Page 102 of Darkness Falls

"Aves," I say cautiously because I'm not entirely sure how she's going to react to this.

Her eyes peek up from her plate of fruit and lock with mine. "Why are you looking at me like I'm some sort of fragile person who's going to break at a moment's notice?"

"I'm sorry. I just really don't know how to bring this up, or what you're going to say."

"Well, spit it out, Cals. I didn't think we needed to tip-toe around each other's feelings." She rolls her eyes.

"I know you're going through a lot right now, but you don't have to do that. I'm on your side," I say to try and pacify her.

"I was just kidnapped, held in a disgusting cell without knowing whether or not I would live, found out I have a sister, and my parents died, all in the same week. Give me some grace, please. I'm not upset with you. I'm upset with the world right now."

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to have a moment with Damien before I killed him," I say frankly because she's right. There's no reason to sugarcoat it. She knows we have him here.

"I..." she trails off, not sure how to answer the question, as she moves the strawberries around on her plate.

"You don't have to see him if you don't want to, but if you think it will help, then you can go alone, or I can go with you. If it's going to help you heal, I want you to take the opportunity to speak your peace because I'm killing him today."

She takes a moment to consider whether or not she wants to be involved, and I let myself get lost in thought. It feels strange to tell her I'm going to kill someone, but I've been sitting on this for days now, and it's time. I can't expect the guys to do it for me, even though I know they would in a heartbeat, simply because they love me. His life is mine to take.

I've never wanted to kill someone before I met Damien. I had a strong dislike for my father, and I often wished he would die, but I never saw myself being the one to do it. Sebastian killing him was the equivalent of him swooping in on a white horse and slaying my monsters for me. My father was a demon that haunted me my entire life, but thatwas never my choice. I was raised with him, molded to be his legacy.

I chose to be with Damien at one point, and while he may have been manipulating me under the guise of being Julian, I still chose him. It makes me sick even thinking about how stupid I was. All those years of being careful, and I let that piece of shit deceive me.

I glance back at Avery, and she takes a deep breath, shaking her head. "I don't think I want to be involved."

"Okay, are you sure?" I ask again, double-checking because it's not like this is something that can be decided down the line. I don't want her to feel like she missed out on the moment.

"Cals, I can't. Knowing he's dead is enough for me. I don't want to be involved. I can't have that on my conscience."

"You're a better person than I am; I'll give you that," I say as I stand from my chair to walk around the table.

She stands, and I pull her into a hug. This is my younger sister, and I'll do anything in my power to protect her and make sure that no matter what, she is loved. She squeezes me tightly, reassuring me that she needs me to be the strength I'm all too willing to be for her.

When she pulls back, her eyes meet mine. "I really am sorry you never got to meet our parents."

"That is not something you ever need to be sorry for. You didn't know. Everything happens for a reason, and while I would have loved to have met them, I have you. We found each other, and I'm so grateful for that."

"Make sure your face is thelast one he sees. He deserves to rot in Hell knowing you were the one to put him there," she says, and I nod.

"Gladly."

I walk out of the room and go to find the guys all sitting in the lounge room. They've been waiting for me to decide when I was ready to end all this. The fact that they are willing to be there with me while I do it means more than I could ever explain. They've got my back and are there to support me in every possible way. It's the greatest gift I could have ever received.

"It's time?" Seb asks, knowing why I came into the room without me even having to say anything.

"It's time."

"YES!" Kyler says as he jumps up to run over, grab me, and spins me around in circles.

I laugh, trying to get him to put me down. "Ky, I'm getting dizzy."

Barrett steps over to us and places his hand on my shoulder before leaning down to kiss my cheek. It's more gentle than he usually is, which takes me aback for a moment. "We'll be right there with you, princess."

Tears well up in my eyes before I shake them away. Nope, I'm not letting myself get emotional today. I look over to Seb, who has closed the distance and is now standing next to us, and he just nods. I take one last deep breath before turning and walking out of the room.

My threemen follow me as we make our way to where we are keeping Damien. When we walk into the room, Damien's head hangs low to his chest. He's weak and can barely lift it, but when he does, his eyes meet mine first. I know he knows why I'm here. His eyes roll, and his head sinks back down in defeat.

The first two days we had him here, he had plenty of things to say during our sessions. Toward the end of the day yesterday, he stopped talking and fighting back altogether. I suppose he finally let himself accept the fact that he won’t be getting out of here alive.

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