𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 ➵︎ [ 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧 ]

58| unpleasant truths

i am back after a month long hiatus. how is everyone? thank you to everyone who is still sticking with this book despite all of my breaks. i appreciate your patience and your consideration! hopefully updates will be more frequent now that i'm done with exams.

This chapter is dedicated to Ems1804! Thank you for your votes and your support! <3

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I clenched my jaw. Slowly, I lowered my sword, earning a nod from Maeglor.

"That's what I thought."

With an exhale, he sat back down by the fire, gesturing to the empty seat opposite to him.

I didn't move, only continuing to glare at him, all the muscles of my body tense and rigid as I eyed his every move.

"Oh come on." He rolled his eyes with exasperation. "If I actually wanted to hurt you, I would have done so already."

He wasn't lying. He had many opportunities to kill me from the moment we first reunited, and yet he never did.

That was an aspect to his actions that I was never able to comprehend. How I was able to walk away from each of our confrontations alive.

I suppose now I know.

Pursing my lips, I tentatively approached the seat, my eyes never leaving Maeglor as I sat down. On the outside, I was tense, cautious, scanning for the slightest hint of danger. But on the inside, I couldn't help but feel curiosity blooming within my mind.

Why did he betray me, his closest and only friend? And why was his mother of all people a recurring figure in my induced "nightmares"?

"Good." Maeglor nodded, before taking a seat himself opposite me, the dancing embers of the fire flickering between us.

"So?" I narrowed my eyes as I peered at him through the glowing red licks of the flames. "Talk."

He was silent for a moment, his eyes carefully scanning me, before he leant forwards, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Do you know what became of my mother, Elle?"

I frowned, as I tried to recall back to those early days.

"She...disappeared." I could hear the uncertainty in my own voice.

But Maeglor just scoffed.

"No, she's dead."

I shook my head, my patience slowly draining away as my eyes flitted to a knife resting on a slab of stone in the far corner of the ruins.

"And what does this have to do with me, pray tell?"

"You, not much." Maeglor replied. "Your family, on the other hand...that's a different story. It has everything to do with them. In fact..."

He straightened his posture with an inhale, his eyes still trained on me.

"...my mother is dead because of your father."

My frown instantly deepened, and instinctively, I shook my head.

"And how do you expect me to believe you?" I asked incredulously. "After all you have put me through?"

I broke out into a cold chuckle. "You're a serpent, Maeglor, and you have done nothing but lie."

"Have I?" Maeglor instantly shot back with a tilt of his head. "Or have I only spoken unpleasant truths?"

With that, Maeglor stood to his feet. Instinctively, my hand travelled to the hilt of my sword. But Maeglor continued, slowly making his way towards me around the fire.