"I have information you all should know," Victor grumbled. "Information that could be and will be of use to you for everything you're going through now. Daniel-"
A sharp, immediate noise erupted, followed by instinctive screams, followed by the deadliest silence. It took a moment to realize what happened, but as soon as a Victor fell forward and a bullet wound was visible in his back and Mr. Perry was standing behind him with a gun, it was very clear what had just happened.
"-has just killed Victor," Mr. Perry finished the sentence Victor wasn't able to. "You only get one shot at things in life. Victor had his chance in the restaurant to tell Eddie everything. I mean, I know I threatened him and all, but it's not like I could ever kill him in a restaurant. It's not like I'd really take Corbierre away; I mean really. A dumb stuffed bird? You know," he chuckled maniacally, "this is quite enjoyable...Targeting weaknesses to get what I want. One of you here knows that all to well, isn't that right Jerome?"
Mr. Perry raised his eyebrows, awaiting a response, and the others actually wanted a response too.
"No worries. I give you permission to tell them; this has been going on all too long. But just know it's your fault all your friends are in this Jerome. And I'm sure they'll hate you even more once you tell them the truth. If that's even really possible. I mean, no one likes you. Out of your entire life, when has anyone ever liked you no matter what you've done?"
Jerome was trying his best to hold back tears when Joy stepped in and defended, "Hey, don't you talk to him like that!"
"Silence, pretty lady. Sweetie Junior, stay here, the rest of you, have a pleasant evening."
"Eddie?" Patricia asked.
"Just go. I swore I'd come back, remember?" Eddie questioned.
The others were forced to leave, seeing they were dealing with a mad man and a gun. The hurried back to Anubis house, Jerome ahead of them all, and Fabian and Alfie were the last ones to make it back in the house.
"Jerome Clarke, if you don't start explaining in the next four seconds my hammer and knife are going to penetrate you where it's not pretty."
"I'm explaining, I'm explaining," Jerome insisted. "Just know it's a lot to take in, and afterwards, I'll go if you want me to go because I swear you'll hate me. I've known Daniel since I-or we were young. He was smart, but pretty arrogant, bossy, and a bad influence, but all the same, he was there for the ones he cared about when they needed him most. Little did we know, he really only cared about himself."
"How do you mean?" Fabian asked.
"Well, he used to have good intentions. But his parents just thought of him as a weird kid. They hated the fact he obsessed so much over Egyptian mythology, praising and giving rituals to the gods. They told him he was a failure, and he'd never be what they wanted him to be. And he believed it all eventually. Then he somehow...twisted his own brain to think it was everyone else. That everyone else was the problem. And he could officially be declared insane."
"How did you two know eachother?" Nina asked.
"His parents saw he was too insane for them to handle, for them to love...so they sent him to live with his grandmother. Or our grandmother. Since we're cousins."
"You're related to Daniel?!" Alfie exclaimed. "Plot twist..."
Jerome continued, undermining Alfie's statement. "He convinced me to side with him against the world. I looked up to him after all, not really having a father-figure and him being six years older than me. I just so happened to have the perfect qualities of a criminal."
"You didn't commit any crimes, did you?" Alfie asked.
Jerome's stare grew longing as though he were flashing back.
"Did you?" Patricia repeated, impatient for Jerome to continue.
"Not really crimes to get me...arrested in jail per se, but like I started telling you, Joy, Daniel could get me arrested again anytime."
"Where were you arrested if not jail?" Joy asked.
"Mental asylum. Psychiatric hospital. A run down building with a nine-person staff that kept us locked up all day and served us more drugs than they did food. Because apparently I was crazy. At least I knew I'd gone somewhat crazy the duration I was in there. And I was only there because I was stupid enough to follow in Daniel's footsteps, and he didn't want to go alone."
"How'd you get out?"
"Daniel convinced me to plot a breakout. Obviously it wouldn't be a hard thing to do with so little workers, but still a challenge. And when it was finally time to carry out the plan, he didn't come. He claimed he was right at home, and that I should carry out his legacy beyond the stone walls until he got out. Well, I didn't of course, and I never saw him again for a while, not even knowing if he got out."
"Wait, how old were you when you went in and broke out?" Fabian questioned.
"Six when I got in. Ten when I escaped."
A brief silence hung in the foyer until Joy responded, "A kid shouldn't go through that, especially not at those ages."
"Well, I did. And I never saw Daniel except for brief moments when I spotted him around a corner or a few blocks away. I could've sworn he was stalking me, but then again, it could've just been the drugs, and I was insane. I began receiving letters as well and emails and texts, and I knew it had to be him. I just never physically associated with him for all these years, and yet still, he never let me forget him."
"You should've just ignored them," Nina advised.
"I did. Trust me, I tried so hard. But they drove me even crazier. And it lasts, ever since I last saw him, to today. It was this year when he showed up to my front door one day, telling me about his new job at the boarding school, some of plans, and what he needed from me."
"And you agreed to it, didn't you?" Joy already knew.
"I tried to retaliate! I tried to say I was out. But he threatened to kill Poppy and insured my father would rot in prison if I didn't do what he wanted."
"But that's his family too," Patricia pointed out. "That's sadistic."
"Yes it is, but I made the deal. Not that I work with the Secret Society, just Daniel himself, but I know most of what he's doing, and that's why I didn't want to be part of Sibuna. I felt like it'd jeopardize your lives even more, but you jeopardize your own lives anyway, and so does he. Which is why I'm in Sibuna now, but I told Daniel it was just a coverup to get information from you guys-even though I haven't told him anything!"
"We believe you," Nina nodded. "Or at least, I do. But how much have you been in on the endangerment of our lives. Even if you felt like you protected us by not joining Sibuna, what role have you played so far?"
"I...I told him all about the Chosen One and Osirion. I told him all your addresses. To get you all here. For him."
The others looked around at eachother, not knowing what to say right away.
"I'm the reason Nina and Eddie, and maybe another one of you, will have to die, and I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I hate myself for it-for making this dumb deal just because I'm a coward."
"Holy sh-"
Joy quickly placed a hand over Alfie's mouth to silence him.
"This is literally worse than making a deal with the devil!" Alfie exclaimed to Jerome, removing Joy's hand.
"Well good job on making your best friend feel better about himself," Joy commented sarcastically.
"No, I deserve it," Jerome insisted. "I deserve worse because I'm a horrible person. I jeopardized your lives. He captured Alfie, and even though he's rescued now, he has Eddie. He shot Victor. My future wife is upstairs in a never ending nightmare! Alfie's wife is as well! So are the children! And he's-not-done...because of me. It's my fault, and we all know it."
~~~~~
End of the chapter! What a revelation about Jerome and how he knew Daniel Perry! Props to CupcakeSugarCookies1 for figuring that they were related back when I asked how they knew eachother a while ago in the chapter House of Deciphering/House of Choices. She(I assume you are a female) didn't know there was going to be a dedication for it. I just felt like I should for her getting the answer right.
What do you think will happen to Eddie?
Thoughts on Jerome's confession?
I really don't know how much longer this story will be, but I do hope you've been enjoying! No matter how long it is, I'll give my HOA fanfic finale a spectacular ending...I hope. It's really up to you Aristocrats, so thanks again for reading. Sorry again that the updates haven't been as regular as they were. I just keep saying sorry and explaining why and...yeah, never mind. You get it, I'm sure.
So, until next time Aristocrats!