Page 140 of Living Legend

NICK

"What did you just say?" I attempted to hold my voice at a steady level, but right now, that was proving to be extremely difficult.

"I think my words came out really fucking clear," Elise stated, making herself comfortable on the couch bed. She settled back on it, as if she didn't have a care in the world.

I dropped my sword to the ground and felt like my world was shifting, the nausea from being in a magic trance coming back with a vengeance. I rubbed soothingly at my temples. "You knew."

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" She rolled her eyes.

"For how long?"

She pretended to pick a piece of dust off her top. "A while. I don't know how you figured it out, but then again, I don't actually care."

"You didn't think to tell her any of this?" This came from Natalia, who I noticed hadn't left her spot, her arms still crossed. She had a quizzical look on her face, as if she wasn't angry but curious for answers.

Elise tilted her head to one side. "Nope." She popped the 'p' when she said it, and it irritated the ever living shit out of me.

"This is fucked up. You know that, right?" I asked.

She looked back at me with indifference in her eyes. "I'm well aware. What can you do though, you know?"

I stalked over to her, my long legs getting me there in just a few steps. "There is a fucking lot you can do, and number one would have been to tell her. You've literally let her go on and be something she isn't. That's fucked up, Elise."

Elise didn't look alarmed at how close I was. I was practically hovering over her, radiating with fury. I wasn't just mad for Dani; I was mad at the whole situation. All of this might have ended up differently if Elise would have just opened her mouth.

I pointed my finger at her, an inch away from her face. "You could have helped her and you fucking didn't. You've been lying to her. What have you gained from telling no one?' I leaned down and got in her face. "Are you working with Lilith? Do you plan to just fuck us all over when it's time to fight?"

Her nonchalant expression morphed into something of irritation and spite. Her gray eyes were starting to cloud over with a kind of darkness I hadn't seen before. She reached up with a quickness I wasn’t prepared for and grabbed my wrist, pushing me back. "You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about." The pain from her hold radiated through my arm. I looked down to see black lines starting to trace my veins. "You don't know me or the things I've done. I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone else. Just because you and Dani decided to play house for a night doesn't mean you have miraculously gained access to information that isn't owed to you. I owe younothing."

There was rhythmic pulsing in my arm, and it was starting to travel towards my chest. The dark shadows in my veins felt like inky venom, making my arm turn a hue of red that I knew wasn't normal. I tried to not think about the pain. "You owe it to her." I bit back a groan.

I pressed my lips together as the pulsing started to increase and I felt those black lines travel to my throat. It felt like when Zane was constricting my breathing, but this was worse. This was slow and agonizing.

Elise started to twist my wrist in the most uncomfortable position and used her other hand to grab my index finger. "Don't speak about things you know nothing about. You angels have this nauseating hero complex when in reality, you've only read the first few pages of the story and just skimmed the rest, never really understanding if you are actually needed. You don't know anything!" She continued to crank my wrist. I tried to pull back the tiniest bit, but she held onto me and pulled back my index finger further, causing a resounding snap throughout the room. She'd literally broken my fucking finger. I couldn't resist it anymore; I fell forward and landed on my knees, practically seething through my teeth. Elise leaned down and I looked at her as the tattoo on her neck vibrated. "Stop trying to be her hero, Nicholas. She doesn’t need saving." Her voice cracked a bit, as if that hurt.

"Elise, stop this!" I heard Natalia shout, right as a bright yellow bolt of crackling light hit Elise in the face. She let go of my wrist and stumbled back until she hit the wall, grabbing at her face.

I could hardly flex my wrist, the dark venom still lingering in my bones. I tried not to think about my broken finger, using my other hand to graze along my chest and neck as I got up from the floor. I backed up to where Natalia stood, her hand out, palm facing up as she held a ball of light in her hands, shooting out like a starburst.

Elise huffed, practically growling as the light left her face and dispersed. Her chest rose and fell with hard, short breaths. Her cheek was red and sizzling, as if Natalia had burned her.

"Fuck! Was that necessary?" Elise said, the color in her eyes turning back to normal.

"You are allowed to be upset, but you aren't allowed to take your anger out on the people who want to help and understand," Natalia explained, concealing her magic as she closed her palm.

"Allowed?" Elise barked out a laugh. "You don't tell me what to do, witch." She narrowed her eyes at Natalia until they were tiny slits.

"Then who does, huh? Lilith?" I asked, walking up to her again but still maintaining a safe distance. I was clutching my hand over my mistreated finger.

"You are making me want to kill you slowly with your questions." Elise looked up at me.

"You could make things go so much smoother if you just answer me. All of this bullshit wouldn't even be necessary."

"But this game is just so much fun."

I sighed. "Elise, just answer the fucking question."

She looked at Natalia and then to me. "It's not like you'd believe me anyway. You will always think what you want, all the way up until the very end."

---