The Thrill of Darkness

Part 97: Acid Green is The New Black

Anti's POV:

I didn't answer. I had no idea what I wanted him to say, or what to say myself. All I could do was just stand there, staring at him as he was swallowed by his own rage. Nothing had really changed between us, had it? No, We were still enemies, same as before; except the moment I'd found myself and walked into the light, he'd lost his own soul to the darkness. And you know what? He was right; It was my fault.

Jack's eyes flicked away from me slightly, his attention drawn to something over my shoulder. He looked back at me, raising a single eyebrow.

"Well look who it is... the prodigy," he said bemusedly.
"Sup, little Einstein?"

My blood ran cold with dread.

Atticus.

I whirled around to see the kid dashing towards us at full speed, nearly flying as he ran. He was following a familiar cloud of gilded smoke too closely for my comfort. The dark nimbus split in two as it approached, both sides missing me by mere inches. I glared at Fell as he shot past and reformed to stand by Jack, looking smug as always, before turning my attention back to the kid.

"Antioch!"

"No! Atticus, stop!" I shouted, prompting him to skid to a halt about ten yards away.
"Stay back!"

"But-" he started to protest, but I cut him off.

"I mean it; This isn't your fight, kid," I said sharply. He obviously didn't like it, but he stayed where he was. Relieved, I turned to face my foes once more.

"Very noble of you, Anti," Fell remarked.

"And very stupid," Jack added cuttingly.
"That brat's more powerful than you'll ever be... even if he is down a couple limbs."

My aura flared high with indignant rage. "Shut it. Never call him anything but his name," I snarled fiercely. "I may deserve your hate, but he doesn't.

"Hm. Are you ready to go?" Fell asked Jack. The turncoat in question cracked his neck loudly before advancing forward.

"Yeah; I've just got some unfinished business to take care of," he answered darkly.

An explosion of rose gold light appeared in front of Jack, stopping him in his tracks. He growled and reflexively began to draw his bow...

And stopped cold.

"Signe," he breathed. The shock on his face was the first emotion besides anger that I'd witnessed from him so far.

The Witch crossed her arms and neither flinched nor backed away from the arrow at her throat.
"Am I just unfinished business to you? Or were you just going to leave without a word to me?" She demanded angrily.

Jack recovered from his surprise and slowly lowered his bow. His expression was unreadable, his eyes stone cold.
"...You wouldn't understand," he said finally.

Signe's eyes flashed with anger.
"Oh, I wouldn't understand?" She parroted incredulously, "You can't be serious. You think I don't understand loss? Betrayal? Abandonment? Do you really think that I don't know exactly what you're going through?!" She shouted.

"Yes! Because you fucking don't!" Jack yelled, his anger returning. Signe's eyes softened.

"Sean... what about me? I... I loved you," she whispered tearfully. Jack stiffened and turned his back on her, looking down.

"You don't know me, Signe. And if you didn't see this coming... then You never really did," he spat bitterly.

I almost flinched at the look on Signe's face.

"Oh, I know enough," she hissed, her voice deadly soft.
"I know that you're a traitor. I know that you're just one more asshole who's gonna leave me Like all the rest. You weren't the first, Irish, and you won't be the last."

"..."

"I know I don't own you," she continued, "I can't stop you from turning your back on me and the rest of the people who love you. But pay attention mother fucker, cause I'm only gonna say this once:

"This your last free pass. If you walk away from me right now, I will hunt. you. down. And when I find you, I swear I'm going to tear your heart right out of your chest... just like you did mine, you son of a bitch. And that's a God damn promise."

There was a moment of silence in the wake of her words. Though I could only see Jack's back, I could tell that her vicious words had hit him hard.
I was shocked; I didn't think that she was even capable of having that much venom. If I were Jack... I would have been running for my life.

Fell didn't react, taking her words in stride. He smoked out without a word, flying off into the distance. Jack didn't follow, and for a moment, I thought he might actually stay. But then:

"...Goodbye, Signe."

He burst into shadows and shot after Fell without so much as a backward glance, leaving us behind.

For good.

"Goodbye... Jack," The Witch whispered before falling to her knees.