The Crown's Reflection

Chapter Fifteen: Inevitable

"Flame and shadow. One cannot exist without the other."

-Red Queen

___

Everett knew Elsea was lying, and he hated himself as soon as he'd taken the first step away from her. But she had been so abrupt, that he'd panicked and all rationality flew out of his head. One moment he was completely at ease that he'd won, the next Elsea was saying something about hating him and reinforcing the walls that never seemed to go away. He wondered what she'd went through to behave like this. What was it like to be in her head? Why did she keep everyone at arms length? 

It was truly baffling: how someone so strong could act so uncertain and halting. All this aside, Everett knew that no matter what was happening, Elsea wanted him to go away with a passion he didn't understand. She wanted to be left alone. Even though it meant being taken back to the wretched place she grew up in. Again, Everett thought back to just this morning, when they'd seemed like best friends. Doubt seeped in, filling him with questions he couldn't answer. The scattered threat and "I hate you" had come from nowhere, catching him off guard. And the knife? Was she serious about injuring him? He had considered pulling out his own dagger as soon as he'd seen the glint of metal, but his instincts had delayed him and then it was biting into Everett's neck painfully. Not painful physically, but mentally. Everything had just built up quickly, until he couldn't even speak to object the awful barbs she was throwing at him. It was only until he had heard the word "commoner" that it sank in.

She had used the one thing that separated them. Their biggest difference, slammed into his face without an ounce of guilt. No matter how hard Everett could deny it, Elsea's statements had to have come from some bit of truth. She really must've believed part of what she was saying. Then she'd finished the destruction of their friendship with the punch in the gut that had sent him reeling.

Everett.

His full name. Said with such conviction that he couldn't function. The nickname he'd earned. Everett had gone to great pains to preserve and build the friendship between them, only to for it to be broken in the span of a few minutes.  But after everything, all the confusing jumble and sharp edges and twisted knives,

he 

still

couldn't 

leave.

Everett buried his face in his hands. Kicked a rock. Cursed and groaned. Ran a hand through his hair. Sighed. Turned around. 

___

Elsea Gryphon was utterly convinced that she'd fooled Everett. There was no satisfaction, only anger. It almost felt like she'd expected him to stay, even when she was so intent on him leaving. He definitely hated her now. Suddenly, a thought struck her.

Would he turn her in? The thought left her feeling guilty and sad. It was a reminder of how much they'd lost.

Something  ̶Ev̶e̶r̶ Everett had said ages ago floated through her mind. 

"Listen, Ever. I didn-" Ever had pushed finger against her lips, silencing her.

"It's okay. I understand." A teasing smirk had spread over his face. "Every single night, you thought of my face before you fell asleep, wishing I were there. You missed me so desperately, that sometimes you pretended to talk to me. You-"

Now it was Elsea's turn to cut him off. She grabbed his cooled coffee and without even thinking, splashed it all over his coat.

Memories were the sharpest blade, because you couldn't will them away. You couldn't ignore your own thoughts if you couldn't control them. Elsea knew that every single night she would miss him, just like he'd said.