Bound by Prophecy

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Morals

Emily sat silent while I attempted to explain my relationship with the Division, how I'd handed her sister over to the one group her prophecy said would kill her.

I told her how Morgan had turned on us. How he'd removed all those of Council who didn't cower to him. I explained our fear, that those who stayed seemed to submit to his every whim, as if they'd lost their own power of will. I told her he was treacherous, barbaric, but I didn't tell her the extent of his cruelty. I didn't tell her of the human girls we'd found, their bodies barely recognizable, as he passed the time until he came into his prophesied power. I couldn't tell her that. Not when he was after her, and not when he was after Brianna.

"Brendan convinced the others to leave Council, and he's been gathering new followers every day." Every time Morgan committed a new offense. "The split is quickly becoming a war. I'd never officially left Council, I stayed to try and right things, and I stayed because it was my place. When it went beyond fixing, I simply stepped away from everyone. The Division has been wooing me for a long time," I said. "But I've never had to take sides."

"Until Brianna," she said weakly.

"It was all I could do. The best place for her. No one there will want any harm to come to her. Their entire goal revolves around her."

"And then why," she asked,"if they want you so bad, if Morgan is so terrible, why don't you join them?"

"I don't trust them."

"You don't trust them?"

"I won't tell you why. I can't tell you, because there's still a chance-" I couldn't finish. I couldn't tell her how close we were to harm, how there was no guarantee of keeping either of us out of Morgan's hands completely.I couldn't tell her about the Division's interpretation of the prophecy, that they wanted me because they planned to use the second heir to the name for the foretold union. I said, "They don't want me for the right reasons, Emily. And I don't want you to trust them either."

She'd lost her determination again, her hands fisted to stop the trembling.

"They will protect her.It's the safest place in the world for her right now. And by this afternoon, we'll be with her." She nodded and I turned her to look directly into her eyes. "Don't trust them, Emily. Stay with Brianna."

She agreed to do as I asked, but I couldn't help reminding her again as she laced her shoes and found her jacket. I didn't tell her why, that if Brendan or any of the others were somehow able to penetrate her mind in a way I couldn't seem to do, Brianna would know. Brianna could stop them. But as I glanced around the room, I thought maybe I'd wasted my breath, because Emily didn't trust them at all. She'd been told her whole life they would kill her sister. And now I was forcing her to ally with them,to stay under their protection. I shook my head.

Emily stepped beside me and stared at the shattered dishes strewn across the room, assuming I was shaking my head at the mess she'd made. She glanced at me, silently questioning whether she needed to pick it up, and broke my contemplation. I found the receipt among the chaos and signed for the charge. She'd just cost Mr. Smith a pretty big tip.

We left the hotel to much warmer weather.Emily squinted against the sunlight, and her hand slipped beneath my arm to wrap loosely over my wrist as we navigated the crowd outside the valet stand. Several taxis waited for guests checking out, but we walked past them, opting instead for a random cab passing by several blocks from the hotel.

"Where to?" the driver asked, barely glancing at us as Emily slid into the backseat.

"Harper's Park,please."