Waterfalls

Chapter Ninety-One

There is a knock on my door. I don't move from behind my desk as I say, "come in." Maryanne walks into the room timidly.

"You summoned me?" she asks. I nod my head and signal for her to take a seat. I can hear her racing heart and see a small bead of sweat on her forehead. She is nervous.

"There is something I wish to discuss with you," I say to her. She gulps and sits, though I don't miss her shaking hands as she pulls out the chair.

"What can I help you with?" she asks.

"There is something that Daniel said to me which isn't sitting right with me,"  I begin. "It is almost like she knew that she was going to die," I quote what he had said to me before the battle. "It does seem odd, that Serenity started enchanting seeds that will grow enough food for our people's survival only a few days before her death." Maryanne says nothing. "It has been playing on my mind a lot recently actually." I stop for a few seconds and take a long slow breath.
"Then I remembered something that happened a while ago now. You had a particularly nasty vision of the future. You said that if you told us what would happen, then Shadow would be destroyed. So you kept it to yourself," I snarl. "Did you see Serenity's death?" I ask. Maryanne has tears running down her face as she slowly nods her head. I feel a rage burn inside of me and I glare at her.

"I'm so sorry, Isla," she whispers. "We saw her die but we didn't see how or when. We also saw what would happen if we told you. You would have left, taken her and you siblings away to safety and Shadow would have been destroyed. I had to make a choice and now that is a choice I have to live with for the rest of my life," she cries. I don't say anything for a few moments as I let it sink in. Both her, her father and aunt knew. They knew that Serenity was going to die and they kept it from us.

"My father told me not to tell anyone, but I felt so guilty!" she cries. "So I told Serenity." My eyes widen. "She said she understood why we couldn't tell any of you and that if she could help save Shadow she would. That was when she started making preparations. Of things that could save our people in case she was killed." I stay silent for a few more seconds.

"Get out," I say, my voice dark and cold.

"Isla, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, I had to do what I thought was best. Have mercy, please," she pleads.

"Mercy?" I ask, standing up slowly. "Oh, I am showing you mercy right now!" I shout. "By not telling Tanya or Toryn of what you and your family have done. If they were to find out, they would kill you!" I shout and she cowers away from me. "But I want you out!" I scream in rage. My hands grab hold of the desk and I launch it across the room. It goes flying over her head and she only just manages to get out of the way in time. It slams into the opposite wall and smashes into pieces, making a mess of my room.

"That is mercy," I spit as I walk toward her as she cowers on the floor. "But I want you out of this palace," I snarl. "And out of my life. I don't want to look at you ever again!" I scream.

"I'm sorry," she whispers.

"Out," I reply as I stand above her. She stands quickly and rushes out of the room. I go and sit back on the chair that used to be behind my desk. Tears run down my face. Serenity's death could have been prevented. She could be with us now. I stand up again, rage coursing through me. I walk through the corridors and head down to where we keep the prisoners.

Harrison  Moore has been healed up. He lies against the stone floor with chains around his neck, wrists and ankles. His face is covered in mud and grime, his hair greasy. Sorcha stripped away all his magic. He looks so weak and pathetic now. He looks up at me with pleading eyes.