Flames Of Redemption

101

The words hung heavy with meaning and uncertainty. Regan called them merely lies. Anger flared inside her and she struck him with fire on his shoulder, sending him stumbling a few steps back.

Then, she stood up on her own, glaring at him, "I'd rather die here than side with you. At least, if I die, I'd die with pride, knowing I didn't give in to someone like you." She took a step back, preparing for another attack.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to her, "Ah, Regan. You see, I don't want you to die. No, I never wanted anyone to die either. I did what I did to survive. You've done the same. You also have killed to survive. So, why are you so different from me? You want to play the hero now?" he asked, his voice almost gentle.

She felt a pang in her chest. Was she different from him? Of course she believed she was.

"You've killed to get power and authority!" she snapped, "It's not the same as defending yourself!" Her eyes narrowed as she continued, "You can't just try to compare yourself with me!"

Sirius drew closer, swiftly sneaking his arm around her waist, pulling her into a crushing embrace. "Oh, but it's the same thing, Regan. You just don't see it. And you know, when I tell you to be on my side, to be with me....well, that's just a formality. Because you like it or not, you already are."

His words were like velvet, trying to break down her defenses in a soft, subtle way. And as he was practically hugging her, she began to lose her fury, her anger slowly dissipating.

"You...you're wrong," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not on your side. I'm not like you."

Sirius smiled against her hair, "Oh, but you are, Regan. You are. You see, we are the same. We've both been lonely and misunderstood our whole lives. We both had to fight to survive. We both had been bullied and hurt. We both know what it's like to lose everything."

His words made her feel even worse. How was he bullied? He didn't have anything to be bullied for. She, on the other hand, was weird, had a scar on her face, was called a freak, nerd, and all sorts of things. He had no idea what that meant.

"You're lying," she whispered against his chest, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "You have everything you want. You don't know what it's like to be bullied. You don't know what it's like to wake up everyday and wish that you could be normal. You haven't lost anything."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, his hand caressing her hair gently, "I know what it's like, kitten. I've been there. I've wished for the same thing. I've been through the same. But now, I'm not. Because I killed them all. I made them beg for mercy. I made them fear me. And now, I have everything I've ever wanted, including you."

She dug herself deeper in his embrace, feeling her anger fade as he spoke. His words were like poison, slowly seeping into her, making her feel safe in his arms. She knew that what she was doing was terrible. She was being a terrible fighter, a terrible rebel, and most importantly, a terrible daughter. What if her mother would see her hugging him? She would die of embarrassment.

His hand moved from her hair and he pulled back a little. He held her chin, his thumb brushing against her bottom lip, his expression gentle, "Do you believe me?"

But the more he spoke, the worse she felt. She felt like a fool. He was finally breaking her. He was right, she was lonely. She had been. She was misunderstood. But that didn't mean she was going to be with him.

"I don't," she retorted, her face a scowl. "I don't want to be with you. I don't care if you think we're the same. We're not!" She yelled and tried to release herself from his grip, but he held her tight, his expression unreadable.