The Real You

41. Nothing Changes

Delan

Uprooting a tree did not help my case. Neither did it create a sense of accomplishment or peace within me. I wanted to blame someone for what happened and how things turned out. I wanted to point my fingers at anything so that the responsibility won't come back to me as it should. 

"Are you insane!?" I groaned, more to myself than anyone else. 

YOU ARE INSANE! - My brain seemed to scream back at me.

I was going to sacrifice the love of my life for someone who was not even my BROTHER! How did I not see it before? Alex looks exactly like Mother! Concealing spell or not...shouldn't I have at least felt that connection - like, bro to bro? I always stayed possessive of Noah when I should have opened my eyes and looked around for once! What if Alex didn't show up? What if Skylar didn't choose to betray Noah at the last moment during the coronation? I would have let it happen. Skylar would be married to Noah by now!

"Are you wandering in the darkness for a reason?" Her voice felt like a slap. 

Should I turn around? 

"Delan? What did you do with this tree?" I could feel the environmentalist in Skylar slowly take the weapon and get ready to launch. A small smile spread across my face.

" This doesn't count as deforestation" I pointed out and sighed.

I could already feel her presence's influence on my mood.

"Yes. sure" She cleared her throat, "But this is property damage. We are still in her kingdom"

"Like I care" I scoffed and shook my head. The Goddess of Death is the least of my concerns at the moment. 

"What do you care about then? They have food on the table, Delan! Why are you sulking now?"

Food. I chuckled.

Skylar is always concerned about food, the air, the water....the simple things in life. I would have missed out on all of it if I would have let Noah win the crown. What was I even thinking? When did I become a Martyr willing to sacrifice for loved ones? I never did that before. Like ever!

"Seriously!" She pushed me when I refused to turn around. Of course, it only made me move an inch. 

"Turn around, dude!"

"Skylar...I need some time"

"Yeah, right. Alex will assume that you are purposefully avoiding him and your mom is also there to start with the dinner. She will also think you have a problem with Alex."

This made me turn around.

"She is out of her room?"

Skylar raised an eyebrow when she looked at my face. 

"Yes. Alex spoke to her"

"Hmm..."

She just looked at me, as if she was reading some invisible words on my face. She pursed her lips together, narrowed her eyes, and as I already knew what was coming, I tried to run from there. But she was too fast. See, you are hearing that from a vampire.

"You are guilty." She said as if she cracked the answer to a quiz question that determines who wins the trophy.

"Or you are extremely shameful? One of the two!" She beamed.

"No" I lied.

"Liar! Aww!"

"NO!" I said it pretty aggressively for someone who was not guilty.

"You are guilty about...?" She tried to dig further.

"Noah" Well, I was not lying completely.

"Why?"