Demon Heart

Chapter 21.2~...A Beast

Evabelle was at the top of the stairs before any of the others had had a chance to get a word out. Del's cry of her own name was first, but Evabelle flung herself through the darkness before she had the chance to register the panic that had tinged his voice.

The swirling gray clouds and quivering grass met Evabelle's sight along with the back of a broad shouldered man, carrying the weight of massive white wings, that also shook against the powerful gale. He marched away, his head bowed.

"Coward," Evabelle murmured, just loud enough to be heard of the sound of the storm. Her hair blew in front of her face, but she shoved it back in time to see Lucis stop. "You are a coward."

"Is that all you have to say?" His hard tone should have shaken her, but that wasn't possible now.

"What else do I have to say?" Evabelle didn't scream it, but it had a power that she didn't know she could wield. "I waited patiently for you to tell me. I thought you were about to tell me back at our campfire when we first landed in the spiral. I know we were interrupted, but even if we hadn't I wonder if you would have made it through."

Lucis shook his head.

"You honestly didn't trust me. You still don't trust me. You never have." The words stung in Evabelle's throat, but not a speck of that emotion showed through.

"This had nothing to do with trust," Lucis snapped, his hands balling into fists. "This is you knowing what I am and realizing that I should have never been the one to come bring you back."

"Why didn't they kill you?" Evabelle suddenly asked. "The Anahalians have killed all the others that were known to have this demon heart. Averno escaped, but you were raised in Jovis for seven years after that. Everyone had to know after Averno killed my parents."

Lucis was silent. "I was given a chance," He whispered. "If I stepped over the line, then I would be." He snorted. "But don't think there weren't people who didn't try to take me out sooner."

That made Evabelle flinch.

Lucis turned enough for Evabelle to view his hardened profile. His mouth was quirked up, his eyes dark. "Everyone was terrified after they found out it was my father that was causing all the mayhem; that it was his henchman that was burning down our homes; that many of the disappearances were his murder victims, he'd hidden. They were afraid because we were the same, helpful, kind understanding people on the outside. But they feared I was doing all the same things, secretively, just like him." He laughed again. "Just like him."

"But you weren't," Evabelle whispered.

Lucis craned his neck and looked at her full on, making every muscle and bone in her body ache. "And how do you know that?" A purpling welt around his eye was visible to her now. A bit of blood peeked through at the corner of his mouth. She thought of Faux's bruised knuckles and now understood. "Because I know you." Evabelle answered stoutly.

Lucis closed his eyes, shaking his head again.

"You were my best friend, when we were little," Evabelle pushed. "You wanted to be a hero."

"I wanted to be my father," Lucis spat.

"To you, the man was a hero. You didn't know what he was doing behind the scenes. You saw what everyone else saw in him. You were fooled just like anyone else. He was a great man, who worked hard to help everyone. That's what you wanted."

"How do you know I wasn't lying to you?" Lucis shouted.

"Because you saved me!" Evabelle screamed.

Lucis rocked at her words, his eyes widening.

The memory was faint, distant, like an image far off and in black and white. It was one that Evabelle knew well, but had refused to face, though she knew she would have to eventually. "The night Averno killed my parents, he planned on killing me that night too. He'd somehow made the three of us sick. But before he could get to me, you came. You got me out that night. You flew me far, far away from the castle. I remember that."