Reclaimed

Sabrina paled, trembling at the force of her fury. She longed to jump out and slap Sheila for her accusations.

“He looked at my bags, looked at my face, and said, ‘Sheila, I just saw Neil. He’d been crossing the street, and got hit by a car. He’s gone.’ He came over to me, and said, ‘I’m going to pretend I don’t see those bags over there, and I’m clueless to what you were going to do. Consider this your warning.’ Then, he turned around and left. No words of comfort, nothing except the news of Tony’s death.”

Connor sighed and seemed to surrender. “Maybe he did take care of the situation, in the best way he knew. Maybe he didn’t want to have to have to punish you. You know the penalty for treason is death. For both you and your boyfriend.”

“We’d have run, and hidden. I’m not an idiot.”

“We would’ve found you. Don’t fool yourself,” Connor insisted.

“He shouldn’t have killed him!” Sheila exclaimed. “He could’ve spoken to me—”

“And you’d listen?”

Sheila’s stubborn silence seemed answer enough.

“Sheila, you have to understand he did what he thought best, as ruler. At least he didn’t kill you, too, even knowing you had planned to commit treason.”

Sheila glared at Connor, and finally sighed in dejection. “You’re right, of course. But if I even catch wind of him thinking of doing anything to make Sabrina immortal, I’ll bring it to the Council. I’d love to see how he would react. Would he run and try to hide, knowing we would find him, or would he kill her to save himself?”

“Sheila, Isaac won’t change Sabrina, I assure you. He loves her too much.”

Sheila remained silent for a brief time before she finally insisted, “Time will tell, Connor. Time will tell.”

Sheila and Connor whirled, and their eyes widened.

“Sabrina, how long have you been there? I didn’t sense you.” Connor rubbed the back of his neck and peeked at Sheila. They both stepped toward Sabrina. Connor looked apologetic; Sheila, triumphant.

Sabrina shook her head, and held out her hands to stop the pair. “Just—just let me go.”

Her hands trembled so badly it took her three attempts to open the door and slip away.

She bolted to her car and pulled away from the tavern. She couldn’t believe all she’d heard. Sheila seemed convinced Isaac had killed her boyfriend. Would he have done such a thing?

Would he have decided this man held too much of a risk to the Enforcers, that he could not lose Sheila? And in deciding this, had he removed said risk and warned Sheila to stay in line?

It did not seem like it could be possible for Isaac to behave so coldly…so cruelly.

Those are our rules. The rules I’ve been required to enforce over time. If we don’t follow the rules, the waters become murky, difficult to navigate.

A chill ran down her back as she recalled the words he’d spoken to her the other day. Maybe he could be capable of murder—and if he was, this Isaac held no familiarity to her boyfriend. The Isaac she knew and loved had never once made her fear for her safety.

Now, however, she wavered.

Would he kill her to keep his place as ruler, to show he, as well, would always be held susceptible to the laws of the land, or would he fight the rules for her sake, damning them both?

No, surely he couldn’t kill her. He loved her. Which led to another problem altogether. He was immortal; she never would be. In time, she would grow old, and he wouldn’t. What if he decided it worth the risk of death and damnation to change her so they could live together forever?

She may have begged to become a monster yesterday, but she saw now why he’d refused to allow Elijah to change her. And for him to do it?

Even worse.

They were doomed, no matter what.

Their love risked too much, for them both.

Maybe, for the safety of Isaac, and the Enforcers he ruled, they shouldn’t be together at all.

Maybe it would be best for everyone involved if she just left.