Chapter Thirteen
"Merle? Primrose? Merle?"
She moans, not opening her eyes yet. "Dillon?"
"I'm here," he responds quickly.
"I'll kill you if you ever call me Primrose again."
To her surprise, he laughs. Crazy traitor-boy. But what she's trying to focus on is why her head is throbbing—though that pain is fading—and why she's lying down.
What happened?
Then it hits her. The mission to France! Blake showed up too early…and …the prick betrayed her!
She sits up suddenly, opening her eyes in shock. She is in big trouble. Luckily, only Dillon, Ethan, and Neriah are in the room with her at the moment.
"Is Jeanne okay?" she blurts out. Jeanne? Since when is Guard business her first interest after possibly waking from the dead?
Ethan and Neriah glance at each other triumphantly.
"She's fine," Neriah assures her. "Are you okay?"
"I'll live…I think. Or I guess I already have?" Merle shakes her head distractedly. Stupid muddled thoughts. Still, one thing is clear. "Though Blake won't," she growls.
"We can make sure of that," Dillon says darkly, surprising her. Why would he care? Actually…wait a second…
"Didn't I die?" she asks suddenly. "Blake…the poison…my first kiss…that whole thing…"
"It was poison?" Ethan asks.
"That was your first kiss?" Dillon demands at the same time.
Merle smiles slightly, in spite of herself. "Yes and yes. Jerk. Couldn't have even tried to kill me with my second kiss."
"That would explain a lot…" Neriah trails off thoughtfully.
"But didn't I?" Merle repeats.
"Yes…" Ethan says unwillingly. "But Dillon and I came to get your soul from the Middle Realm."
So she really did die. But she is alive. That will take some getting used to. It makes sense, though, in a strange sort of way. She feels changed. Like she'd…left… one person and woke up another. Her priorities are surprisingly straight to her.
One: Exterminate Blake
Two: Leave the whole business of the Guard and Order and move away
Three: Live a normal life
That is really all she wants right now. Merle sighs. Too bad the Guard would probably exterminate her first. This is going to be complicated. She suddenly notices that Ethan and Dillon are looking at her strangely.
"What?"
"Don't you want to know?" Dillon bursts out.
"Know what?" she asks blankly.
"…who your soul-mate is?" Ethan suggests.
Not really. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"That only your soul-mate can get you from the Middle Realm!"
Oh yeah. Whoops. She totally knew that, really.
"I kind of have more important things on my mind," she snaps, embarrassed.
So it's either Ethan or Dillon. That is a somewhat…surprising revelation. "Well? Out with it."
Ethan and Dillon share an apprehensive look before the former opens his mouth…
"What the hell?!" Merle shrieks a moment later, after Ethan finishes explaining. "No! No! I refuse!"
"You can't just refuse, Merle," Ethan comments lightly.
"Like hell I can't!"
"Well, if Isabel or Neriah couldn't manage it, I don't see how you can," Dillon points out.
"Do I look like Isabel or Neriah?!"
"No, actually, you're prettier."
"Can you not be serious for five seconds?"
"I am serious!"
"And so am I!" Merle declares. "I refuse."
"Merle," Neriah starts comfortingly, though she's cut off by Dillon storming out of the room.
A moment later, what suspiciously sounds like a wall being broken and falling in upon itself fills the otherwise silent room. Merle rolls her eyes, while Ethan and Neriah appear more sympathetic—though towards whom is questionable.
"So, what, is now when the Tribunal kills me for betraying you lot?" she asks finally, trying to hide her genuine apprehension.
"You did betray us?" Neriah gasps.
"Would you believe me, even if I say I didn't mean to?" Merle queries flatly.
"Yes," Ethan answers loyally.
"Didn't think so—wait, yes?"
"I heard your thoughts, Merle," the Immortal informs her gently.
The one time I don't shield my thoughts…
"When you're feeling a little stronger, you'll have to tell the Tribunal what really happened."
"Oh, joy."
It's as though they have to burden her with everything the second she woke up. Couldn't they give her a little time? Merle wonders. It isn't enough that Dillon's her soul-mate? That she might actually be okay with it? Or even that he can never know, in case Blake decides to try to hurt her through him?
Nothing belongs to me!! Sorry for the wait.