The Law is the Law

Mikhail Alaris

 

 

“So he’s not going to say anything?” I asked, clutching the phone tight.

                “I’ve told you a hundred times, he’s not going to say anything Mikhail,” My brother groaned tiredly. “Besides, you said Clayton’s got her all official now, stop worrying cause I know for a fact she’s not.”

                “Yeah, that’s the whole point, she’s not worrying about it so I have to, she’s too busy with the stupid stuff.”

                Her nails for one thing, that was the big conversation last night once she’d gotten talking to Vince’s wife, Gabrielle. She wanted to know if she could still have acrylics or if she had to cut them down, then the conversation turned to her wardrobe and what Gabrielle thought she should wear. Her hair came up at some point I’m sure too, if she’d have to cut it short or not.

                She was a lovely woman and indulged Emery for nearly half an hour, before telling her to stop worrying, that if it was anything like she’d seen with Vince and I, it would come naturally.

                “Yeah, the stupid stuff like her grades and spending time with her family.” Clayton drawled, shaking his head, turning his jeep round the corner.

                “You know that’s not what I meant.” I told him, but he waved me off.

                “Eugune! Listen mate I’ve gotta go, one of the new betas is kicking off – watch out for the—” BANG. “Oh…oh that’s got to hurt, call you later.”

                I only heard what sounded like the splinter of wood before the line went dead and I shoved the thing back into my pocket.

                “I spoke with Carlisle earlier, he’s moved your trial date forward so it’ll be before the holidays,” Clayton said, the grumble of the jeep engine buzzing through the neighbourhood. “They’ve had a hell of a year and something like this, well they want to get it over with quickly, since I’ve assured him the entire case is pointless.”

                “Right, thanks.” I nodded.

                The entire thing was ridiculous, they were taking the word of Melinda and given her recent record, I had no idea why they believed a word she said.

                “It’ll also means you don’t need to be on Emery twenty-four seven, she may be a fully instated Guardian now but she’s made an agreement to finish school next year, which means she needs to pass this year.” Clay told me.

                “You know staying away from her last time didn’t help Clay, I’m not gonna do it again cause one, she wouldn’t buy it—”

                “I’m talking about your trial, now it’s moved she doesn’t need to worry about the possibility of you going to prison.” He cut me off. “So you can tell her it’s moved and that way, she can concern herself with her school work.”

                I sighed, flicking my tongue against the back of my teeth – shit.

                “Yeah, about that…I didn’t tell her.”

                Funnily enough, that was when Clayton decided to park at the side of the road, turning off the ignition with a snap.

                “You didn’t tell her?”

                “I tried—”

                “I told you to tell her.”

                “You just said—”

                “I know what I said.’

                “I tried to at the party, I was going to tell her then.”

                “But?”

                “But then…” I trailed off, I had no idea if Emery had filled him in.

                Not that I was against it but it only happened last night, if anything, I wanted last night to stay in a perfect little bubble. I didn’t want anything to ruin it.

                I wanted to wait until we were at least a few drinks in before breaking the news to her. After the near disaster with Eugune, she actually seemed to relax, something that for me, had been a rarity. After that first dance, where she told me she loved me, the rest seemed to blur together, until the end of the night where I found her crashed out on the bed, completely out of it.

                For the first time in forever I had fun, something the Guardian’s nor Calry entertained.

                I couldn’t let anything ruin it.

                “Then?” Clay pressed.

                “I just didn’t want to worry her.” I told him, not ready to admit it yet.

                I wasn’t ashamed I just didn’t want Clay to kick off, not when we were outside Emery’s house. The night Clay had found me in her kitchen, every yell and scream seemed to startle her, like a deer caught in the headlights.

                “I told you to tell her.” Clay said.

                “You just said she didn’t need anything else to worry about.”

                “Yeah, but because you didn’t tell her she’s going to panic, overthink and then worry all over again when she’s meant to be focusing on school.”

                “I’ll tell her today then, you can lead with the whole congratulations I’ve filled in the paperwork, you’re officially Derek’s Guardian, then I’ll just slide in I might be going to prison but probably not, so don’t worry about it – anyway you’re a Guardian, congrats.”

                Clayton laughed bitterly.

                “Oh yeah, that’s going to go over real smooth.”

                “She’ll know I hid it for the right reasons.” I said, trying to reason with myself.

                “I mean this in the nicest possible way Langdon, but she’s Scottish and she’s gonna rip you a new one when she finds out.”

                Then, despite what Clay said and that Emery may well in fact tear my head off, I admitted the thing I knew would change everything.  

                “She told me she loved me.” I said gently, at first. “I tried to tell her about the trial but she said she loved me before I could…I couldn’t tell her.”

                Clayton froze for a moment, before tired hands ran over his face, gawking at a loss for words, that or he was really angry. It was always one of the two and honestly, I didn’t know which one I preferred. I could deal with the anger, I always could since I knew the endgame. He’d never hit me but he’d yell until he was red in the face.

                Although, for the second time in my life, he surprised me.

                “She’s Hollow, Langdon – no matter what she says you know she can’t love you.”

                “That’s what you’re concerned with?” I asked, completely astonished.

                “You of all people should know what the records show—”

                “Druidic records.”

                “I can’t believe I’m hearing this, she’s Hollow and it might not be showing now, but when she actually starts working for Hale and I mean properly, every symptom is going to come spilling outta her like a goddamned disease.”

                That wasn’t true, no way, she’d been bonded to Derek for over a month now and I hadn’t any symptoms, Emery hadn’t changed and I didn’t think she would.

                “You don’t know her like that—”

                “I don’t know her?” Clay scoffed. “I held her the day she was born, I was there when her own parents couldn’t bear to look at her because of how she came to be, I’ve watched her grow up Mikhail and I know for some reason, she covers for you, she makes out like it’s all one big fairytale but you know it won’t end like one.”

                “I refuse to believe that.”

                “What because she told you she loved you? Because she batted her eyelashes and smiled? She’s a kid she doesn’t even know what love is.”

                “And you do?”

                With a slam Clayton stormed out the jeep, leaving only the rattling door behind but I wasn’t done, so with the smack of my own door, I followed after him up the drive.

                “I love her too, did you ever think of that?” I asked, but he wasn’t even looking at me.

                “You barely know her!” Clay laughed. “You take her to one dance and it’s love.”

                “Will you just listen to me for one minute?” I begged, given we were nearing the door. “I didn’t mean to fall in love with her, I can’t explain how it just happened.”

                “You couldn’t even tell her about what Carlisle said you might be looking at here.” Clay spun round. “But sure, you love her.”

                “You told me it’d get thrown out.”

                “Yeah, if they see the Halliwell name and think to leave it alone but with what Melinda pulled, I wouldn’t count on it.” He snapped. “Emery doesn’t know the first thing about how the courts work, if they think they can get a better Guardian out of her, one more useful than you, they’ll throw you away and spin some bullshit story.”

                “They won’t do that.”

                “And why’s that?” Clay dared. “Because you can hide behind the Halliwell name? That she’ll protect you?”

                “Clay I didn’t groom a minor! She’s twenty years old, it was consensual and if anything, I was the one keeping her away from breaking half the laws!”

                BANG.

                Something big and hard battered the door but what concerned me the most, was it came from inside. Shit – had Melinda broken out?

                Clay barrelled inside and it was only after he took off running inside, I saw it was the small bookshelf beside the door which had been slammed into the door. What the fuck? The wood was thick and heavy, how had someone thrown it against the door?

                “How could you?” Someone screamed, but it took me a whole three seconds to realise it was Emery, and a further two to hear she was shouting in Lumeric. “A fucking divorce, you spring a fucking divorce on her like that!”

                “It’s the least she fucking deserves!” The angry yell of Wyatt retorted.

                “I get she killed Laura, but—”

                “Don’t you fucking dare take this out on me! You’re just upset you—”

                “Don’t bring him into this!”

                “It’s true, he’s going away and there’s nothing you can fucking do, welcome to the world Em, where everyone’s fucking miserable!”

                Clay quietly closed the door, muttering quietly as he walked past me to the kitchen.

                “Don’t think you need to worry about telling her.”

                I was hesitant to follow but when I heard a firm smack, and a groan of pain I shot off after him, having to hold myself back from jumping into action, when I saw the scene in front of me. Wyatt on the ground, nursing a bloody nose whilst Emery stood tall, ringing out her hand.

                Fucking hell, had she broken his nose?

                “What the hell is going on in here?” Clayton asked, his voice deep like thunder.

                “You are all fucking liars.” Emery spat, her tongue curling in Lumeric. “Fucking liars, all of you.”

                If it wasn’t for the current situation, I would’ve applauded her pronunciation, sure she didn’t sound fluent but I could easily understand what she was saying, especially when she turned on me.

                “You never told me about the trial,” She said. “How long have you know?”

                I raised my hands.

                “Not long,” I told her, speaking slowly in Lumeric so she’d understand. “I was going to tell you at the party but the timing wasn’t right.”

                “You’re trial concerns me, so don’t try to spin the timing crap.” She stated.

                How had we gone from last night to this? I wondered.

                She’d never spoken to me like this before, well she had but not in Lumeric, was this the Hollow? From her notes she wasn’t this far along learning it, according to the research it came to Hollow children better through negative emotions.

                I wouldn’t tell her and perhaps it was my imagination but her fiery auburn hair seemed darker and colder in the kitchen light.  

                “I didn’t want to worry you, Em.” I tried, taking her hand but she ripped it back.

                “Worry me? You could go to prison!”

                “Well we’re not in court right now, so could we drop the Archaic crap?” Clayton yelled, slamming the freezer door shut and handing Wyatt a bag of ice. “English, please.”

                What surprised me the most about this whole thing though, wasn’t that Emery had punched her brother or that she was speaking nearly fluent Lumeric, it was the seething in her gritted teeth and clenched fists. This was the Hollow, wasn’t it? I thought perhaps, there’d be smaller symptoms but I’d clearly been wrong.

                Maybe that’s all it took, one stressful situation to send it spiralling out of control.  

                “None of you trust me, do you?” She asked, still curling her tongue in Lumeric. “The divorce, the trial, the Hale’s, the fire – none of it.”

                “No, don’t start this.” Clay said pointing a finger. “Emerson, just calm down and think for a minute, speak English.”

                I know I shouldn’t of taken my eyes of Em, but I couldn’t help but watch Clayton. I knew he was Hollow, he’d told me so years ago but as I watched his face, dread seeped into my chest. Emery speaking like this was the Hollow for sure, it had to be. I’d never met anyone apart from Clayton who was, I didn’t know what to do. Records only gave me so much, nothing to deal with outburst like this.

                “All I’ve done is fucking think, all I do is think of what to do next, to do better by everyone else – what is it going to take for you all to trust me?” She asked.

                “Emery—” I tried.

                “Don’t fucking speak to me,” She said, holding up a hand. “You were the one person in this whole fucked up thing and now a case, which involves me, that could send you to prison seems the least of your concerns.”

                “I am concerned about it but more importantly, I think we should take—” I said, reaching for her, but she barged past me, storming out the kitchen. “Emery!”

                “What is it going to take?” She asked. “Do I have to kill someone to get your approval?”

                “No, never.” I told her. “You don’t need my approval Em.”

                When she’d said it in the car earlier I couldn’t quite believe it, since no one had ever sought my approval for anything. I could understand if she was trying to impress me, since I’d spent the last few weeks trying to impress her, but not like this. How had murder come into it?

                “When is everyone going to get that I’m a Guardian and deserve to be in the know?”

                “It’s not about deserving.”

                “My parents are getting divorced but because of the implications no one thought to tell me, and now you, you of all people—”

                I grabbed her hands tight, pulling her to my chest, forcing her to look at me and shut those lips for five seconds to let me talk.

                “Let go—”

                “You’ve said your piece, now let me say mine.” I cut her off. “And we’re talking in English, please.”

                “No, let go of me.” She stated, in Lumeric.

                “Emery, don’t shout at me in Lumeric and expect me to be okay with it.” I told her. “It was the reason I got to spend time with you, don’t make it into this tool you use when you’re angry.”

                The seething grit in her voice faltered for a moment, her grip on my arms loosening as her eyes flickered to the floor. Her hands clenching and unclenching as she spoke, her voice anything but steady. Emery’s entire body rattled like a butterfly caught in a snow storm.

                “You weren’t supposed to lie to me.” She said, this time in English. “You’ve been the only person that hasn’t.”

                “I’m sorry,” I told her. “These cases usually get dropped.”

                “But it involves me, it involves what I did – you’re whole career is on the line here.”

                “It won’t be, Clay’s spoken to a few people and they’re probably going to throw it out.”

                “You haven’t done anything wrong and I’ll tell them you haven’t, I’m twenty, I’m not a minor.”

                “In Guardian law—”

                “Screw the—”

                “Emery, the law is the law,” I said, adamant she wasn’t getting the last word, which is all she seemed to want since I’d met her. “I didn’t tell you because you’ve had your own priorities to deal with.”

                “You’re one of them, you’re one of my priorities Mikhail,” She said.

                The last few minutes had been filled with nothing but arguing but a smile graced my lips when she said that, I knew it was hardly the time to be blushing like a school girl but hearing her say the words, hearing her say my name with such sincerity coveted a warmth in my chest.

                “I just wanted last night to be perfect.” I told her honestly, bringing her ice cold hands to my lips, gently kissing her knuckles. “And it was, I got to spend time with you, away from all the madness.”

                Then, like someone flicked a light on, Emery’s rigid face contorted into horror, a hand smacking her mouth, eyes filled with nothing but worry darting the open kitchen door. Was that it? Was the episode over?

                “Oh my God.” She gasped. “Oh shit – Wyatt, I didn’t mean to hit him like that.”

                “You’ve seen me and Vince earlier love,” I said, trying to reassure her, even though I was worried myself. “We throw each other around.”

                “No but I hit him, like really hit him I’ve never done that before – I was just so angry, then we were yelling and…” She trailed off, her eyes going dark and voice sinking into her stomach. “This is the Hollow, isn’t it?”

                “No,” I said adamantly, even though I was positive it was.

                “They said it would start after Derek was an alpha…”

                “Emery, Em,” I said softly. “It’s alright, it wasn’t that bad.”

                “Oh God, no, no, no.” She muttered, tears brimming in her eyes as she tried to pull away, but I didn’t let her. “Mikhail let me go, please let me go.”

                “No.” I told her adamantly, thanking my lucky stars I was stronger than her.

                “Please.”

                “No, because this wasn’t your fault, this is—”

                “Who I am, I was so angry with him and I wanted to hurt him.”

                Her eyes flickered up after the words left her lips and she pushed my chest as hard as she could but once again I didn’t budge, instead I pulled her close and tight, into a hug, wrapping my arms around her back, my hand cradling the back of her head.

                “We’ll find a way to deal with this, I promise.” I told her.

                Even though I loved her, even though I’d said it and would never take it back, a small voice in the back of my head whispered to me, Clay was right. Emery’s warm tears stained my shirt but it only made me grip her tighter.

We’d find a way to deal with this, there had to be ways of stopping an episode before it started. That’s what this was, it had to be. If I could calm her down, then that had to be the key. It was like talking someone down from a fight or off a bridge, there was a process. I just had to figure out what that was.

                I refused to believe every Hollow child couldn’t love, that couldn’t be right because she loved me.

                Emery said the words, had she meant them?