Chapter 88: A Showing of Solidarity

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Rosalia's POV:

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Rosalia's POV:

"Absolutely not." Those are the first two words out of Ash's mouth when I tell him my plan. Well, correction, half a plan since I know what we need to do but not how we do it. "Absolutely not Rose, you're not going back." He scowls at me and I have to resist the urge to do something childish.

Instead, I just give an impressive pout, hands steepled under my chin. "But we have to," I whine, turning to look at Eris pleadingly. She offers me a shy smile and holds her hands in surrender, easily slipping out of the room. Sighing to myself I see that Mara and Chalice have also vanished. Something that makes me groan louder. Hunter looks at me in concern but I just bury my head in my arms. "We have to," I repeat, my words muffled by the table.

Ash groans again, looking at me like I've lost my mind. "Rose, you can't be serious!" He all but shouts the words at me and I try to resist the urge to groan again, hiding my face underneath my dark hair. Peeking between the two sides I see Ash is still regarding me with the same incredulous expression. "Rose, the only advantage we have is that our parents don't know you're still alive," His tone is gentle. "We need to keep that way. Until we can come up with a better plan."

"There isn't one"' I mutter, hiding my head deeper into my arms until I don't think I can hide any deeper into myself without disappearing entirely. Looking up I can see both the boys looking at me with some sort of puzzled expression that has me raising my head enough to peek out at them from between my hair. "There isn't another way. We need to do this and we need to do this soon." I try to convey my urgency but it doesn't seem to work.

Ash gives a frustrated sigh and runs a hand through his hair. "I get what you're saying but it's not the time." He looks at me imploringly and I'm tempted to give up. Just slightly. But something inside me just won't let me give up. Won't let me give in. "Please tell me you can see where I'm going with this?" He sounds like he's pleading but I can't give up. Not yet.

"I get it," I sit up enough to push back my hair and look around the room with a steady gaze. "I get it but I don't agree." I continue, seeing his face fall. I frown into the distance as a half-formed plan flashes through my mind. "The throne," I mumble, seeing Hunter shoot me an exceedingly bemused look. "You know what I mean,"

He gives me the most confused look I've seen in a long time and just remains silent. I continue to stare at him as if willing him to understand where I'm going with this but all I get in response is a blank look. That's hard to see but somehow I manage to keep watching the two of them until I hope to see something click. But their expressions don't change. Hopelessness surges through me until I hear someone come in across the room. Switching my attention I see that Eris, Mara and Chalice have returned and, judging by their sheepish expressions, I guess Chalice had been shamelessly eavesdropping on the conversation and so I just sigh. Not wanting to go into what was happening. Instead, I stare at my vampire best friend pleadingly until her eyes widen, shock eclipsing her features.

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