"Ignited" Book One of the Autumn Trilogy

Chapter Thirteen

Autumn stared at him in shock, "Me?"

    "You have absolutely no right to judge someone based on their past, Aris," It was the first time he had ever mentioned Autumn's last name, and he spat it out like it was venom, "Oliver has done more to redeem herself then you could ever imagine, than you and your family has ever done. Not to even mention what she had done for me, or for you. How dare you?"

    "My family wasn't the ones who committed genocide!"
    "They were damn near close."
    Autumn narrowed her eyes, and looked between Oliver and Drake, "I don't know what you're talking about."
    "You must be joking. You never wondered how your family grew to power? How they became one of the most known packs in the region? Why everyone feared you? You must have at least wondered why you were driven to run like mice, why they were killed, why you're now one of the most wanted people in the region? It isn't because of your brother, it's because karma finally had it's way with monsters."
    "It's because we were Dusters! Because we were strong! My family was nothing but honest people!" Autumn defended herself, but all the words he was saying made hers sound like a lie. Her family wasn't honest or proud, they were killers. Victoria had left Autumn to burn, Vick and Arcus had murdered who knows how many innocent people, including trying to kill her. Her father had killed his entire family in an accident. But...was it really an accident? Had he killed them in cold blood for control, for power?

    "Drake, that's enough."
    "No! I'm tired of listening to her walking around on her damn high horse like she's never done a wrong thing in her life!" He pointed a finger like it was a dagger, "The Aris family is just made up of a bunch of murderers! Grouped together like a fucking beehive! I will never, ever understand how Nature chose to give you the gift of the Fire Elemental, because you sure as hell don't deserve it!"

    "Drake!" Oliver yelled, pulling on his arm, "That's enough!" He yanked away from her, huffing in anger. Autumn felt like a child being scolded, the anger coming from Drake seeming so out of character and unlike him. She would have never expected him to lose his cool like this, and based on Oliver's expression, this was the first time she had ever seen him in a fit of rage.

    "What did my family do to you?" Autumn whispered.
    "The Aris's are the reason I'm a Duster," Drake growled, "and the reason why my family is dead." He spat on the ground, and stormed into the trees, out of sight. The reason he's a Duster? Autumn looked to Oliver with wide eyes, her fingers knotted together with anxiety.

    "Oliver," She said quietly, "I'm-I'm sorry. There's obviously some things that...were kept from me."
    "Autumn," Oliver moved to approached her, easy to forgive, but Autumn held up her hand and backed away.
    "I just," She turned and began to walk away, "I need to be alone for a bit."
    Oliver watched her go, turned and saw Drake was long gone too. She held herself in her arms and sank to the ground, tears falling from her eyes as she quietly sobbed. Alone. Her only fear.

    Autumn couldn't manage to go far, the pain in her chest causing her to halt. She looked up at the sky bitterly. She wanted more than anything to find her family, especially now. She needed answers. She needed to speak to her father and force him to tell her the history of her heritage. If she found her father, she would find Victoria too, and that would cross another name off of the list of revenge Autumn had formed in her mind. Autumn would no longer hold the Aris name proudly, even thought she wanted to with all her heart, but she would instead make it her own. Autumn Aris had nothing to do with the crimes the others had committed. Her breath began to waver as she wondered if she was the last true Aris that was alive. Arcus was gone. Vick was a monster. Her father and Victoria could already be dead.

And Eren... Autumn's dream came to her mind at the thought of him. It was only a dream, but he had said that Eren was still alive. With her mother.
Autumn had been so focused on the betrayal of Victoria that she had barely focused on the fact that her real mother was out there. Could Eren really be with her, after all this time? Autumn wouldn't get her hopes up. Victoria had told everyone that Eren was dead because of his sickness. But now, after everything, Autumn didn't trust a damn thing she had ever said. In the back of her mind, Autumn silently begged for Eren to be alive, like it would make up for the losses she endured, and for her mother, her real mother, to be with him.