INDIGO

I sat on my bed, legs crossed, hands curled around me. I was freezing to death. Someone must've turned the air conditioning too high.

My eyes were fixed on the sight right across from me, sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. A painting. My painting.

The canvas was covered in dark strokes of black paint. On the forefront was a single white rose, half of its petals reaching out, glowing in the darkness. The other half extended backward, toward the dark, its color fading until the line between the flower and the black was indiscernible.

It was the exact same as all the others I had painted and discarded in the past couple months. And like all the others, this one felt wrong. Unusual. Like something was missing. But I could never tell what it was.

But I knew now, didn't I? I knew what was wrong, I could feel it. I knew what I had to do to fix it. But should I? Was it worth it?

There was a knock on my door, dragging me out of my thoughts.

"Come in."

The door inched open to reveal Wolf. There were bags under his eyes.

He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "I just thought I should check up on you. After Chicago."

"I'm good." I tilted my head. "You look stressed."

He cleared his throat and sat down beside the painting. "I just talked to Laine. About Lily."

"What did you tell him?"

"Everything she told us. He's in the anger phase right now. He says we're going to have to retaliate, to show that betrayal would not be tolerated, even if it's his own daughter. There's no going back for Lily."

"He's right."

"I know. But he kept talking about how she was a fool and how she deserved to rot. I tried to calm him down, tell him that any of us would've done the same thing if we were in her position."

"You wouldn't have."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

No.

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. You don't need to rectify her actions."

"I know. But I will."

"Why?"

"Because I'm also responsible for her betrayal."

I shook my head. "That's not true. She chose to join the Ravens, not you. She is responsible for her own actions."

"But I pushed her to them, I pushed her until she felt like she had no choice. Maybe it was the others who ignored her, who neglected her. Maybe it was the others who tore her down. But they did so under my watch. I'm their leader. I let them treat her that way, I let her think she was alone. I ignored her abilities, her potential. She was one of my people, Indigo. I was responsible for her, and I let her down."

I remained silent. I knew there was nothing I could say to convince him otherwise, just as there was nothing he could say when I thought Axe and Chance died because of me.

He shook his head, wringing his hands together. "I should've been there for her, but I wasn't. And when you aren't there for someone, when you abandon them...that's when family turns on family."

Family turns on family.

Like a daughter turning on her father. Like a mother turning on her daughter.

There's no going back.

Or like a daughter turning on her mother.

I looked back at the painting. Perhaps I should change it, fix it. I should paint the whole picture, the real picture.

There was another knock on the door, interrupting the silence which had filled the room. Before I could even respond, Cree slammed the door open.

"Thank god, you're both in the same place."

Wolf furrowed his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"Laine just ordered Eveleen to be taken to the main hall. He's going to decide what to do with her right now."

"Right now? Why now after waiting for so long?"

Cree shrugged. "No clue. But he looked pissed."

"Glad something managed to get him to act," Wolf hissed under his breath as he got to his feet. He rushed to the door, but paused.

"Aren't you coming?"

I looked back at the painting. I knew what I had to do. I nodded.

I stood, following him out the room, as I took a deep breath, steeling myself to face my mother one last time.

Hey guys!

In case you haven't noticed, this is actually a part of a five chapter update! So go back and read "Code of Thieves" (after the Blood Laws) and Chapter 58 which is Damien's POV (and very important to read to understand the next few chapters). And keep your eyes open for the next three chapters over the course of the next day!!!

See you next chapter!
-Sreenija Paruchuri