Devils Roses 05 - Death

struggles hard to get to his sister's corpse. He claws and struggles but the other man pulls at him. "No. Trist she's gone my love." He says soothingly. Tristan is a ball of emotions and fury. His eyes meet mine, breaking my heart again. "I never met her. You bitch, I never met my own twin sister."
    I sob silently. I won't steal his moment of grief from him by being sad.
    Dorian winks into the room. He grabs me from Aleks's huge arms and pulls me to him, "I need you. Now." He winks us to the cold snowy courtyard.
    No one is there. Nothing is there. No blood, but the small amount that was forced from Ari's throat.
    "Where is she?" I ask.
    "He took her. He took her. Sam has gone to track him. I need you to go with me to Marcus's. I need him on our side. I need Jon dead and the dead girl's magic transferred to Tristan." His voice is frenzied.
    I nod. I will do anything. I know that. I've just proven it. I killed my friend. My heart is broken and numb and lifeless. I'm far deader than I imagined.
    "It won't work." I look back at the man speaking. It's Oliver. He is dead looking and broken like me. He stands, leaning against the door to the stairs that leads to the cell I was just in. "We are doomed. He will win like he always does." He looks at me with regret blanketing his face. "I'm so sorry." His words are nothing. They're nothing but air and emptiness.
    I shake my head, "You owe me nothing. You didn't know me anymore than I knew you."
    He swallows, "Is she….down there still?"
    I lose control again and sob. My face nods with the heaves and sobs. He's devastated and I'm bare-chested and frozen and dying inside from the pain and the sorrow of my own betrayal. I betrayed her. I've lost the war for us all. I killed the one in the prophecy.
    Dorian wraps his coat around me and holds me to him in a way that feels familiar. Like we've done this before. "Why won't it work?" He asks.
    "The witch has to be a girl. Lillith cannot die by the hand of a man. It must be a woman who wields the power of the seven sisters. It's why Jonathan hasn’t ever made Tristan take the power for himself. Daniel discovered it only about a year ago, going through the old prophecies and scriptures. We have a lot of reasons to believe it must be a female." Oliver's voice is lifeless. His eyes are full of tears.
    "We are defeated." I whisper.
    Oliver nods but Dorian winks us away. We are standing outside Hanna's father's house.
    "Kill him." Dorian's words are a whisper.
    I walk up the gravel to the front door. My legs are shaky. I zip up the coat he has given me to cover my breasts. I lift my hand, wincing at the black blood I see on my knuckles. I knock and wait.
    Roland answers the door after a moment. His jaw clenches. "Madame dealer. I was certain we were not expecting you. The potions are making Doctor Jekyll better every day."
    I look into his eyes, "It's time for her."
    His face tightens more, "I dare say it is not. We agreed."
    I shake my head, "No, the deal is off. We need her."
    He looks disgustedly at me and then past me, "You will trade her for the shifter? Trade a human life?"
    Dorian shouts at him, "Yes! Yes I will. I will trade whatever I have to, to end this. Call for her, now."
    Roland looks sickened but opens the door wide for us.
    "I'm sorry." I say in a small voice.
    "It is not your choice. Like me, you are but one of the masses the Rose's use for their schemes."
    "Oh, don’t be so dramatic Roland. The good doctor is on borrowed time. You and I both know it. Before the potions worked, he and Aimee here had a deal. A deal he is going to honor tonight." Dorian points at the floor.
    Roland puffs out his chest, "She is not a danger to herself. She is not a danger to anyone. The deal was that he would let you take him to spare her. She doesn’t need sparing."
    I feel badly for him.
    Dorian sits on the beautiful sofa and shrugs, "She does now."
    Roland points down a massive hallway, "This way my dear." His voice is defeated. I've met them all before. I made the deal when Marcus was certain he could contain the doctor. I walk to the room at the end of the hallway where the door is closed. Roland taps lightly, "Miss Aimee to see you sir."
    The office door opens after a moment. I flinch when I see the robust health across his face. He looks confused.
    "Miss James. We meet again, prematurely I believe."
    I tremble, "Hello doctor."
    He opens the door further to let me in. I walk past him.
    Roland asks, "Some tea, miss James?"
    I look