I glance at Damen, ensuring he's still okay, watching him sleep as Roman says, "Yes, he's still alive, don't worry your pretty head about that. And just so you know, he'll most likely remain that way for many, many, many years to come. I have no plans to go after him again, so don't you fret. In fact, it was never my intention to kill either one of you, regardless of what you might've thought. Though, in all fairness, I suppose I should warn you that all this happiness does bear a cost."
"What is it?" I whisper, staring at Roman, having no idea what he could want besides Drina who's already gone. Besides, whatever the cost, I'll pay it. If it means getting Damen back, I'll do what it takes. "I see I've upset you," he coos, shaking his head. "Now I've already told you that Damen will be fine. In fact, more than fine. He'll be raring to go and better than ever. Just look at him, would you? See how his color's returned, how his form's bulking up? Very soon he'll be right back to that handsome, strapping young lad you've convinced yourself that you love so damn much you'd do anything to save him, no questions asked —"
"Get to the point," I say, my eyes on his, annoyed by the way these immortal rogues always insist on making every single moment about them , "Oh no." He shakes his head. "I've waited years for this moment, and I will not be rushed. You see, Damen and I go way back. Back to the very beginning, in Florence, where we met." And when he sees my expression, he adds, "Yes, I was a fellow orphan, the youngest orphan, and when he spared me from the plague I looked to him like a father." "Which would make Drina your mother?" I say, watching his gaze harden before relaxing again. "Hardly." He smiles. "You see, I loved Drina, I'm not afraid to admit it. I loved her with all of my heart. I loved her in the same way you think you love him." He motions toward Damen, who's returned to the way he was when we met. "I loved her with every ounce of my being, I would've done anything for her —and I never would've abandoned her like you did with him." I swallow hard, knowing I deserve that.
"But it was always about Damen. Always. About. Damen. That's all she could focus on. All she could see. Until he met you —the first time—and Drina turned to me." He smiles briefly, but it quickly fades when he says, "For friendship," practically spitting the word. "And companionship. And a big strong shoulder to cry on." He scowls. "I would've given her anything she wanted—anything in the world—but she already had everything—and all she wanted was the one thing I couldn't give her, wouldn't give her—Damen. Sodding. Auguste." He shakes his head. "And unfortunately for Drina, Damen only wanted you. And so it began—a love triangle that lasted four hundred years, each of us relentless, driven, never once giving up hope, until I was forced to—because you killed her. Guaranteeing we'd never be together. Guaranteeing our love would never be known—"
"You knew I killed her?" I gasp, my stomach twisting into a horrible knot. "This whole time?" He rolls his eyes. "Well, duh !" He laughs, performing a perfect imitation of Stacia at her brattiest. "I had it all planned, though I must say, you really threw me for a loop when you abandoned him like that. I underestimated you, Ever. I truly did. But even so, I held on to my plans, I told Ava you'd be back." Ava.
I look at him, my eyes wide, not sure I want to know what happened to the one person I thought I could trust.
"Ah, yes, your good friend Ava. The only one you could count on, right?" He nods. "Well, as it turns out, she gave me a reading once, quite a good one too I might say, and well, we kept in touch. You know she practically fled town the moment you left? Took all the elixir too. Left Damen alone in this room, vulnerable, defenseless, just waiting for me. Didn't even stick around long enough to see if your little theory was true —figuring you were long gone, so, either way, you'd never know the difference. You know, you really should be more careful about who you trust, Ever. You shouldn't be so naive." I swallow hard and shrug. There's nothing I can do about it now. I can't take it back, I can't change the past, the only thing I can change now is what happens next.
"Oh, and I loved how you kept peering at my wrist, searching for my Ouroboros tattoo." He laughs.
"Little did you realize we wear them wherever we choose, so I chose my neck."
I stand there silently, hoping to hear more. Damen didn't even know there were immortal rogues until Drina went bad.
"I started it." He nods, his right hand over his heart.
"I'm the founding father of the Immortal Rogue tribe.
While it's true that your friend Damen gave us all the first drink, when the effects began to wear off, he left us to age and wither, refusing to give us more."
I shrug and roll my eyes. Granting someone over a century's worth of living is hardly what I'd call selfish.
"And that's when I started experimenting, learning from the world's greatest alchemists until I'd surpassed Damen's work."
"You call that a triumph? Turning evil? Taking and giving life at will? Playing God ?"
"I do what I have to." He shrugs, inspecting his nails.
"At least I didn't leave the remaining orphans to shrivel. Unlike Damen, I cared enough to track them down and save them. And yeah, every now and then I recruit someone new. Though I assure you there's no harm done to the innocent, only to those who deserve it,"
Our eyes meet, but I quickly look away. Damen and I should've seen this coming, shouldn't have assumed Drina was the end.
"So imagine my surprise when I show up here only to find this —little—urchin—huddling with Damen in her little magick circle, while her creepy twin runs around town, trying to piece an antidote together before nightfall." Roman laughs. "Quite a successful search too, I might add. You should've waited, Ever. You shouldn't have broken the circle. Those two deserve far more credit than you were willing to give them, but then, as I said, you do have a tendency to trust the wrong ones. Anyway, meanwhile back at the bungalow, I just kicked around here, waiting for you to show up and break the protective seal, like I knew you would."
"Why?" I gaze at Damen, then over at Rayne, still huddled in the corner, too frightened to move. "What difference does it make?"
"Well, it is what killed him." He shrugs. "He could've lived for days had you not broken through like that.
Lucky for you I had the antidote on hand to bring him back. And even though there's a price, a huge hefty price, what's done is done, right? And now there's no going back. No. Going. Back You understand that better than any of us now, don't you?"
"Enough," I say, my hands curled into fists. Thinking I should get rid of him now, eliminate him for good. I mean, Damen's safe, Roman's not needed, so what harm could it do?
Except that I can't. It's not right. I mean, Damen is safe. And I can't just go eliminating people just because I deem them no good. I can't abuse my power that way. Much is expected to those given much, and all that.
I relax my fists, unfolding my fingers as he says, "That's a wise choice. You don't want to do anything too rash, even though soon you'll be tempted. Because you see, Ever, while Damen's going to be fine, perfectly fine and healthy and basically everything you could ever want him to be, I'm. afraid that's just going to make it all the more difficult when you realize you can never be together."