All's Fair in Love and War

Chapter 16 Chaos

The blood-covered coin hovered in midair for a few more seconds before it finally dropped.

The metal binding Evie to the wall released her at the same instant the coin fell, and Evie landed in a crumpled, horrified heap just after the coin landed with a soft clink on the ground. Even as she landed, she was unable to tear her eyes away as she stared at Erik, stricken with horror at what he had done.

He didn't even seem to notice as he turned calmly away from the man he had just murdered, and Erik walked quite evenly toward Evie where she watched his approach with wide eyes. Even as he bent down, Erik appeared to be apparently oblivious to her fear until-

"No."

The word fell automatically from Evie's lips as she flinched away from his touch when he made to touch the small trickle of blood under her nose. At that one word and her reaction, Erik seemed to realize something was amiss as he looked at her with softer blue eyes - which only freaked Evie out even more.

"Evie-" Erik began, but she backed away.

"No; you killed him."

She looked up at him with horrified eyes as she cried hysterically, "You didn't have to kill him!"

"He killed my mother."

Evie froze, staring at Erik as he looked back at her without remorse.

"You've seen what he did to my mother. What I did was nothing compared to that. To what he did to me."

Evie's breathing was coming in rapid bursts as she stared at Erik like she was seeing him for the first time. Which, in many ways she was. She had grown used to a kind, sarcastic but sweet man with a shadow over his heart. It had never occurred to her until now that perhaps that shadow wasn't a shadow but a sickly darkness - a darkness that had now consumed his very soul.

Erik didn't even seem to realize or understand what was wrong with her as he held out a hand.

"Take my hand, Evie." Erik requested in a tone that eerily reminded Evie of Shaw's calm, kindly voice as he'd thrown Erik around like a ragdoll. "Join me."

"Join... you?" Evie asked, and Erik nodded. "In... what?"

"In ridding the world of the humans who threaten to wipe us out."

Evie stared at him, too shocked by the calm way Erik had spoken to react at once. Erik was watching her with the patience of a parent waiting for their child to realize their actions were wrong and to learn and accept what was right. It was with a jolt as Evie stared at Erik now, that she realized he had no idea how horrific his suggestion was. How terrible it was to even think what he was suggesting.

How far he had crossed beyond the line that separated misdeed from monster.

"I can't." Evie whispered. "I... I don't think I even know who you are."

Erik blinked at that, and then his face shut down.

"Is that your final answer?" He asked a little coldly.

Evie could only nod mutely, one tiny jerk of her head but it was enough. Erik's eyes were steely as he pushed himself up onto his feet without looking back at her and Evie remained stunned on the ground.

He'd seemed... hurt. As if she had rejected him. Did he have no idea how he had changed in the last ten minutes? Did he really not understand how he had crossed into a place of no return? How he had gone from victim to perpetrator? Did he not understand that it was he who had broken her heart by going to a place where she could not ever follow?

'I trusted you.' Evie thought numbly as Erik turned and walked away from her. 'I shared my deepest fears with you. You knew how much I feared I was a monster, how I regretted harming, no matter how accidentally, the people who had tormented me. How could you ever think I would join you after that?'