Offspring of Nightmares

Chapter 20

"What? No!" I duck to dodge the boomerang and back away from the circle of guardians. "That's not me! You know me. I wouldn't do that."

Jack comes to my side defensively, "leave her alone Bunny! Don't make me hurt you." His voice shook with anger as he lifted his staff to shield me from any attacks.

Defensively, I  hold the locket to my chest where it lays beneath my clothes.

"It was your face we saw in that vision, that means that you are the threat!" Bunny tried to advance his attack but he was stopped in his tracks by North.

Holding Bunny back by the arm he explained, "the vision is not a prophecy, it is only a window into the future. It is forever changing and is not a reliable source of information. Nothing in that vision proves anything."

Bunny growls and shrugs off North's tight grip on him to point an accusing paw at me. "Fine but if she's really no threat then why is she hiding herself behind Jack. Has she already poisoned his mind against us. Look how he flew to protect her the instant we suspect her of-"

Tooth interjects Bunny's ramblings, "Maybe it has something to do with you attacking her before there was any proof. I can't believe you Bunny! Shame on you!" Her normally sweet face became sour, her bottom lip pouting as she hovered with her fairies surrounding her.

She fluttered over towards me and Jack asking if I was okay. Her eyes lingered on the place where I held fast to my locket. "Emily" she began softly, "what are you holding?"

My heart was pounding against my chest now, the web of my lies was unwinding. I pondered the notion of running, hiding myself and Jack far from here, away from the truth. It was so tempting as my eyes flickered to a nearby window. Everyone was watching me so carefully now. Even Jack's eyes were too powerful to ignore, so focused on the shaking hand that held the locket.

"Emily..." Jack's voice sounded pleading now, "please."

Biting the inside of my cheek hard I slowly lifted the locket from inside my clothes to lay against my chest in full view. Hands flew to mouths as gasps emanated through the room. A startled elf crash-dived over the side of a couch in shock while a Yeti wailed in grief. I gulped back the lump in my throat and waited.

"No..." Tooth uttered in despair.

"Aha! I knew it! We never should have trusted her!" Bunny exclaimed pridefully.

Jack's face contorted, "you said the same thing about me when I became a Guardian! What do you think about me? Can you trust me?"

"No, not while you side with her!"

"Enough of this Bunny! That jewellery does not make her guilty!" North tried to defend me.

"If anything, her father is to blame, she's a victim to Pitch Black as much as anyone else and-" his eyes meet mine with fear. "Oh no.." he whispers.

Silence filled the room again and I felt myself sinking into it. Jack turned to me, the shock in his eyes filled my heart with anguish. I tired to speak but words failed me. Tooth backed away in terror. I looked to see Sandman standing, mouth agape at North. Then there was Bunny, a cruel expression taking over his face.

"Now it all makes sense." He aimed his boomerang at me once more.

I find my voice finally, "please, believe me. He may be my father by blood but he has done nothing but lie and be cruel to me for all the years he's been the Nightmare King. He may have sent me here to take you down but out of all the opportunities I had, I never did."

"You were going to betray us?" Jack's voice froze my blood. Now he turned on me. "I trusted you , I loved you and all along you were with Pitch. You're his daughter?" he spat.