Chapter Thirty-Four: Love and Loss
So I thought I would mention this in case no one figured it out. The scene all the way back in chapter twenty - you know, the one with the flashback from when they were younger - hinted at Emma. Kyle mentioned over hearing a conversation between Zeus and Hades where Zeus told Hades someone was too powerful and Hades insisted she could be trained. The person they were talking about was Emma (who, coincidentally, was also with them and had no idea they were talking about her).
Again, no author's note at the end of this chapter. But this story is nearly over! I will be posting the epilogue on October 14th, which is a special day for this story. If you think you know why, tell me in a review.
Please remember to vote on the poll on mu profile, because I will be taking it down and announcing the winner the same day of the epilogue.
Amanda had to push away all her feelings to battle Cedric. She was terrified for her friends, betrayed by her brother, hurt again by the loss of her sister, and just scared. But she had to push that away, because she knew that if she focused on it she wouldn't be able to do what she may have to.
However, that didn't mean she wouldn't try to reach out to Cedric.
"You kept the mirror from breaking, didn't you?" she said and their swords clashed against each other.
"So what if I did?"
"I just remembered what Apple said - the mirror is haunted. You didn't want me to get hurt."
"Not at all. I just thought the Mistress would like her prizes to be alive when she received them," Cedric said.
"You've always been a terrible liar," Amanda said as she ducked under her brother's sword. "And you keep mentioning this 'Mistress' person. Who is she and why does she care about us? What does she have to do with this?"
"The Mistress is everything. She showed me the light and will do the same for you. As for why she cares about you - she cares about everyone and has to do with everything," Cedric said as Amanda's blade cut off a lock of his hair.
"She's clearly brainwashed you."
"I must admit - I'm disappointed in you, Amanda. Emma would have joined me and the Mistress. But she can't because of Zeus. Yet, you still care about Alex."
"Alex is nothing like his father," Amanda snarled. "I love him, and he would never have hurt us."
"And have you told him that? He probably thinks you're betraying him right now."
"Of course he knows. He knows me better than you considering you fled after Emma died. Coward."
"I am not a coward. I simply left to pursue greater things and find my true self," Cedric said.
"You were eight!"
"All great people have been children once."
"You call this great? Putting my friends under spells, scaring us, betraying me?"
"You are fighting for the wrong side, sister," Cedric said. "Besides - I haven't hurt you." His sword narrowly missed Amanda's shoulder. "Yet."
"Emma would have hated this. She was a good and kind person."
"Have you talked to our sister yet? Isn't she at Elysium?"
Amanda stiffed and was nearly hit by Cedric.
"No," she said simply.
"Well, well, is my little sister afraid?" Cedric taunted, trying to get something out of Amanda.
"Of course not," Amanda lied. Unlike her brother, she was good at hiding her lies.
"You may be a better liar than me, but a brother can tell when his sister is lying."
"You still call yourself a brother? You've been gone for nearly my whole life!"
"Maybe I have, but at least I've been doing something."
"Tell me more about this Mistress. Who is she?"
"Someone who just wants equality for us and who we are. Someone who wants to make the world better - whatever it takes."
"Ced, why won't you listen to me?" Amanda begged. "You've been brainwashed!"
"No, I've simply seen the light."
"Speaking of the light, if you're so brave why do you hide in the shadows? Why did you scare each of my friends instead of talking to me?"
"I was simply biding my time. I had to wait until the Mistress said I should reveal myself. How did you know it was me?"
"Stop acting dumb. You and I both know that children of Hades and creatures of the Underworld are the only ones who can travel through shadows - since it's the realm between life and death. Your silhouette was too small to belong to our brothers."
"Well, well, I'm impressed you remember."
Amanda smiled and said, "I do."
Suddenly, she was gone. Cedric turned and saw the shadow of a girl with curly hair race across the treehouse. He lost sight of her, but a moment later felt something push his back.
He fell towards the window and tumbled out, too shocked that Amanda had pushed him to stop himself from falling.
Just as he was sure he would fall to his death, he felt a hand grab his wrist. He turned to see Amanda.
"Why kill me just to save me?" he sneered. Amanda didn't answer.
The truth was, she was about to let him die when she saw something sparkle on his neck as he fell out of the window - a silver chain. She knew it was the one from Emma and had grabbed his wrist because she knew that if he was wearing the necklace it meant that her brother was still there, somewhere inside that shell.
She pulled him up into the tree house. Cedric immediately stood and ran to pick up his sword. Amanda wanted to wait, to let him take it. But suddenly her arm started moving.
She couldn't control it - it was as if she was a puppet someone was using. The arm holding her sword moved forward and stabbed Cedric...right in the back.
"No," Amanda said as her brother became still and fell to the ground. "No, no, no!"
She turned his body over, trying to keep the tears from falling. She hardly even noticed the blood on her hands and clothes from his wound.
"Cedric, please," she said. Her brother's eyes opened and, to her surprise, she saw the ones she recognized. The eyes of her brother.
Amanda grasped his hand and held on tightly.
"Hey..." he said softly. "We...all die...eventually..."
"I'm sorry," she gasped. "I'm so, so sorry."
Cedric raised his other hand and wiped one of his sister's tears away.
"I should...be...the one...apologizing...I...left...you...I'm sorry..."
"I love you, Ced," Amanda said softly.
"I love...you...too...Ammy..."
Amanda smiled sadly at the childhood nickname this time. She felt Cedric's hand go limp and stared at her brother's glassy eyes. She had done this. Not some sort of enemy, but her. Amanda.
"How could I do this?" she asked herself. She didn't even notice the spell on the others was broken. She was too deep in her own horror.
"Amanda?" Alex said softly. When he saw what had happened, he walked forward and put his arms around Amanda. After a few moments though, she stood up.
"We should get back to school," she said in a hollow voice.
"Are you sure-" Raven started.
Amanda just nodded, looking at her brother one last time.
"Yes," she said firmly. She watched the others all leave. Once they were gone, she turned back to her brother. She kissed his forehead and wiped her tears away. Then, she turned and climbed down the latter, unable to hide from her guilt and horror.
