My jaw tightened as a battle waged inside of me—a battle I was afraid I could never win.
Vivienne kneeled up on the bed—slowly and carefully—so that she could face me and look into my eyes. The moment her blue-violet gaze bore into my eyes, I knew that she knew what was behind the mask of confidence and courage I was trying to keep up.
Her face fell and a tear ran down her cheek. "The darkness has gotten to you, hasn't it?" she asked, her voice clearly about to break.
I nodded, affirming her worst fears. She'd spent hundreds of years trying to protect me from the darkness and to sit there and look her in the eye and tell her that she'd lost me was heartbreaking.
"I'm so sorry, Father. I didn't think… I had hoped…" She choked on her own words and tears began streaming down her face.
I pulled her into my arms, and let her sob into my chest, not knowing what to say or do in order to console her.
