Fallen Allegiance

Chapter Twelve

“Why didn’t you kill me?” The words spilled from my mouth before I could stop them. Well done Morgana, great way to start a conversation.

“I didn’t have a reason to kill you,” Andor replied calmly, walking towards me.

“You’ve killed other innocent people,” I didn’t know it for sure, but from what I had heard about the Valithors I was sure it was true.

Andor shrugged, “I was brought up to believe Dusarlas were demons, sent to take over Valcriea. I did what I thought I had to, to survive."

“What about your mother, didn’t she ever-“

“My father killed her once Thorn and I were born, he told us she was too weak to teach us and would only tell us lies. No one argues with Cerdic,” Andor leant back against the wall.

“But I’m a Hunter, isn’t that enough reason to kill me?”

“I hated Khadi. Not you. I mean, yes, I was going to kill you after I got the information I wanted,” Andor looked down at his hands uncomfortably, not meeting me unwavering gaze.

“Information?”

“I knew you weren’t Khadi, I wanted to know why, so I waited and got the answers.”

“You still didn’t kill me.”

Andor sighed, looking up at me, his expression a mix of regret and annoyance, “Why can’t you just accept I didn’t kill you! If you really want to know, you are the first person I changed my mind about. Once I’m set on killing someone, I never back down, I never change my mind. That is, with everyone except you.”

“So why was I different?”

“Because for the first time, you treated me as if I was a normal person, as if I wasn’t an Valithor,” Andor pushed back from against the wall and walked past me, as if he was done talking. I turned and grabbed his arm making him freeze. His muscles tensed as he glanced back at me.

“I don’t treat people for who their parents are, but who they are,” I whispered, my eyes locked on his. Andor didn’t move, or speak, or do anything but stare back, as if I was crazy.

Finally he spoke up, “Well, I have no chance then.” He tore his gaze from mine and jerked his arm out of my grip. Walking back out into the alleyway I watched him as he disappeared into the darkness, a feeling of loss overwhelming me.

I kicked the wall, muttering to myself about how I sucked at everything, even making a conversation. Sliding down the wall, I sat on the cold ground, pulling my knees up and wrapping my arms around them. I sighed, listening to the howl of the wind and the patter of rain as the weather changed for the worse.

Not bothering to get up, I let the water trickle down my face, the cold tear feeling real, unlike anything else. I remembered other times I had done this, sat in the rain, regretting things. Like the time my grandma had died and how I had screamed at Ward saying it was his fault. The way he recoiled in fear, his grey eyes begging me to stop. I had run out into the rain, wishing for once I could keep my big mouth shut.

Claire had found me there, rocking back and forth, humming to myself. She sat down next to me, let me shout at her, let me blame her. Unlike Ward, she didn’t recoil, she didn’t express any emotions, she just sat and listened. That was something I liked about Claire, when you had something to say and get out, she didn’t interrupt, she just listened. Ward tended to be a bit more head on with things, usually, if someone other than myself had screamed at him he would of told them to get a life. He just acted so differently around Claire and I though, it was if he was scared of something, of us.