Modern day
"You did what?!" I grunt, taking a threatening step towards Goliath.
"It was the only way, Char." Goliath raises his hands, giving me pleading look. My breath grows uneven and I hold back my anger just enough to not deck the incompetent little liar right in the noggin.
"No it wasn't. Why? Why couldn't you just drop the damn note and leave her alone? You do realize her Diamond is friends with Mercy? Your little sister? If Emberlyn gets hurt, Crystal gets hurt, and if Crystal gets hurt, then Mercy gets hurt, which hurts you." I shove Goliath, letting my anger get the better of me. He stumbles back and I advance, not caring that he's bigger and stronger than me by a long shot.
"Charlie, if you really want what's best for that girl, that was it! Now, when the Retirca come back to the Alkina, she'll be spared. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to get one of those things on such short notice? I had to give her damn assignment results to the Hylyns counsil, and getting that without setting off like 50 different alarms was almost harder than getting them to see me in the first place. My sister? She already has protection just by being related to me, but your little girlfriend? The only way they were gonna let her live was this. Or if she got knocked up, but that'd be a little hard for you to do, now wouldn't it?" I glare at him, daring him to continue.
"So you just fucking dropped a Caltrital on her? What kind of demented fuck are you? She's going to have to live with that for the rest of her life! You had no right."
"It wasn't my idea." Goliath shouts, and I go silent, stepping back. He sighs. "Mercy's Sapphire. Kaden. You remember that little fucker? He's a Caltrit, he has a thing for her, and he knew the only way she'd survive the seige is if she was basically a fucking god. So he had me make her one." I fume.
"This is some bullshit."
"I know, Char. I know."
"No. You don't know. That's my-"
"Your what? Your girlfriend? Your childhood buddy? Charlie, you don't even know what she is to you. Or what you are to her. You need to let her go. Even if she does survive the seige, you can't be with her. You're already betrothed to that stuck up little fucker Tanner. I still don't understand why they would make you do that even for a fucking treaty." I slump, staring at the floor. "Look, Char, it's going to be okay. In all the months you've been here, have I ever lead you astray?" I shake my head. I hugs me tightly, hitting my back a few times before letting go. "Like I said, don't worry. Soon this will all feel like a lifetime ago."
"That it will. That it will." I sit down on a chair. Goliath sits next to me, meakly offering me a subtle smile. The sides of my lips tilt up a little and all is forgiven. Until a girl comes running into the room.
"Kaden's here, and he's pissed." My smile vanishes, as does Goliaths, and the girl runs off. I go to follow her but Goliath grabs me arm, muttering a warning to me.
"He probably saw us at the Sinking Feeling. Don't deny anything. He can look up the records and we'll just be in even deeper shit." I pale and he lets go of my arm. I stumble after the girl, Goliath in toe.
"You two fuckers, what did you say to my girlfriend?" I tense, and Goliath reaches out and places a hand on my back in warning.
"You'll have to be more specific than that. We need a name. We talk to a lot of people, don't we, Goliath?" I reply off handedly. He grunts in confirmation.
"Emberlyn. The Bronzer turned Sapphire? You know, the weird eyed girl? Crystal's sapphire?" He pauses for dramatic effect and I grit my teeth. "Also probably the newest addition to the Caltrit as of I'd say, I don't know." My hands ball up and I can feel my nails digging into my skin as Kaden pulls up a holo of the time and taps at his head, pretending to do calculations. "About fifteen minutes ago?" Goliath's hand presses harder on my back, warning me that if I did anything he'd stop me faster than a tunnel set to evacuate. I can feel blood in the beds of my nails and I wince, but we both stay silent. "Oh come on, do I need to start getting graphic? Tell you how she feels-"
"You shut your punk ass mouth before I shut it for you." Goliath speaks, surprising me. Kaden steps forward, punching Goliath in the face. Goliath's head whips back and I shreik. Goliath stumbles, but stays standing. He glares at Kaden.
"Gotcha." Kaden smirks. "See, I figured one of you probably had some sort of sick crush on my girl... I just had to figure out which one on my own though, considering I couldn't exactly ask Emberlyn. At least it's not that she's planning to run off with one of you. I'd know about that, but god help me if you don't keep your grubby little hands off her I'll make sure you don't have any hands to mess around with any longer. Dismissed." I hold my rage back, I can't let Goliath take a punch for nothing. I have to keep myself in check for now. This is one big shit fest. It was so much simpler two weeks ago.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
