The Way We Fall

Chapter 135 (Roche)

The sounds of fighting just beyond the doors seemed to fade into silence as Roche stared at Finn's arms, at the pulsating inkblood that curved outwards from his snowy skin. She could feel its power across the room. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight.

Finn stared back at her, suddenly looking steady.

"I don't understand," Roche whispered, the ground rocking like an ocean beneath her feet. She gripped the bookshelf for dear life. "Aodh's the traitor. The tome is in his chambers."

Finn's lip curled. "I couldn't keep it in mine, could I? Kai might have stumbled upon it, and if my Father saw him with an enchanted book, he'd be on a pyre faster than you can say 'inkblood'."

Roche's mind spun. "You were going to frame your brother?" she gasped. Finn's face darkened.

"Oh please," he scoffed instantly, "Aodh doesn't have a manservant, and the king trusts him too much to search his chambers. The tome would have never been found by anyone but you or me. It was a perfectly good plan."

He spoke so flippantly, so un-Finn-like, that Roche nearly cried.

"What if he'd been caught?" Roche demanded, taking a shaky step towards Finn, "What if he'd been blamed? The king would burn him without a second thought."

Guilt flashed across Finn's face, brief but potent. He straightened, like he had to shove away his thoughts.

"Father would never punish Aodh the way he punishes me," he replied, waving his hand dismissively.

Roche's jaw tightened so much that it hurt. "You were willing to stake his life on that?"

Finn pressed his lips together. "I don't understand why you're so upset!" he exclaimed in frustration, holding out his inkblooded arms, "We have inkblood! We can be free with the Council ruling. No one will ever threaten the library again. No one will be on a pyre again." He stalked closer, placing his hands on Roche's shoulders before she could pull away. His touch made her insides boil. He leaned in, eyes glowing excitedly. "We'll be free, Roche," he breathed dreamily.

Roche stared at him. "I was tempted by the Council once too, Finn," she murmured, hoping desperately that the prince she knew and loved was somewhere within the stranger before her, "Have you forgotten about the plague? The poisoning? They were ready to kill you and everyone in these lands to take power, Finn!"

Finn's eyes shuttered for a moment. He chewed his lip, a hint of uncertainty breaking through his assured mask. Somewhere in the hall, Tigris shouted, pain tinging her voice.

Roche was running out of time.

"We were on different terms back then," Finn made the excuse quickly, his voice still hesitant, "They'll be better, especially with you and I overseeing it. That was just a necessary sacrifice."

Roche yanked herself away. "How can you say that?" she murmured, "You who once fought for the innocent people of Irulia and the Faultless kingdom to save them from an unnecessary war. You know that lives can never be traded, Finn. People died because of the Council. They will raze everything to the ground for their revenge, they don't want to help anyone! They're just using you!"

The words were the wrong thing to say. Finn's face twisted.

"Using me?" he hissed, his hands clenching into fists as inkblood radiated from his veins, "I made this plan!"

"For how much longer will they let you have control?" Roche begged him to understand, "Were the zombies your idea too? Was killing a fleet of knights also your idea? What about killing Tigris, like the Councilman ordered the zombies to do?"