Night's Children: Nox Noctis
AN:
This is mainly a Riley-Tymmie chap, sorry Aria-Tessa fans :( but I feel like I haven't been writing enough Riley scenes, considering this is her book and all. The other Daughters will get their turn, I swear!
Chapter Eleven: As She Cries
The silence was unnerving. The somewhat revelation that had just happened moments prior had left nothing but a severely uncomfortable distance between the two. Riley leaned against the windowsill, basking in the moonlight. Her eyes were trained to the sky, and she desperately tried to avoid the heavy feeling in her heart. Tonight would not end well for her, she could sense that much. The darkness was gathering in the air, and she could feel it calling to her, begging her to join it and leave behind her reserves.
Tymmie sat on a wooden crate that served as a chair in his apartment. His eyes were constantly studying Riley as she stared out of the window. Either she didn't feel his gaze, or she didn't care. More than likely it was the latter; it didn't take a telepath to discover that she had more pressing issues on her mind. Still, it irked him to go without acknowledgement, yet on the same token, he didn't want another confrontation like he had with her earlier. He might actually start to sympathize with her, and that would be bad. His thought process had been invaded by contradictions.
"Are you just going to keep gawking at me like I'm an animal in a zoo?" Riley said out of the silence, her attention not diverting from the small sliver of moon. Her voice was husky, and held a slight tremble.
"Yes." He answered honestly, propping his chin on his hand.
"Why?" She asked, unaccustomed to such attention.
"Because I don't understand you," He confessed, "And that irritates me."
"What's there to understand?" She asked, still looking out at the window, but her tone implied her confusion.
"A number of things," He responded blandly, cutting off the conversation as he turned his head towards the floor. He wasn't quite ready to admit to her what made her so interesting a specimen.
Riley made a noncommittal grunt, and silence reigned once again. She began to play with the silver rings on her fingers, trying to distract herself from the pressure her dark side was putting upon her. She wished, not for the first time that night, that she had remembered her necklace. It felt wrong being without it.
The question was on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to ask it so badly she couldn't stand it, but at the same time, she didn't want to hear the answer if it was less than favorable. She sighed heavily, and turned her attention away from the moon for the first time that night. She looked at Tymmie, "Is it…?" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head, "Never mind." She finished.
"You know the answer already." He murmured from his crate.
"What?" She asked, jerking her head up in bewilderment.
"Your question." He stated, his eyes staring down hers, "You already know the answer to it." He scratched his head, "You know that if you walk into the Atrox, there's no leaving it." He shot her a meaningful glance, "You knew from the moment I brought you here that it would happen. So the answer to your question is yes, tonight it will cross you over."
She bit her lip, contemplating, "I didn't come here to be crossed over." She stated lamely.
Tymmie gave a humorless chuckle, "Everyone says that. Even I did." He stood up, "Your anger, your hatred at Cassandra brought you to me." He almost looked sad for a moment, "And I will bring you to the Atrox."
"This isn't solely my fault. You've been calling me." Riley stated coldly, standing up as well, "The Atrox, you, my mother, all of you have been tempting the darkness within me to take control." She clutched the space her necklace would have been, "And what's worse, is that I'm falling for it. I know I'm falling for it." She walked over towards Tymmie, but retained a safe distance, "I can feel the good portion of me surrendering, giving up because the constant torment of my mind is beginning to make me doubt my own sanity." She pointed to her head for emphasis. Her voice was quiet, "I haven't truly slept in two months. I'm constantly paranoid, I hear people following me that probably don't exist, and I don't think I have the strength of mind to keep up with your little games. I want them gone. Forever."
Tymmie was undeterred, "So that's why you've come?"
"Yes." She said softly.
"And did you think we'd just erase the nightmares all away?" He continued.
Riley thought for a moment, and she suddenly felt embarrassed, "No. But I had hoped-"
He cut her off, "That was your first mistake. Never hope for anything with the Atrox." He paused, "You're a smart girl, Riley. Surely you know that the Atrox won't take the nightmares away without a price."
She didn't like where this conversation was going, "I know." She whispered somberly.
"And surely you know what that price is going to be."
She exhaled slowly, "My hope."
"That's right," His voice sounded oily, "Your hope, or your sanity. It's your choice Riley."
"Why me?" Riley demanded, "Why have you singled me out?" She lowered her gaze to the ground, "The Atrox could make anyone its Chosen. Why me? Why not Tessa? She has the strongest power, or Imy? She has the greater control. Hell, even Aria is a better choice than I am." She sneered, "What's so special about me? I'm worthless."
Tymmie stared at Riley, astonished for a moment. After a few seconds hesitation, he walked over to her. With his fingertips, he tilted her head up so he could get a clear look at her eyes. For some reason, those eyes compelled him.
"You have the potential." He spoke calmly, "Inside of every Lecti there is a potential for darkness." He gently removed his fingers from under her chin, "The others, they do not understand it. They do not know it." He ran a hand through his hair, "They can't grasp the concept that inside of everyone, there is evil. They will not accept the fact, and they will never truly see their own faults."
He took a step away from her, not trying to make her uncomfortable, "The Atrox's Chosen know their faults, they are aware of their own sins. Because of this, they are more susceptible to them. The stronger ones can hold out for a few days, months, years, but in the end, the temptation controls them." He paused thoughtfully, "Ever hear the old expression? 'Damnat quod non intellegunt, they condemn what they do not understand'. Me and you, and others like us, we understand. Therefore, we are condemned." He stopped his rant when he saw how stoic she had become, leaning against the wall and slumping slightly as the gravity of his words hit her.
She continued to play with her silver rings, and the absent-minded thought of how they had each been a birthday present from her mother hit her. She had never admitted to giving them to her, but Riley had seen her wrapping and then placing them carefully in the mailbox, knowing that Riley would get the mail everyday after school. Riley wondered then why her mother had always tried to hide her sentiments towards her. She had assumed it was because she had never been worthy enough to receive them. Her mother was condemned- did she hate Riley because she was condemned as well?
She could feel Tymmie staring at her again, waiting for a reaction to his somewhat brutal words. But Riley could think of none. Should she be offended, angry, bitter, amused? She didn't know anymore.
Her thoughts drifted back to her mother. Her mother was dead inside, truly condemned in all sense of the word. Riley wasn't. Not quite, not yet. Riley still had something to hold onto. Her sisters. Trysten. Jimena. Perhaps even her mother. She saw that now, her mother was in need of redemption, just like she was. Riley's hatred was justified, but if she succumbed to it, she was only one step closer to becoming Cassandra. She wasn't willing to yield defeat to her own inner monsters just now.
She leveled her gaze with Tymmie's, and cleared her throat, "Would you think I was insane?"
He arched an eyebrow in confusion, "Insane for what?"
She swallowed, "For wanting to believe that I can fight it."
He gave a grim smile; the girl was full of surprises. His thoughts drifted to Trysten, his almost little brother who was destined to become the next incarnation of the Atrox's power, even though he fought tooth and nail against it. He then thought of Lambert, his leader, the traitorous one who defied the Atrox's orders to be with Aura, and how Aura's body had been destroyed because of their affair. Next was his once best friend, poor Karyl. Karyl had thrown away everything in order to achieve only a moment's rest from his inner torment, and how he had been consequentially banished and stripped of immortality because of it. And Zahi, once a powerful Immortal, outcasted than sold to Nefandus to become a slave as a result of his regained hope.
Then there was Cassandra, once a beautiful young girl, now a twisted and contemptuous woman because of the Atrox's influence. How she had, in her own demented way, tried to save her only child from falling into the Atrox's trap and becoming twisted like herself. He thought of how her efforts were in vain, and how she would also be punished because of it.
Finally, Tymmie thought of Serena, the Fallen One. The Witch Goddess who had sacrificed everything to become her worst nightmare. Of how she tried, and failed, to save the countless wretched Followers from a hopeless existence. How she, and Stanton, had been brutally murdered by Regulators as a result of her botched attempts of redemption.
"No Riley, I wouldn't think that at all." He stated simply and sincerely.
Because all of those lost souls were heroes to Tymmie.
He only wished he had the courage to join them.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"You had better not be lying," Tessa hissed darkly, her grip tight against Murray's collar as she pinned him to the floor.
He shook his head violently, "I'm not! I swear!"
Aria watched the scene with interest. Tessa made quite the intimidating figure; she had to begrudgedly admit. Murray was in a cold sweat, his eyes bugging slightly as he tried desperately to get Tessa to relinquish her clasp on his shirt. Kelly was still out cold, and the two Goddesses were content to keep her that way.
"What was the address again?" Aria asked, grabbing a pen from her purse to scribble it down on her hand.
"Building 308, apartment 296 D." Murray spit out as Aria quickly jotted it down.
"And he'll be there?" Tessa demanded in a dangerous quiet.
Murray looked around the room, nervous and annoyed as hell, and he gave a dry swallow, "Um, yeah, he should be."
Tessa's eyes narrowed, "Should be, or will be?" Her grip tightened, "I don't like uncertainties."
"He will! He will!" Murray stammered out as he ineffectively tried to pry her fingers off of him as she began to cut off his air.
Aria looked at him groveling and sighed, time to play 'good cop.' "What Tessa would like to know, is how are we to be sure if we can trust you or not? How are we to know that you're just not leading us into a trap?"
Murray was beginning to panic, and both girls bit back a laugh at how easily his macho exterior had been eliminated, "I don't know!"
Tessa shoved him hard against the floor and released her grasp. She stood up, clapping her hands together, "There's only one way to be sure."
Murray looked at her curiously, tenderly rubbing his throat.
Aria also looked at her in confusion, "How?"
A flicker of what might have been a sadistic smile spread across Tessa's normally angelic features, "Murray's going to lead us to him."
Murray choked and backed away from her quickly, "No way in hell! Tymmie will kill me!"
Tessa smirked, "What do you think I'll do to you if you don't cooperate?"
He blanched, "But-but-but-"
Tessa jut out her lower lip, "But-but-but," She mimicked.
"But you're the good guys!" Murray finally blurted.
"And disposing of you would be our first good deed." Tessa chirped.
Murray looked over at Aria, trying to get support, "But Daughters of Selene never hurt anyone…"
Aria rolled her eyes, "Newsflash. We're not the typical Daughters of Selene."
Murray's eyes drifted over to the unconscious Kelly and he lowered his head in defeat, "Fine. I'll take you." He mumbled.
Tessa cupped her ear, "What was that? I didn't quite catch it."
"Fine! I'll take you to him," He said louder. He paused for a moment, "What about Kelly?"
Tessa shrugged and waved her hand dismissively, "Who cares? Leave her."
His mouth hung open in amazement, but he resigned the argument.
"You aren't actually going to kill him are you?" Aria whispered into Tessa's ear, "He does have a point, we're not supposed to kill."
A wolfish grin appeared, "Naw. Not tonight anyways. But threatening, however, is completely acceptable."
Aria looked at her in amazement, and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off when she felt her cell phone vibrate through her purse. She sighed and fished around the bag until her hand gripped it. She pulled it out and looked to Tessa, "It's Imy." She muttered.
"Then answer it."
Aria nodded and flipped the phone open, "Where have you been!" She yelled into the phone immediately, in way of greeting.
"Where the hell have I been? Where the hell have you been?" She heard Imy reply, obviously peeved at being screamed at.
"Passed out in a mall bathroom stall!" Aria retorted, "Your mom called and said you had vanished. We thought they had gotten to you like they had gotten Riley. DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" She was scolding Imy like a mother would scold a disobedient child.
"Stop yelling at me!" Imy yelled back.
Aria squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. After taking a deep breath, she continued, "Riley's gone. Tessa and I couldn't get to her." She gave a sidelong glance to Murray, "She's with Tymmie."
"Shit."
"I concur."
"Do you have any idea where to find her?"
Aria groaned as she saw Murray in the corner of her eye, "We have a Follower named Murray, he's going to lead us to Tymmie." She could hear mumbling between her and someone else in the background, "Imy? Who are you with?"
Imy exhaled, "Art."
Aria's eyebrows shot up, "Your ex boyfriend Art?"
"Yep."
"Art who is friends with Lance and Trysten?"
"Yep."
"The same boys who may or may not be Followers!"
"Yep."
"Are you completely insane!"
There was a second's hesitation, then, "Yep."
Aria slumped down on a nearby bench, cradling her head in her hand, "Imy, what the hell is going on?" She asked.
There was quiet, "It's really complicated." Imy replied lamely.
"That's not good enough." Aria replied.
Imy sighed, "Trysten and Lance are going to try and save Riley."
Aria and Tessa shared a glance, as the latter had been listening carefully to the conversation, hovering near Aria's ear, "Save Riley from what, exactly?"
There was laugh on the other side devoid of any humor, "This will amaze you. Apparently, Riley's a Lecta."
"WHAT!" Both Daughters exclaimed.
"No kidding." Imy agreed, "The nightmares she's been having recently were sent by the Atrox, trying to get her to come to them on her own free will."
Tessa paled, "And let me guess, that's what she's just done."
"Correct for five points," Commented Imy caustically.
Aria breathed slowly yet again, "How much time do we have?"
"Not much. A few hours, at most."
"And those two guys, they're on side, right?" Tessa inquired.
Yet again, there was hesitation, "I hope so."
"What about Jimena?" Aria spoke.
"I don't know. I've left messages at her home, but she hasn't called me back yet." Imy answered dismally, "It looks like it's going to have to be up to us."
"Isn't it always?" Tessa muttered between her teeth.
"Is there anyway for us to, I don't know, meet up with Trysten and Lance?" Aria asked, and Tessa's eyebrows shot up.
"What? Why would we want to work with them!" She said.
"We're going against Followers, Tessa, who better to fight with than those who are familiar with their ways?" Aria rolled her eyes, tired of having to explain the obvious with her. She covered the phone with her hand.
"But they're on the other side!"
"We don't know that." Aria said, "They did save us once before, after all."
"How can we trust them?"
Aria jutted her thumb at Murray, "We definitely don't trust him, yet he's our guide."
Tessa's face was turning red, and she through her hands up in exasperation, "Fine!"
Aria smiled smugly, and removed her hand from the receiver, "You still there?" She asked.
Imy groaned, "Yes. I can call Trysten and Lance, tell them to meet you there."
Aria's smile grew to unrealistic proportions, "Good. Do that." And she snapped the phone shut without a goodbye.
Tessa snorted at her, "Rude much?"
"Now's not the time for pleasantries." She responded smartly.
Tessa shook her head and turned to Murray, "I hope you're comfortable, we're about to have company."
Murray said nothing, but distaste covered his features.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"So when are you going to hand me over to the Incinti?" Riley asked, sounding oddly conversational.
Tymmie snorted, once again perched upon his crate. About fifteen minutes had passed since their strange conversation, and they had both been silent for that duration. Riley had made her way over to Tymmie's burgundy, piece of shit, sofa, and was now sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest, peaking at him through a curtain of maroon hair.
"Never. Why would I take you to the Incinti?" He countered.
Riley looked at him in confusion, "Isn't that who's in charge?"
He smirked, "Not in charge of me." He replied bluntly.
"Are you in the Incinti then?"
"Nope."
She exhaled, "Then I'm afraid I don't understand."
Tymmie scratched his head, his jet-black hair jutting out in spikes, "I'm not a Follower of the Incinti. Proud Infidi." To emphasis his point, he lifted the bottom of his black sweater up to his chin, revealing the word Infidus tattooed across his chest.
"Traitorous one?" Riley queried, translating the Latin. Suddenly, she realized she was looking at a man's, a man she hardly knew, bare chest. She began to blush furiously, thankful that her tangles of hair effectively hid her face.
Tymmie brought his shirt back down, obviously not uncomfortable, "That's correct."
Her eyes widened slightly as realization dawned upon her, "Traitors to the Atrox?" When he nodded her mouth gaped open slightly, "What? How? Why?" She stammered out, surprised at this small disclosure.
"You don't know about the Schism?" Tymmie asked incredulously.
She shook her head slowly.
"Jimena must be slipping, for you not to know that." He muttered condescendingly, "Does the name Lambert mean anything to you?"
Once again, she shook her head. "No."
He moaned and leaned his head against the wall. Riley heard him grumbling over something incoherent, "Long story short," He began in a clear voice, "Lambert was an Incinti member who became power-hungry. He was disgusted with the Atrox, and began to plot against them." He exhaled, "Eventually, he created the Infidus, a rival faction that wanted to overthrow the Incinti."
"So you succeeded?"
"Not entirely." He began to play with one of his many eyebrow piercings, "But with Lambert at the head, and his subordinates, it seemed for certain that the Infidi would rule to world of shadows." He bit his lip, "Unfortunately, the Atrox's Prince of the Night remained loyal, and crossed over the Key, a powerful Daughter." He sighed, "The Infidus was temporarily beaten, forced into hiding. But the Key and the Prince eventually betrayed the Atrox. Ironic, no?"
Riley nodded, blowing some stray hairs out of her eyes, "So what happened?"
A grim smile graced his features, "The Infidi rose to power, and after five or so years of clandestine warfare, the Atrox decided to split the warring factions into two groups, those who followed the old ways and the Cinti, and those who flaunted their darkness and followed Lambert." He paused, "To ensure that there would be no more bloodshed amongst the Followers, the Atrox made each section equal in power. Lambert, leader of the Traitors, and the next Prince of the Night, leader of the Cinti, would both be second to the Atrox." He looked up at Riley, who now had her chin rested on her knees, "Naturally, that didn't solve the problem completely. The two factions are constantly at war with each other, each trying to achieve dominance and goodwill with the Atrox." He laughed, "But I guess it stopped the bloodshed. Temporarily at least."
Riley gnawed on her lower lip, "So by crossing over a Lecta, you gain short-term favor over the Cinti."
Tymmie tapped the side of his head, "Now you're getting it."
"That seems rather pointless." She responded quietly.
Tymmie shifted his position, so that he was crouching, "Perhaps. But you see Riley, there's one person who can end this entire struggle between the factions."
Riley rose an eyebrow, "Who?"
"Trysten." Tymmie said candidly, and Riley could see a darkness enter his eyes.
She sat there, pondering. "Trysten?"
Tymmie snorted, "That's right, loverboy Trystie is the only one who can draw this competition to a close." His fist clenched, "Trysten is a Lectus, true, but he's so much more that that."
Riley felt a tremor in her heart that she couldn't describe, "What is he?" She asked softly.
"Trysten is the Atrox's chosen successor," He eyed her, "The next Prince of the Night. If the Infidus crosses him over, the Incinti will be no more, and we will rule the shadow world."
Her throat tightened, "What makes you think you can get him to join Infidus?"
"That's easy enough." He smirked, but felt like he had a rather bitter taste in his mouth, "A little incentive in the form of a Fallen Daughter might do the trick." At seeing her shocked face, he continued, "Or the fact that it was Regulators under the control of the Incinti that murdered his biological parents."
"So I'm bait." Riley muttered bitterly.
He shrugged, "Yes and no. You're an interesting case, Ms. Zalank." Tymmie cracked his knuckles, "The daughter of Selene and a Follower with Incinti-oriented loyalties. While Cassandra isn't very high up in the Incinti's hierarchy, she's an Immortal with some considerable power." He paused, "The matter of your…paternal lineage is what piques the Atrox's interest the most, however."
Riley shivered. The subject of her father was something that lay in the dark recesses of her mind. She had never known him, born an illegitimate child, and the idea that some random stranger she had never met was responsible for half of her chromosomes scared her slightly. She couldn't care less who he was; the fact that he existed somewhere was enough to terrify her. She froze when a realization hit her- her father had been tied to the Atrox?
"What?" She said dumbly.
Tymmie waved his hand dismissively, "It's just a rumor, but the Atrox doesn't take any chances." His mouth quirked into that irritating smirk, "Would you like to know who they say he is?"
"No." Her answer was quick and abrupt. Riley never wanted to know, for ignorance was bliss. By having a mental image of the man who abandoned her as some vague, shadowy figure, it was easier to cope with the fact that he had, in the end, abandoned her and her mother.
He shrugged again, "Suit yourself."
She gripped the cushion of the sofa; knuckles whitening from the stress, trying to convince herself it was a good idea to drop the conversation of her father. It was much better to not know, she was aware, but the adolescent notion of wanting to be reunited entered her mind. She quickly discarded it. It was better not to know.
A thought occurred to her suddenly, and she looked up at her captor, "What makes you think Trysten will even show up tonight? None of the Daughters know where I am."
Tymmie snorted, "The blonde does. So does the Healer. You underestimate my telepathy, little Riley." He glared at her, "And they will tell the other one, Imy, and she will relay it to that whelp of an ex-servus in desperation when she discovers you're missing." He sighed, beginning to pick at his nails, "It truly gets so predictable after a while."
Riley stared at him, "What ex-servus?"
Tymmie turned and looked at her in awe, "Are you really so ignorant as to what is around you?"
"Yes. Enlighten me," She deadpanned, brushing away his insult.
"Those two friends of Trysten's, I believe they now go by Lance and Art, were once tied to the Atrox."
Clarification dawned upon her, and she understood what he was talking about. "I know that. Which one is an ex-servus?"
"Art."
She made a noncommittal grunt, processing this new fact. She sat for yet another period of silence, and Tymmie began to squirm, feeling uncomfortable with the quiet.
Tymmie's lip twitched, as he decided whether or not he wanted to ask the question, he finally surrendered, "How well do you and Trysten know each other?"
Riley gave a small lift in her face that constituted as a smile, "Not well at all."
"Then…." He trailed off.
"Then why did he risk everything to save us that night a few months ago?" Riley finished for him.
"Yeah," Tymmie muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to get kinks out. "You have to realize that you're not the first group of Daughters Trysten's seen attacked by Followers, but you are the first group he's ever stepped in to help." He slumped when his neck finally popped, "I want to know why."
Riley just shrugged, "Why does it matter so much to you?"
"Because I'm the one who sent him running," Tymmie surprised her by saying that statement not with arrogance, but with shame.
"Running?"
"I was the one who first found Trysten, back when he was only a kid," A nostalgic smile spread across his features, "I taught him how to use the telepathy he had inherited from his mother, told him about the Atrox, and the Daughters, and the whole mythological bull shit back-story."
His smile faded, and Riley noticed how his voice was beginning to tremble, "Me and him grew close, like brothers. He looked up to me like some kind of father figure. I thought of him as a younger, untainted version of me." He exhaled slowly, "And I eventually betrayed his trust. I told Lambert about whom I had found, and naturally, Lambert told the Atrox." He swore, and his voice took on a melancholy quality, "Then Trysten had to do the dumb thing, he had to have that goddamn streak of nobility like his father, had to resist the Atrox and shun the title of Lectus. He should have known better."
Tymmie shook his head, trying to clear bad thoughts and washed-up memories. Riley watched him, observing his tone and the emotions beginning to stir up carefully. "They sent Regulators after his foster family, trying to remove what made him want to keep his hope." He sneered, "When I had gone to warn him, it was already too late. There was nothing left of his home. A few embers, a couple charred pieces of wood left over from the fire." His eyes took a haunted glare, "And there he was. Sitting all alone, hugging himself tightly and staring at the bodies of his supposed parents."
Riley winced as the raw pain from his memories hit her, and she found herself wallowing in grief and self-loathing. She looked at Tymmie sympathetically, but he ignored her, lost in his own damning flashbacks.
"When I tried to talk to him…he…" Tymmie turned to face her for the first time, "He hit me, punched me right in the mouth. I let him, of course, I had deserved it." Tymmie looked at his hands, "He spit on me and cursed me, then turned away and never spoke to me again."
Riley said nothing, only stared at him and felt his pain.
"And it had hurt more than anything I had ever felt before in my life." His voice was definitely beginning to falter, "More than my own parents dying, more than my sister crossing me over then committing suicide." He paused, "More than walking out on my leader and friends to join Lambert. Even more than killing my brother when he stepped out of favor with the Atrox. It hurt because I knew that this was the first person I had ever truly tainted with my misery. I had destroyed him, ruined the sacrifice his biological parents had given their lives for, forced him to become as twisted and dark as I was." His hands clenched into fists, "I murdered Trysten the boy, and created Trysten the Lectus."
He stared at her coldly, "I am a monster. I am condemned. I am hopeless." His nostrils flared slightly, "And you will become me." His words were laced with hatred, "Once the Atrox gets its hands on you, you will hurt Trysten, like I hurt him." He exhaled slowly, "You don't even realize what the hell you've done. Crossing over will break whatever resolve Trysten has left. It will destroy him." He paused, feeling slightly guilty as she flinched at his words.
Riley stood silently, hugging herself as she tried to comprehend this huge burden that had been placed upon her. She felt low as the earth in that moment, knowing that it could be her fault in the end if Trysten was the next victim of the Atrox. She hadn't known, it wasn't fair; she hadn't known that Trysten relied on her friendship so much.
She hadn't known.
She slumped down on her knees, shielding her face from Tymmie with her hand. Never before had she even considered the option that it wasn't just herself she was affecting when she had gone after her mother. Trysten had risked his freedom to save her from the Followers once before, and what had she done to thank his sacrifice? Walked straight back into their hands. Imy and the others would come looking for her, and they too, would possibly suffer from the wrath of the Atrox.
She thought back to the car accident. Cassandra had been trying to kill her; Twiggy and Imy were just additional casualties, without the aide of Selene, they both would have died. Riley's pale hands began to tremble, and she clutched tighter to her sides, tight enough to feel the rib bones underneath her two shirts. She choked; she had ruined it. She had ruined everything and everyone that she held dear. She had destroyed it all. Gone with a rash decision of selfishness.
"I never wanted this," She strangled out, shaking her head violently, "I never wanted this." She repeated, her voice so soft that Tymmie had difficultly making out her words. "I never wanted to be a Daughter of the Moon, I never wanted to be a stupid Chosen; I never wanted to fall to my dark side." She felt an odd burning sensation in her eyes, and knew that tears were starting to form. She lowered her head so her hair once again hid her face. The shame was strong enough- the last thing she wanted was for Tymmie to mock her for her weakness through crying. "I never wanted to hurt anyone."
Tymmie had watched her reaction with indifference, or least he had tried to. He felt an odd tugging feeling in his chest when he saw her fall to her knees. He knew all too well the emotions she was experiencing at the moment, and it wasn't because she was projecting them all over the room. He too had let down and vanquished all the ties that had made him human, he had disappointed those who he had cared about deeply. Tymmie had succumbed to his dark side, and allowed himself to become a hollow, empty shell that could only feel when it brought misery upon others. He was what Riley was on her way to becoming.
Yet, when she began to weep, and Tymmie could tell she was crying behind that disarray of maroon hair, he felt like scum, the anger he felt at her dissipating instantly. Yes, he knew that Riley would be the undoing of Trysten, but it wasn't exactly her fault alone. It was Tymmie, after all, who had informed the Atrox of his existence in the first place, Tymmie who had forced Trysten down the path of darkness, like he was doing to Riley now. He hated himself for his actions, and realized he had been placing his self-loathing on Riley as a source of blame.
Tymmie then felt something he was definitely not habituated to.
He felt ashamed of himself, ashamed of his actions and words.
He cleared his throat, got off of his crate, and walked slowly over to her. He knelt down to her eye-level, resting on the backs of his heels. Tymmie gingerly cleared some hair from her eyes. He saw her tear-stained face and sympathy welled within him.
Her reaction was instant, "Get away from me." She hissed, her voice strikingly similar to Cassandra's, "I don't want your pity." She jerked away from him hastily, landing on her butt and leaning on her elbows.
Tymmie's face was expressionless, but he couldn't bear the fact that he was starting to taint yet another lost soul. His eyes softened, and he did the most unexpected thing a Follower could ever do to its victim.
He wrapped a strong arm around Riley, and pulled her into a comforting hug.
She tensed for a moment against him in shock, and then began to struggle, "I told you, I don't want your pity." She spat, hoarse-sounding from the shed tears. "We both know this is my fault."
Tymmie just shook his head and gripped her tighter against him, resting his chin on top of her head, "This isn't pity, Riley." He whispered so low Riley could hardly hear, "This is more…empathetic."
His words seemed to have an effect on her, and she sagged against him, forgetting her struggle. Tymmie wondered briefly if she was past the point of no return, on the verge of complete apathy, but it was dispelled when he felt his shirt beginning to soak.
Riley was crying, full, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she clutched his shirt in her fists.
Tymmie suddenly felt very uncomfortable, not accustomed to being the shoulder to lean on. He awkwardly rubbed her back, "I can't tell you it will be alright." He muttered honestly.
She said nothing, only nodded into his chest.
He sighed, feeling very much like an older brother, like he had when he had taught Trysten. Tymmie could only shake his head, knowing that after she was done sobbing, and his guilt complex was momentarily satisfied, he would call Lambert. He would call Lambert and arrange a Cold Fire ceremony. It was what he had been commanded to do, and once she belonged to the Atrox, it would then be Trysten's turn. It would kill what was left of his humanity, he knew that, but still, it would happen.
He could not deny what he truly was.
Riley's crying had slowed, but she still gripped his shirt like a lost child would cling to its mother. After a few moments, she sluggishly lifted her head, and Tymmie once again found himself staring into her eyes, now red-ringed and puffy.
"I'm-" she didn't finish, for as soon as she opened her mouth, the door to Tymmie's apartment simultaneously burst open.
"Now, now, now," Came a cruel voice from the doorway that Tymmie instantly recognized, "What do we have here?"
oOoOoOoOoOo
That's all folks! Sorry about the cliffhanger, but this chapter was pure evil to write through. EVIL! I'm not very happy with it.
Next Up: Trysten and Lance team up with Tessa and Aria, and what exactly is Jimena up to?
Thanks to all reviewers!
!nym!