The Savior's Throne

Chapter Nine

I am destined to kill. It must be written in the stars because for some reason I cannot escape death.

When I find enough air to breathe normally again, I start shouting. "So my eighteenth birthday will cause a war. Is war not the greatest evil? Am I not destined to end the peace the Gods fought so hard for? The prophecy is true isn't it? I am the Ungifted child whose destiny is to end all of humanity, aren't I? You have all lied to me this whole time, haven't you?" I shout, my voice cracking from the anger that's been boiling below the surface for years. My whole body trembles, I'm a volcano, about to erupt and end the lives of so many innocent people. My lips twist and I turn from them.

"Do not leave this room," Desmond orders.

My head whips back at him, "Any other day! Any other day, but my birthday!"

"We can't, we have everything set for the sixteenth. We've already lost a lot of time." He says the second part with a sneer, obviously he blames me for being kidnapped, which wasn't my fault.

I cock my head to the side, "I'm sure you can push it all back a day."

Desmond shrugs his shoulder as if we're talking about the weather, "we can't."

"Then you'll fight without me." His head rears back in shock, "you don't mean that." "That's where your wrong," I tell him. "If I do this, the prophecy will be fulfilled. I will not be the cause of a war that destroys all of humanity." My words are set in stone and Desmond walks slowly towards me.

I take a few steps back, "You can't force me to fight."

Desmond points a finger at me, "You didn't cause this war. The rulers abused their power and we are fighting back; besides, all of this was planned before you were even born. Stop with all this back and forth; you either join us or you leave us.

"You were willing to die to save humanity, all we need to know now, is are you willing to die to save your own kind?" Because in war people die. Joining this revolution is more than fighting for this cause, it's about being able to die for this cause.

Before answering I really think about what he just said. He was absolutely right; I didn't cause this war. I repeat that in my head and steal a quick glance at Arlo. When I notice him already staring at me, I shift my gaze to Tulsa. One by one I make eye contact with every person in the room and eventually my eyes land on Desmond. His silver eyes are unnaturally beautiful, but there's something dark lingering beneath the beauty. I don't trust him, but I trust his cause. I believe that this revolution can save people, people who deserve to be saved.

"No more lies," I say, "and no more secrets. If I do this, I need to know everything. I can't keep being blindsided by new information."

Desmond visibly relaxes, "You have my word; I will tell you everything you need to know." Words are never to be trusted on their own and the way he uses them; he twists them to manipulate the meaning.

"You're not an honest man, are you? When I say everything, I mean everything-whether I need to know it or not."

A new voice joins our conversation, "You are one stubborn girl; you know that?" My head flies to the right and my gaze lands on Tulsa.

"What?" I ask her. To be completely honest, I forgot wasn't expecting anyone to cut in on our conversation. With my eyes locked onto Tulsa's, the rest of the world faded away. Now that my anger is waning, I notice all the eyes trained on me. Silver, green, and red. Everyone stares at me and I shift back into my regular, everyday self. I start to crumble under the pressure of their stares and try to focus solely on Tulsa, who is eyeing Desmond. "Just give the girl what she wants." He stares at Tulsa for a minute, weighing his options. The silence makes my cheeks burn and I feel like I have a spotlight shining above me. My chest tightens as I wait for Desmond to take the attention away from me and onto him.