Rose sits across from me in the library, the small amount of light provided very little visibility for us to see each other. Yet that doesn't matter, I've gotten better with my aim. I didn't need light to put a bullet between her eyes.
I can only make out her face and shivering form as she hunches over using the towel I gave her to help warm her up. Her feet are caked in mud and the bags under her eyes look painfully swollen. The wound on her forehead is still bleeding and staining the floors a crimson red. I don't care because I needed answers, answers that would decide if she lived or died.
Her being here could be a set up or she could have actually came here to seek shelter. Knowing Rose I wasn't going to put it past her to make a move to get me sent back to Unity. Just like Margie and Richard she was a power hungry bitch but little did she know how much her little sister has changed over the year.
My gun rests on my thigh, my finger on the trigger as I watched her look around taking in her surroundings. "This place hasn't changed much at all." She says, voice shaky.
She sniffles a little and glances up at me, our eyes meet but the only response I can give her is a blink.
"I didn't think there'd be anyone here, this place has been abandoned for years." She tries again only she is met by silence.
She sigh her head dropping low in what I am to assume is shame? Rose? Shame? I never thought in a million years that I would be using Rose and shame in the same sentence. "W-will you please talk to me?"
"What do you want me to say Rose? Last time we saw each other you threatened to have me killed." I spit out angrily. Hearing her voice was starting to piss me off and my finger was twitching to pull back, I almost felt trigger happy.
Once again her eyes lower and I swear a see a few tears trickle down her cheeks. "I wasn't going to do it, it was all a lie." She whispers.
"A lie?" I laugh as if she had told me that most funniest joke in the world. "Who the fuck lies about wanting to kill their sister because she may or may not get crowned Rose? Tell me because I'm just itching to know?"
Rose sniffles a bit, it's a mix between a oncoming cold and sadness. "I didn't mean it... I just-"
"You're just what? You're just a cold hearted bitch that had a lot to lose?"
"No." She whispers.
"Really? Or was it that you just couldn't help yourself because you've been harboring some unknown hatred for me for years."
"No."
"Then what Rose I'd love to fucking know how my big sister had easily turned her back on me without even blinking an eye."
"No! No! No!" She cries out, "whatever you had gotten yourself into I didn't want to get caught up in the aftermath as fucked up as that may sound. The King and Prince Anthony had been breathing down my neck asking me if I had any idea of what you had been doing. Of course I didn't but they didn't believe me and started accusing me of all these horrible things. I was just so upset because my life was exactly where I wanted it to be and now I felt like it was all being snatched out right from under me. I didn't even believe it at first and then when Prince Anthony felt like his people were going to revolt he started hitting me."
Rose looks up at me a fresh set of tears flowing down her puffy cheeks. She cups her large swollen belly delicately. I had no idea how I didn't notice it before and maybe it was because seeing her brought out a ugly anger in me that made me see nothing but her face underneath the foot of my boot. "I had to do something to protect myself. I had no choice but to make it seem like I wanted nothing to do with you."
"You're pregnant." I look down at her swollen belly.
"I was willing to do anything to protect my unborn child." She whispers.
I search her face looking for a lie the only problem is I can't find one. I don't let that deter me from keeping my guard up. If it was one thing I knew about Rose it was that she was a damn good liar when she needed to be.
"I don't believe you."
Rose shakes her head sadly her wet coils sticking to her forehead, "how could you not?"
"I don't know, how about the years of emotional and mental abuse you helped Margie and Richard put me through? There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't hear you spitting on my name like I was lesser than you. Like I wasn't your own flesh and blood, hell you treated your friends better than you had ever treated me."
"That may be true but you cannot deny the fact that I had always been the one there to defend you. Back in school when those girls would gang up on you, try and talk shit about you, hit you. I was the one that protected you because I loved and cared about you... I just had a hard time showing it."
I roll my eyes and laugh again because the bullshit she was spewing wasn't making any logical sense. "Do you hear yourself? Do honestly think that defending me back in fucking high school made up for all of the abuse you, Margie and Richard put me through even after we graduated? You and those people made every single day of my life a living fucking hell and I was so fucking use to it that I put up with it. The moment you started noticing boys and noticing how society wanted you to be you changed. You changed and treated me like shit!" I say spitting out each word in complete and utter disgust.
"You weren't the only one that would get punished too." She whispers harshly.
"What are you talking about?" I frown narrowing my eyes at her.
"You think you were the only one that had it hard?" She shakes her head again, "mom and dad used to hit me too, those times where I defended you against them I would get backhanded too, I'd get locked in the closet too. Do you honestly think I just roamed Danid without ever receiving any form of punishment?" She laughs sourly and when I don't respond she continues.
"They beat the living hell out of me, they beat everything out of me and forced me to become this person, to become this monster, to become their perfect little angel. I didn't have a choice in the matter and so I conformed to stop facing their wrath. Why do you think no matter how old I got I never stopped coming to your room to sleep with you."
I froze for a moment because she was right. As much as I thought she had hated me because I'm sure she still does there hadn't been a day that had gone by where she didn't sneak into my room and sleep with me. I had chalked it up to her being afraid of the dark, not of our parents.
Only in those small moments before I drifted off to sleep did Rose ever treat me like I was her sister.
"I hated being alone, I hated hearing them yelling at me, screaming at me because I wasn't living up to their standards. I became this person to survive, you weren't the only one that became their personal punching bag."
"So you figured playing a role in hurting me would help you better survive." I drawl out slowly. "Even though I've never seen any of what you're talking about to be true."
"Do you remember the time I had spent three weeks at my friends Tyla's house?"
I slowly nod my head unsure of where she was going with this. "I do."
Rose stands to her feet abruptly, the barrel of my gun follows causing her to cease all movements. "Can I lift my dress?" She asks timidly.
I nod my head again my eyes focused on any sudden movement she might make to attack me.
I watch as she slowly lifts the back of her dress with struggle presenting me with something I had never seen in my life.
It makes me almost sick as a small gasp falls from my lips, "they did this to me when I had failed a fucking exam. A exam Ivy." Her voice cracks and her body trembles.
What stood before me was a long nasty scar that went from mid back to the top of her butt and a little bit past the panties she wore. Her skin had been marred in a few more scars on her back in just the perfect spots that allowed her to still wear dresses that showed off her back, just not too low. "I was never at Tyla's house, I was too busy in the ER recovering from this."
I lean over my fingers brushing against the raised scar in confusion. How did not ever notice this?
I sit back and swallow thickly, "that doesn't meant what you did was right. It doesn't make up for it."
"I know." Rose sighs dropping the dress and turning around, taking her place back on the chair she tosses the damp towel back over her shoulders. "I never told anyone because I was too scared too. I didn't want to get caught because I had opened my big fat mouth and told on mom and dad."
I don't say anything because what could I say? I wasn't the only one that faced Richard and Margie's wrath and if anything it looked like Rose had took the brunt of their punishment.
I look away torn and utterly confused.
Scratching my scalp with the barrel of the gun I recompose myself with a deep inhale.
"You've changed you know." Rose says after a while of silence.
"I know."
"I never expected shy little Ivy to finally come out of hiding." She jokes only it makes me irritated.
"You need to leave."
Her eyes widen, "l-leave? I have nowhere to go."
I raise a unimpressed brow, "and why is that? When I left I had nowhere to go, I think you'll do just fine out there by yourself."
"No Ivy you don't understand."
"I think I do, you can't be here. So..." I cock my gun back lodging a bullet into the chamber of the gun. "You leave or I shoot you and you still leave this time with a bullet hole, your choice."
"Please." She puts her hands together in prayer tears pouring down her cheeks. "Please just hear me out."
"Two minutes, after that I want you out."
She nods her head sniffling a bit, she whispers something under her breath before looking down at me. "You and Juko's life is in danger."
"I am aware." I deadpan.
"No... you don't understand..." she looks off into the distance a faraway look in her eyes as she continues. "The King hired these skilled assassins to come after you and Juko. These men are powerful and I think they may be as strong as Juko."
"And what makes you think that?" If she wanted my attention then she surely had it now.
"The King never planned to hear you out and in desperate measures to keep the entirety of Unity from revolting against him he hired these men. They call themselves the immortals. Ivy you gotta believe me when I tell you these men are bad news."
"And how do you of all people even know about them?"
"As desperate as they thought I was to keep my title they decided to use me as a pawn. They figured I'd help them find you, help them bring you back to Unity so that they can put you on trial in front of the royal court and Unity's people. They told me that it would be a fair trial, they'll hear you out and decide together if you're a big enough threat to the kingdom to be locked away or killed. Only it didn't take a idiot to see that the King and Queen planned on having you killed regardless of whatever the high courts chose."
"And where does Juko come in all of this?"
"While you are to be hold up in a cell awaiting your trial they were going to use you to lure him back to the capital which is where the immortals come in."
I snort, "this plan doesn't sound very well thought up and I'm starting to think you're setting me up."
"I promise I'm not." Rosalie says shaking her head firmly.
I look down at her my eyes cut sharply to the gnash on her forehead and the beads of water trickling down her face. "You just told me they were going to use you as a pawn to kidnap me."
"I'm not, my life is already on the line." Rosalie whimpers when I aim the barrel of my gun between her eyes. "And if anything I came here to warn you about the immortals. Juko may be able to take out the Monarchy with no problem but those men... they aren't human. They're fucking monsters and I doubt Juko will make it out if this alive if I didn't tell you. To at least give you all a fighting chance."
"And why should I believe you Rose!" I seethe. "After everything you put me through, why shouldn't I just put a bullet through your skull and call it a day."
"Because I know about J3, I know that Dr. Kimble was able to get a good amount of Juko's spinal fluid when we learned of his attempted assassination. Juko wasn't even supposed to live, Dr. Kimble knew that the only way to get the dna was if Juko died and he planned on letting him. He covered up his tracks and gave word to the King about its discovery, he planned on getting paid handsomely for its findings. Once the King got word he hired the immortals to kill Juko only he knew that they were going to need a little boost if they were going to get the job done. The immortals were the first pair of men to ever have it injected into them other than Juko. Two died and five of them lived. But the real reason why I'm telling you this is because the leader is who scared me the most. He didn't have to take the drug, without it he's still stronger than his men."
I was completely and utterly confused and left in a state of shock for a good five seconds. Dr. Kimble the same man that had known Juko since he was a boy betrayed him. He had planned on letting Juko die on that operating table and he did so that he could steal Juko's spinal fluid and sell the drug off as his own discovery. Dr. Kimble would be paid off handsomely and get to live the rest of his days filthy rich and known to be the man that helped end the war against the dragons.
At this point I knew Rose wasn't lying and it raised concerns because if that was the case then that meant that there were dangerous people after me. Me being living and breathing meant that Juko and our kids lives were in far more danger than we had initially thought. Juko needed to know but unfortunately he was the only one with a phone and since the storm the power has been iffy, he could hardly get a charge going and when he did it was usually to make important calls before the phone died.
"There's one more thing I need to know." I inhale deeply trying to calm the raging nerves fluttering throughout my entire body. "How did you know I'd be here?"
Rose frowns, "I didn't, I came here to because I decided I wanted no parts in the King's little scheme. I told Anthony I wanted out and that's when he flipped out. He threatened to kill me and our unborn child if I didn't go through with the plan so I left in the dead of night. This was the only place I could think of because no one has been here in years and it's miles away from Unity's territory."
"And the wounds?"
"You've been out here on your own longer than me, you of all people should know that outside of the walls of Unity the rules do not apply." She laughs sadly. "I was robbed by a gang of bikers, got beaten up and had the last of my food and water stolen before they left me on the road to die. The only reason why I came here was because I thought this would be the safest place for me to hide out until I decided to start moving again." She says gently rubbing her belly. "We almost didn't make it but my baby's a fighter."
Part of me feels a twinge of remorse but the better half of me still doesn't trust Rose. If she had stumbled upon this place who's to say that others wouldn't follow in suit? Me and Juko needed to get moving now but the problem was I had triplets and I was going to need some type of transportation if I was going to make it back to Amorite in one piece.
I was stuck and the only thing I could do was wait for Juko to come home. The storm deadly enough and I wasn't planning on losing one of my baby's even if push came to shove.
"You need to go Rose, you can't stay here." I say breaking the silence.
"B-but..."
"I don't want to hear it, you had no-" my sentence is cut short when I hear a loud thumping sound from upstairs.
Shit.
"Is Juko here too?" Rose asks curiously looking up at the ceiling.
"Stay here, if you do anything that'll make me feel like you're putting my life in danger I will kill you and your unborn child myself. You won't have to ever worry about Prince Anthony or the King."
Rose swallows thickly her eyes widening as her head nods up and down frantically.
Rushing off I head back upstairs and straight towards the triplets room. Stuffing the gun in the side of my panties I rush over to Akeno who sat on the floor softly crying.
"Oh no, what happened baby?" I coo trying to make sure I keep his crying to a minimum.
He looks up with me with those piercing gray eyes and and grabs at the air. His bottom lip trembles as I scoop him into my arms, "did you fall baby?"
He nods his head into my chest as I try to smooth him with small back rubs. The bed was low so I knew he wouldn't be hurt badly. Still I check him out babying him as Juko says to make sure there wasn't a scratch on him.
When I find nothing I carry Akeno, gentle rocking him in my arms as I check on Eden and Elliot. They are out cold which makes me sigh in relief. He didn't wake them.
Once Akeno finally calms down I lock the door and place him back in bed wait until he starts to fall asleep to leave.
When I'm done I close their door and head back downstairs and into the library. Still being cautious I raise my gun and enter the room only to find it empty with a candle missing from the fireplace.
My heart drops into the pits of my stomach and my body nearly lurches forward in fear. I race out the room checking every door as I do. Soon I find myself in the kitchen only to see Rose eating pieces of bread and drinking water out of a pitcher greedily.
I sigh dropping my gun as she turns around and jumps. Placing a hand over her heart and she sighs in relief but that changes when I storm over to her and snatch the bread from her hands.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I snap angrily.
"I-I was h-hungry and you were taking l-long. I'm sorry." Her eyes are full of fear and for some reason she reminds me of me. I take a step back dropping the bread on the counter.
"Eat, and then you leave."
She nods quietly chowing down on the fancy bread and purified water until her hearts content. I can only stand back and watch her as she dives in stuffing her face until her hearts content.
"Is there someone other than you here?"
I narrow my eyes at her, "that's none of your fucking business."
"Right..." she looks away slowing down in the bread. "You've changed so much."
"I know..."
"I'm sorry Ivy. I'm sorry for everything."