Scarlett: (GxG)

Chapter 19

When the elevator opened up I could feel the cold wind almost immediately. String lights were used to set a relaxing mood along with the thick cushions of the couches and chairs. I moved around them to find Rosalynn standing at the very edge of the roof. The wind whipped her blonde hair about her face and tugged at the hem of her white dress. I was freezing, hugging my bare arms while she remained beautifully statuesque before me.

There had been countless parties up here in my youth. I could vividly recall being terrified of falling over the railing somehow and plummeting to the street below. So much so that I usually picked a spot to sit during those events and never left.

"Still afraid?" she asked, face directed at the street below.

"No. Actually I rather like heights now. I get a little adrenaline rush looking down."

I moved toward her, careful to give my sister enough space. The wind seemed even sharper when I looked down at the city in all its glory. My cheeks and nose were already stinging.

"I hate the way the cards have fallen. Why can't I be the coward? Or the one who cares of nothing but himself?

There were smudges on my glasses from my fight with Rian but I was too cold to take my hands away from my arms. I blinked at her, trying to pull some type of words from my thoughts.

"Because you're the responsible one, that's why."

She smiled just a little and glanced my way.

"Being responsible doesn't gain you respect. I know you see me as weak and so do they."

"No. Rosie, you're not weak. Your strengths are just in other areas. It's in speaking... diplomacy. Honestly, I know you're going to be better at it than Dad ever was."

Hold your ground. Set your boundaries, respect comes after.

My father's words rang in my ears.

"Long before you were born, going to court was by far my favorite event. Robert would sit back and watch me effortlessly work the room. That's where I often found my sire's praise."

The memory seemed to make her smile deepen.

"I had bordering lords eating from the palm of my hand each time. But, there won't always be deals made over nights of blood and flattery. The war changed that. Now you have to be dangerous to be heard."

I knew what her question was going to be before her body turned in my direction.

"Will you kill for me, Zoey? Will you be the Red Death again?"

My answer came quickly.

"No. I can't do that anymore."

She allowed me to see the hurt in her eyes.

"You would kill for your father but not your only sister? The one who has loved you since the moment you were born."

I closed my eyes. She was scrambling my emotions with her words and I needed to remain focused if I had any hope of being understood.

"I killed for our family and because it was the only thing I could offer... it was all I was good at. And I was a child."

I let that fact sit there between us for a moment.

"I'm grown now... I'm taking back my life and I can't let myself become that anymore. There's a middle ground somewhere, and that's where I belong... I think."

The wind pushed tendrils of blonde hair into her face, almost blocking her sad eyes.

"Then why did you come back?"