The Starling Saviour

Chapter 31

I found Marcus the next morning eating his breakfast to the news, his state happy and calm. I knew I had to confront him about how he had tried to condition me into hating Oliver, but part of me wanted to let him carry on being carefree.

But I had to do this.

'Oh Ari, how's your arm?' He asked me with a smile.

'It's okay,' I said quietly.

'Do you want to come and join me?' Marcus asked me lovingly, tapping the seat next to him. 'I'm watching a report on that Peter Declan case.'

Peter Declan was a man convicted of murdering his wife in 2008, and I clearly remembered the day the SCPD had arrested him. Lance had given me a knife covered in blood to analyse, and sure enough, Declan's fingerprints were covered all over it.

'Are you okay?' Marcus sensed my worry. 'You look upset.'

'I'm... Fine,' I shook my head. 'I just... I need to discuss something with you. It's important.'

Oh God, I felt terrible about what I was going to do.

'Why do you want me to be so... Angry at Oliver all the time?' I suddenly lost it.

I couldn't keep my feelings hidden any longer. It was like someone had popped the cork off my bottle of emotions.

I couldn't keep quiet anymore.

'For your own safety,' Marcus said unconvincingly. 'If you have a better opinion of him, you'll become friends with him again.'

'Why is that so bad?' I spouted angrily. 'You never even knew the guy until he returned to this city!'

Instead of saying anything spiteful back, Marcus just scarily laughed, as though I had said something stupidly funny. And it was frightening.

'Oh no, I knew Oliver before I even met you,' Marcus said with a slight chuckle. 'And I know things about you, Aria.'

'What... Things?' I asked, starting to get worried.

'I know you were on the Queen's Gambit, Aria,' Marcus said seriously. 'I know you survived on that island, with Oliver.'

'How?...' I asked in bewilderment.

I hadn't told anybody such information, Oliver only knowing I was there because he was too.

'What else do you... Know?' I gulped quietly.

'I know you were a vigilante a few years ago,' Marcus grinned sinisterly. 'And I know how I could tear your life apart if I said one word to the SCPD. But I haven't, so far. Because I love you.'

'Who are you working for?' I cried out. 'Is it Merlyn?'

'No,' Marcus shook his head. 'Somebody much more important. You'll get to meet him, soon. Or have you already met him?'

'Get away from me,' I said quietly, but then decided I would shout it at the top of my lungs. 'Get away from me!'

'I'm not leaving,' Marcus denied stubbornly.