Chapter 406: Giving up

Chapter 406: Giving up


Ian appeared a few minutes later and hugged them all.

“It's always great to see you here.”

“Don't say that. It makes it much harder for us to fulfill our mission.”

“What have you come here for?” Ian asked as he walked away.

They looked at each other.

“How's Thalia?” Maxwell asked suddenly.

“She still won't talk to me. She doesn't comb her own hair and only eats because Naya makes her.”

“I guess this isn't the life you wanted for her, is it?”

“No.”

“Ian... Maybe death is a less painful path for her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Thalia isn't coming back, Ian. She died when they removed her son from her womb.”

“I still don't understand the point of this conversation.”

“The leader of the Firecolds made us an offer.”

“No.”

“Ian, don't be stubborn.”

“Tayme sacrificed herself for her. My son died for her life. If I give up Thalia, it will be as if I dishonored their sacrifice.”

“My son... You lost Thalia that day. The Firecolds have the ability to make it look like the bad choice came from us, but it was all manipulated by them. It's as if they've already visited the future and know exactly what's going to happen and they enjoy making us feel guilty.”

“And that's why I'm going to hand Thalia over so they can have a fabulous meal?”

“That's not why they want Thalia.”

“And why else would they want a sick woman who doesn't recognize her own child?”

“Can't you imagine?”

Ian understood. Thalia was still young, beautiful and attractive. They were certainly tired of Dafynne.

“No.”

“Ian... You need to think about all those people in the cave and the tunnels. It's been a long time since Ryan came back from his excursions with few supplies. What little he finds isn't enough to meet the rapid consumption...”

“I know, but we can't trust these creatures, Dad. They lie. They told us they would allow us to live on the surface...”

“In seven years.”

“It doesn't matter. I can't condemn Thalia to a life of terror, to satisfy a basic need that we can meet with more attentive searches.”

“Our supplies aren't enough for a week, Ian. We can't leave. It's raining.”

“So I give Thalia to starve the werewolves and then what? What will we be able to give in exchange for food? I won't be responsible for anyone else's martyrdom. Thalia is not Camille and she would die if we forced her to be. We werewolves are monsters, vampires are monsters. Let us die without causing pain to anyone else.”

“We're no longer separated by species, Ian. Now we're all meat in the Firecolds' butcher's shop.”

“Whatever.”

Maxwell took a deep breath.

“They took Hope this morning.”

Ian looked startled at his father.

“What did you say?”

“She's no longer a child who can only babble intelligible words. She spoke the words.”

“She would need an adult to confirm her statement...”

David shook his head.

“Really? Do you really believe that those... 'things' out there care about morality and decency? We deduced that, because you chose the fate of your son who was in Thalia's womb, but the truth is that he wouldn't know how to argue to save his own life and it seems that Hope was very convincing.”

“Hope is all that's left of Tayme. Every time I look at her, I remember our sister and her last request. Protect Hope.”

“You've already tried to save Thalia, Ian. There's no need to feel guilty about being tired. She has no more reactions. Thalia is suffering now. Let her go and rescue Hope.” Maxwell advised.

“They took Hope and didn't kill her?” Ian asked thoughtfully.

“They don't want Hope. Not yet.”

Ian turned to Maxwell.

“So you agree that they won't stop until they've taken our whole family?”

Maxwell looked away. It wasn't easy to see the pain in his son's eyes.

“It's just another way of dying, Ian. Maybe some of the people who took shelter here in the Cave and the tunnel will see the rebirth of a world free of Firecolds, but I don't think that hope extends to all of us.”

Ian glared at Maxwell and walked away. He made his way to the cell where Anna had been held in the past, when Tayme withdrew his sanity and looked through the glass of the small window in the door at the padded-walled enclosure. Thalia's eyes were still and her body was bound by a restraining shirt. She had woken up agitated and violent that day. In wondered if she had sensed that Hope was being taken away.

Ia opened the door and approached her, removed the restraining shirt and holding her by the shoulders, stared into her eyes.

“Thalia, I know you're still in there and that you're only asleep... But I need to talk about what I'm feeling with someone and as much as you don't understand me, you're still the person I trust the most. And it's only right that I should feel this comfort from the woman I chose to be my wife, even when we were both children. Despite our different paths, Tayme and I always knew what we wanted. I feel frustrated and weak for not being able to help you. I know I've done you a lot of harm and I'm about to... Thalia, I so wanted to hear your voice one more time... Now that our people have accepted my leadership without objection, I swear I didn't want to do it again, not without you. But that's not something you can just walk away from.” Ian took a deep breath. I need you to know that I would give my own life to protect yours, but I feel that if I do this without your consent, you will sink even deeper into the darkness of your lonely, unreachable pain.  You've gone to a place where I no longer have the strength to rescue you and that place is your refuge. You don't want to leave it. You've found a comfortable place inside your mind where you hide from everything and everyone. Not even Eron can convince you to come back to us.”

Ian turned away and shoving his hands into his trouser pockets, began to walk around the place so as not to face Thalia's glazed eyes.

“I don't know what to do, Thalia. The Firecolds want you. I understand them. What male species would look at you and not want you for themselves?” Ian stopped and approached Thalia again, determined not to be a coward and look her in the eye. “They took Hope. Tayme's daughter. They'd give her back if... I took you for them in return. And I see no other solution. I can't allow the last Bruma to be killed or raised away from me. Alive, in the hands of her enemies, Hope becomes the werewolves' most lethal weapon. And if they don't think so, they'll make her experience torments that not even an adult could bear. And you, Thalia, won't even realize what they're doing, because you've been dead for a long time. I think it will be good for me and Eron to finally live through the grief of losing you. We both need to get over it. My father is right. You're not coming back.” Ian said and left.