stopped short, but I finished the sentence for him. “My brother.” My voice was hollow as reality began to dawn on me. If Kirian, didn’t stop, he would die – but Danny might live. Might.
“So this is what it comes down to, huh? Danny or Kirian. You versus me.”
“Ellie.” Soren looked frustrated. “Don’t say it like that.”
I sank down to the ground and put my head in my hands. This was so screwed up. How had I gotten involved in this? “Isn’t there another way?” I murmured.
Soren was quiet for a moment too long. I glanced up at him sharply. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He sighed. “Ellie, I can’t just-”
“I am so goddamn sick of secrets!” I cried. “Just tell me if there’s another way!”
“Maybe,” Soren replied. I felt my heart leap. “But I don’t know if it’ll work.”
It was almost funny how different the boys were acting. For once, Soren was the cautious one, while Kirian was doing something dangerous. It was almost like they’d traded places. “Tell me.”
“Well, maybe, just maybe, I could see if I could… make a spot for him on my list.”
“So he’d live?” I replied. “You would… save him?”
Soren nodded quickly, then swore and turned away. “It’s so wrong,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “This is disrupting everything. I don’t know why Kirian thinks she’s…”
He stopped, as if remembering I was in the room. “If you can convince Kirian you don’t care about him, so he stops this stupid plan, I will try to save your brother.”
I nodded before I gave myself time to think. “Done.”
Even as I said it, a part of me wondered if I was making a deal with the devil.
♠ ♠ ♠
So I think I got this out pretty speedy quick.Especially compared to how long it normally takes me. Which is much longer than it should.
I may, however, have an ulterior motive.
Okay, I totally do.
And that is that I'm trying to get as much of this story written before November. Because....
Argg. I really don't want to say this. But.
This story is going to be on hiatus during the month of November
*ducks to avoid flying objects*
I don't know if anyone reading this has heard of NaNoWriMo, but it's basically when you set out to write a novel during the month of November. And I'll be writing over 1500 words a day on my new story, and I won't be able to manage this story, too. Hopefully there will be a few updates during the month, but I can't guarantee anything.
On the other hand, I'll be posting my new, very rough, unedited story on here as I write it. So if anyone is interested in reading that, I'll post a link in the next update.
Also, if anyone knows how to make banners, if they'd like to a) teach me how to or b) make me one, I will give them.... a cookie! Or something like that.