Cerberus growled.

"He's not a vampire... they can't come in without an invitation"

_

Axel nodded softly.

"Of course"

_

"Good things come to those who wait, Candice... and I'm not a knight anymore... I only said that to impress your mother" Dalton told her.

"You still technically are one. Even in death."

"I figured..."

Lin smiled softly, curling up with him and closing her eyes.

Axel smiled, watching her.

_

Dalton shook his head.

"No, I'm not... I was disgraced"

Lin had just fallen asleep when Ayal appeared in the half open door. He watched his sister for a moment before turning his attention to Axel. "May we speak for a moment?" he asked softly so he didn't wake Lin.

Axel looked up, and nodded, slowly standing up.

Ayal glanced at Lin one more time as he beckoned for Axel to come outside with him, closing the door between them and the sleeping fey so they wouldn't wake her.

Axel followed, and looked at Ayal expectantly.

Ayal paused. "You've done something better than saving my sister's life." he said softly. "Sterling is from an old family that used to rule alongside ours many many years ago. They fell out of power when my great grandfather." he sighed softly. "The whole thing since before Avery's birth has been a plan to bring our family out of power. We take death very seriously and he got Lin pregnant to kill Avery in hopes of showing that my father was weak. If he couldn't keep his family safe, how was he going to keep our whole people safe? It didn't work the way he planned on it, so, he tried with Lin. If he couldn't keep his own daughter, then how could he keep us all? Sucide is even worse in our people than regular death. If Lin had killed herself, it would have pulled my father out of power immediately and brought his back."

Axel nodded.

"But he didn't anticpate me, I assume?"

Inwardly, Axel smiled.

Nobody ever does.

Ayal shrugged, "I don't know about that." he said, "But he knew Lin's feelings towards you." he glanced in at his sister again. "He was right when he said that if you would have traded with her, she still would have killed herself."

Axel was silent for a moment.

"What are you going to do about Sterling?"

"He's being taken care of. But I have to go soon and report everything to my father. This might help us with the problem's we've been having on the Southern boarders." He glanced in at Lin again, "I'll be gone a few days. Keep an eye on her," he said before turning his full attention back to Axel. "If there's any problems, Katia will be around, or our Uncle Moose. He is in charge with both father and I gone. I'm sure the two of you will get along."

Axel nodded.

"I'll try not to cause too much trouble"

Ayal nodded, "Good," he said, "Tell Lin I'll be back in a few days, and watch over her." he said as he nodded farewell before he started down the stairs again.

"Godess guide your path" Axel remarked.

Ayal glanced back for a moment, his eyebrows raised slightly. He nodded to Axel, "And yours," he said before completely disappearing downstairs.

I'm walking the path to condemnation... Godess can't guide me from that.

Axel returned to Lin.

The fey was still sleeping.

Axel smiled softly, as he sat next to her.

Lin continued to sleep peacefully.

Axel watched her, as different thoughts poured into his head.

...The life of a thief has no glory... Each trinket taken, is a memory destroyed... Every gold coin is every missed apology... But no matter how many times you say your sorry... There's no atonement... Forced to finally bear the guilt of knowing that I drove lives and memories to oblivion... But then again... I never said I was the good guy...

Lin stirred slightly in her sleep before she sighed softly, falling back into the deep sleep.

...But... Nobody ever told me I was the bad guy...

Lin continued to sleep on.

...I am the essence of guilt, yet here I am, with nobody but innocence by my side... How do I fix the cracks in the picture before it shatters completley?

Lin slept on.

...The road to redemption is not without personal sacrifice... To make others smile... To make even just Lin smile... Is that what I want? I would abandon retribution and theft all for the sake of happiness, the happiness of others and not myself? Can I simply make the change from a vengeful cutpurse to a virtuous giver of joy?

Axel sighed.

Not whilst this final act of self-indulgence still haunts me so...

Lin continued to sleep on.

• Forums are not to be used to post stories.
• All forum posts must be suitable for teens.
• The owner and moderators of this forum are solely responsible for the content posted within this area.
• All forum abuse must be reported to the moderators.