Page 59 of Court of Aether and Shadows

“If that’s the case, how would your actions deliver you any sort of satisfaction?” I ponder, using his intelligence against him. “If a sinner doesn’t confess their sins, they can’t be forgiven, nor can they be saved. So…how can one say they sinned if they don’t recall the very deed they committed? Seems like a waste of time if you ask me.”

“NO!” He shouts at the top of his lungs, taking a single step forward as he points my way. “You…don’t understand. YOU. DON’T. GET. IT!”

“And at this rate, I never will,” I state the obvious and put my hands up in defeat. “Everyone enjoys speaking in riddles, but no one wants to confront the elephant in the room!”

I sound like I’ve lost my mind, as I laugh and shake my head — taking steps back before I feel the ledge of the roof. I dare lift my foot onto the thin surface and enjoy rising upon my imbalanced leg that quivers at my added weight.

“What are you doing?!” Marco sneers and points my way, making those behind him aim their guns in my direction. “DON’T!” He snaps more at his comrades than me, but I smile as sweetly as I can while I take a few breaths.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I assure him. “I just like seeing you work up a sweat.”

“You’d be a coward if you ran away from facing your destiny!” Marco snaps and dares to smile.

“You’re correct,” I agree. “But realistically, who said I was a coward?”

“Y-You!! DAMMIT! Stop trying to confuse me!”

“A shame. You never the brightest bulb in the box,” I whine. “That’s why you’re pulling this operation of ‘Let’s Get Back At Sparrow’ for apparently ruining your life I know nothing about?”

“YOU killed my family. You destroyed the village. We were deemed commoners while you ruled in the Starlight city with your humbled husband of a monster and that traitorous sinner of a fae who’d rather betray his entire court just to be at your side!”

“Hmm. Sounds kind of romantic if you ask me,” I dare say, and maybe being so close to death is bringing out this odd side of me.

More daring…and dangerous…and risky. Ballsy in all areas of uncertainty. I wasn’t acting like the Sparrow who’d grown up in the Underground, just trying to make it day and night.

Right now…I was someone else.

Just like Marco was portraying a past that didn’t resonate with the present before our eyes.

“YOU’RE A MURDERER!”

“If it makes you sleep at night, Marco, sure,” I end up agreeing because fuck.I’m suddenly tired.“But let me ask you one thing?”

“What?!”

“How does it feel?”

“How does what feel?” he snaps in confusion.

“Losing,” I whisper with a grin as I take one final deep breath and dare take a glimpse of the sky above.

One that looked so familiar to the mesmerizing stars of the starlit sky from my dreams.

“What goes up,” I whisper sinisterly as my gaze lowers so I can meet his wide eyes. “Must come down.”

“Don’t you dare?—”

“Goodbye, Marco.”

I took one final step backward, feeling the edge of the roof beneath my heels only disappear, leaving me no choice but to fall back.

Marco's eyes widened as he realized what was unfolding before him.

"NO!" he shouted, lunging forward.

But it was too late.

With a jaunty salute and a decidedly unladylike gesture, I let myself fall backward into the open air. Marco's panicked cry followed me as I plummeted, the wind rushing past my ears, and I was blessed with a glimpse of his dismay — watching him grip the edge as his flabbergasted expression sought to see my end.

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