11.2 - Truth & Lies

"So, this is it, huh?" Elaina's sobbed. "Is this really how we're gonna be now, Jace?"

I didn't like seeing her cry. In fact, her teary-eyed stare only twisted my gut.

But then I remembered.

The lie.

All the lies.

"That's up to you," I replied. "I asked you to be honest with me, but you kept quiet. I gave you a chance to explain yourself, but you didn't. So, now..."

"Jace, you are not going to Molecruel."

I raised my eyebrows. "And you will stop me?"

Her voice trembled. "If...If I have...to..." The first tears fell from her eyes. "I...I'll do what I have to..."

I stood before her; my back to the glowing slab of Magic blocking the front door. "So, you are prepared to use your Magic on your...former friend? I see..."

Her hands twitched. "Jace, we ARE friends! But, please, just...just hear me out. I-I need you to listen to me!"

"I think Ambrigado had some truth to his dumb words, after all. You Mages really do only care about yourselves."

"No! That's not who I am, Jace! Please, just listen!"

"I'm DONE listening to your lies!"

I raised my arms and two red, solid light arrows manifested—one along each of my arms.

"Even this," I began. "Even this here. You can't even let me make my own CHOICE, Elaina! Am I really that much of a tool for you to use however you want?! Huh?!"

She shook her head. "No, Jace! That's not what I think of you! I...I've actually started to like you...more than friends! Ugh! You know this. You've...always known, right? But I...If you're not gonna hear me out...I..."

"Then you'll make me, is that it?"

"I just...I just want to talk with you."

"What else is there to talk about, Elaina?! More of your lies?!"

"I'm not lying to you!"

"Maybe not now, but how would I know? I mean, you've been lying to me before, right? Not to mention reading my mind without even telling me!"

"..." She looked away.

"Your silence hurts more, you know," I told her. "Not answering me when I ask you all that...It frightens me even more."

"Yes, Jace. I did lie to you before. But I...I realized I was wrong..."

"About what?"

"About you!"

"...Huh? Speak your next words carefully, Mage."

"No, don't misunderstand me! I lied to you, yes. When we first met, I...I only saw you as a means to get to Ambrigado. But then..."

"Then what?!"

"We became friends."

"Oh, gimme a break." I rolled my eyes.

The solid light arrows dissipated as I chuckled to myself, and Elaina lowered her arm.

"It's true!" she continued. "I...I really liked spending time with you, talking with you."

"I'm gonna vomit."

"You...You don't feel the same way?"

"Not right now, no. And it's because you lied to me. I'm questioning our friendship right now—if you're even worth calling a 'friend' anymore." I shook my head. "Did you even care about where we'd be after we dealt with Ambrigado, Ela?"

She met my eyes as the tears streaked down her face. She kept silent.

"Did you even think about telling me the truth?" I pressed.

"I did. So many times." She nodded and wiped her wet eyes.

"Then, why didn't you?"

"I just..." she sobbed. "I just...didn't know how to explain it. I was scared—scared that you'd...not wanna speak to me or see me ever again...if I told you the truth."

"But that's so close to how I feel now! Right now, I want to walk out that door and forget about you. About everything we've done together up to now."

"And you think I'm proud of that, Jace?! I'm not! Not at all! I don't want you to go to Molecruel, don't you get it? He's just trying to get us to hate each other! He wants us like this!"

"Maybe for good reason."

Elaina stomped her foot. "No, Jace! For the wrong reason! So that we won't get in his way! Ave Strata's in trouble. Every Normal in the city is in trouble!"

"And why should I care about them?"

Her eyes widened. "Jace...Jace, they're people...just like us...They have value, they have worth, they have lives, as do all people."

"Normals have always hated Abnormals, Elaina. Ambrigado was right. They all would rather see us dead, than coexist with us. There can be no true peace between us."

"You sound just like him. Stop it."

"Why did you lie to me, Ela?"

"Because I—...It's like I said before. It was because of my grandmother, Mitsuki."

"Did she know Ambrigado?"

Elaina nodded. "She did."

"And what happened to her exactly? Or was that story about the gunman a lie, too?"

"No! No, that's true. But it was Ambrigado who caused that gunman to start shooting randomly into the convenience store. It was Ambrigado who set up the crime, all so he could kill my grandmother and get away with it. That's why I'm after him, and that's why...that's why I thought you...could get to him for me."

"Why did you want me to face him alone?"

She balled her fists as she lowered her head. "I've known about you even before we met, Jace. I admired how you were so strong, but you didn't give a damn about anyone, really. But I saw how much stronger you've gotten...how powerful...I thought...if you encountered him, you'd be able to do it. But I...I was wrong to think that, Jace. I was wrong to use you for my own selfish want." She covered her eyes and sobbed. "And for that, I...I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"That means very little now."

Elaina wiped her eyes again and regained her composure. "S-Say what you want, but I mean it. I thought, because of your powers, I thought you'd be able to kill Ambrigado tonight after seeing what you did at the Docking Bay. But I...I should never have done that. I should never have put you in harm's way."

"No kidding. You see? This is the thing. If you were just honest with me from the start—"

"I didn't think you'd agree to help me if I were honest from the start, okay?!"

"..."

"If I told you I wanted Molecruel dead for how he got my grandmother killed, you'd have—"

"I would have killed him."

"But I would have led you to your death, don't you get it?! I mean, look at how you came back to me just tonight! You couldn't beat him. I don't even...I don't even want to think what would have happened if I told you the truth from the start..."

"We would have taken him on together, Ela. That's what I thought we agreed to when we first met at the hospital. But, you see, when you tell me you were wrong...I mean...It's so hard to believe that now. Because you can't just apologize after I came back facing him alone—after I put myself on the line to confront him."

"What can I do to prove I'm not lying when I say that I was wrong, Jace? I'm sorry for putting you in danger, like I said."

"An apology means nothing after the fact," I answered firmly. "And, to be honest, if you want to prove your sincerity to me, then let me go. I'll join the Science Division and see what Molecruel's ideals are for myself. If you keep me from making my own choice, which you're doing now, how could I ever take you seriously?"

"Molecruel...uh, Ambrigado...is not someone who can be trusted, Jace. I've told you this before—"

"And you are?"

"Look, I know I screwed up in lying to you, but I—"

"Oh, we are past that."

"...Jace, why would you even trust him?!"

"Because, as far as I could tell, he was honest in his words about everything! You lied to me about not knowing Molecruel from the start, you used me to get to Molecruel and do the work for you! You wanted me to take out the Science Division so you could sit back and watch everything happen!" My chest pounded with anger and fury. "What else, Ela?! Am I supposed to believe your feelings for me are fake, too?!"

"No!"

"Then tell me...What did I say that was wrong?"

"I lied to you, Jace. I used you, yes. But I do...I do care about you! You're the...You're the only friend I ever really had! We've been together since the bombing at your old apartment, and I would never live with myself if you turned against me and joined Molecruel." She tightened her fists. "He's our enemy...He's always been our enemy! And I can't let you, my truest friend, the only person I give a damn about in this city...I can't let you go to him. I won't!"

"Anomaly..."

"...!"

"There is nothing else for us to say. I'm leaving."

Elaina gasped and took a step forward. "No...No, you're not...! I-I won't...I won't let you become my enemy, Jace!"

"You have no other 'truth' to tell me. You confessed to your own wrongdoings. But even so, that is not enough to convince me we're still on the same side. You've made your point, and I've decided."

"Jace...!"

"From here on out, you and I—"

"We are friends!"

"NO, WE ARE NOT!"

"YES, WE ARE!"

I winced when she screamed back at me. "You...I don't even know you! I don't even know anything about you! You had a grandmother, so what? You have parents who hate your powers, so what?! But...I bet you know a lot about me!"

"Please, let me explain—"

"No," I glared at her. "I want you...to let...me...go."