They had truly given up everything for their chance at freedom.
And then there was Meph and whatever dark past he was hiding. However casual their relationship was, she never wanted him to be forced back to Hell to face the horrors he’d left behind.
“Does Mist know about your crazy plan?” she asked Lily.
“No. He’d just say no.”
“With good reason. You need to get this idea out of your mind.”
Lily threw up her hands. “Then how am I supposed to get rid of the brands?”
Iris finally just said what she’d been thinking all along. “You’re not. Just accept that they’re there to stay.”
“I refuse to do that! I love Mist, and I want what’s best for him, and these brands are not it!”
“It’s not that bad. It’s not like you’d use them on him, and he knows that. He trusts you.”
“It’s demeaning to him! And I can’t—” Lily’s voice hitched. “I love him so much, Ris. I can’t bear the thought that these horrible things exist that can steal his free will and hurt him so badly. And I can’t bear the thought thatI’mthe one who controls them.” She stared at her hands twisting in her lap. “I hate myself for it.”
Iris studied her sister and decided it was time to tell her the cold, hard truth. It would probably hurt a little, but Lily needed to hear it.
“I don’t think this is about Mist at all,” Iris said. “This is aboutyou.”
“What? Of course it’s about Mist.”
Iris shook her head. “You don’t feel comfortable having the responsibility of the brands, and you feel guilty that you’re in control of them and uncomfortable with the power dynamic. You told me he trusts you not to abuse them.”
“Of course he does, but—”
“But trust goes both ways. You have to trust him when he says he’s okay. He told you he was happy. He told you he didn’t care. You owe it to him to believe him.”
“But—”
“Lily...” Iris met her sister’s gaze directly. “You have to consider the fact that this obsession with getting rid of the brands is more about your own feelings of inadequacy than sparing Mist from any kind of pain.”
She watched a dozen emotions flash across Lily’s face in rapid succession. Indignation, hurt, denial, self-doubt, and finally...
“I agree that you have a point,” Lily admitted quietly. “But I don’t believe that’s my only motivator.”
“At the very least, you have to tell Mist.” Because there was no way he’d let her go forward with such an idiotic plan, and Iris would be right there at his side, backing him up. “You can’t keep something like this from him.”
Lily blew out a sigh. “I know.”
“You’ll tell him?”
“I’ll tell him.” But her hands were twisting in her lap again.
“Lily!”
She made a face. “Okay, okay. I will. I promise.”
“Swear it.”
“I swear on the memory of Mam and Dad, I’ll tell him.”
Iris nodded. They both understood the importance of that vow. Then, she laughed. “I never thought I’d say this, but you might be even more stubborn than I am.”
“Pfft. Everyone knows I’m the sweet, agreeable twin.”
