For Nevermore Season 1

ignored the sarcasm. “The Elders ordered you dealt with. To them, that means your death. I had another idea.”
    “Go on.”
    “You’re not gonna like it, but it’s my only choice.”
    Dante said nothing, waiting for William to continue.
    “I’m going to wipe your mind, Dante. And then we’ll find somewhere for you to live where they won’t find you. You’ll start over anew, with a fresh life.”
    “And who will protect her?”
    “She’s no longer your concern, Dante. She’s being wiped tonight. We’ll find a place for her, too. And you’ll both be safe.”
    “No! I thought we agreed that wiping her was the last thing we should do! I was going to convince her to come with me to see you and we’d talk about hiding her, maybe even training her.”
    “We are hiding her,” William said. “No one will know where she’s going to be, except for me. But I also have to hide her from you.”
    “Why?”
    “You’re slipping, Dante. You’ve become too bonded to her. While this is not your fault and has served the realm for centuries, the situation has changed. The stakes are higher now, and she has clouded your judgment. Your job is to protect the realm, not her. I should’ve removed you from your role after you failed to follow through 10 years ago.”
    “The Elders were wrong then and they’re wrong now. Tell me, William, do you really believe I should have killed a child? Your conscience would have been clear with that?”
    “She’s not a child,” William said, “and a part of you used to know that.”
    “No” Dante shook his head and gritted his teeth. “You all don’t get to change the rules just because someone suddenly sees her as a threat. It’s been my job to guard her for all of her lives. And I did what I was supposed to do. I did your dirty work. I killed any and all I was ordered to, whether they posed a legitimate threat or not. Now you expect me to change course and kill her?”
    “No, I don’t expect that. And I don’t want it any more than you do.” William held his eyes. “But this is the only way, Dante.”
    “You’re a coward,” Dante snarled.
    William leaned closer, neither challenge nor anger in his eyes.
    “There has to be another way,” Dante begged, hating the sound of his pleas, and William for putting him in this position. But as it had been for centuries, Dante would do anything to protect Noella – including grovel.
    “I’ve seen no other way. As much as it pains me to say it, I can’t trust you. Nor can I trust myself.”
    Dante was confused, and wanted to argue, but he went on listening anyway.
    “As I said, I should’ve moved on this 10 years ago when you failed to follow your orders. I didn’t, but only because I wanted to have faith in you. I wanted to believe you could find a way to keep her alive and safe from discovery.”
    “And I did! I killed the spies who found her before. I killed every last one. And I can do it again. Just give me a chance, William.”
    William shook his head, “I’m sorry, but I can’t take that chance. Not again. I’m sorry, Dante. I promise you this is the best solution for all. Including you.”
    William stood, grabbed the chair, then carried it with him from the room, closing the door behind him.
    Dante screamed, “Coward!” to the empty room.

    * * * *

CHAPTER FOUR

    “Have you seen Noella?” Sam asked Mako, slamming his locker door, ready to jet toward his fourth period class, Business & Economics AP.
    “No,” Mako said. “I haven’t seen her all morning.”
    “Oh,” Sam said, disappointed. Though things had gone well with Noella the day before, he hadn’t seen her since their talk. He wasn’t sure if all was truly fine between them and wouldn’t be until they saw each other again. Only a face-to-face conversation would assure him that things were cool and they were finally past the weirdness between them.
    Sam wasn’t quite sure why he was so worried. Things had been fine when they parted, but some part of him needed reassurance.
    “Did Noella tell you we talked?” he asked Mako.
    She grinned. “Yeah, of course she told me.”
    “And?”
    “And what?”
    “Did she say how it went?”
    “You were there, weren’t you?” Mako said smiling.
    “I know how it felt for me, but I want to know what she told you. Did she say if things were cool again, or does she still feel weird about everything?”
    Mako stared at Sam for a moment, either perplexed or annoyed, he couldn’t tell. He