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“It’s really up to Autumn,” Rain said. “They were her people and she’d been the one abused by them. Justice should be rightfully hers.”
Autumn paled as she stared down at the floor.
A fucking idiot could see she wanted no part of this discussion and no part of the outcome.
I didn’t get why Rain couldn’t see that and just leave the poor girl alone. She wasn’t like Ariel and she wasn’t gung ho and blood thirsty, ready to take on anyone who ever wronged her.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t just as strong. Their strengths just lied in different places. Not everyone was built to be a warrior.
“Why are you leaving Finn out of the decision making?” I questioned Rain and he glared at me.
Finn flinched but he didn’t look away from where his hands were laced together on his knees.
Romero and Isobel crowed closer to him protectively and I rolled my eyes at their actions. We weren’t going to hurt him, he didn’t need protecting against us.
We weren't the enemies here.
“Finn doesn’t want any part of it,” Rain growled at me. “Those were not his people anymore. He left that life behind a very long time ago. He has no part in this.”
Double standard much?
“Autumn clearly wants no part of this,” Gunner pointed out the obvious.
“Autumn has yet to speak on the subject,” Rain said in a smug voice. “Why don’t you give her a chance instead of speaking for her like it’s your god damn right or something.”
Everyone turned to stare at the girl in question and I was proud of her for not shrinking in on herself and shutting down. In my eyes she was a lot stronger than Finn was behaving at the moment.
Autumn cleared her throat and straightened out her shoulders. “The forest witches never wanted me, not really. I was shunned all my life. They aren’t my responsibility, even in death. Especially in death. I’ve given them enough of me already. I won’t play the role of the hangman for them too. That’s not who I am. I’ve already played the role of the outcast for them and that’s more than enough for me. I’m done and not giving them anymore.”
I was so proud of her. And I really wanted to kiss her.
I wanted to do a whole lot more than just kiss her.
Rain’s face softened when he looked at her. So did his voice when he spoke. “I know you’re sweet and all but, girl, you need to toughen up a bit when it comes to—”
I cut him off. I’d heard enough of his bullshit. “No, she absolutely does not. She’s perfect just as she is and she doesn’t need to change anything in order to accommodate the assholes in the world. Don’t you dare try to fill her head with anything different. What she needs is a coven to have her back and to be there for her. People she trusts to be able to make the hard decisions for her when she doesn’t want to have to do it for herself.”
“Right now she doesn’t have a coven,” Finn whispered dejectedly.
I wanted to fucking hit the bastard. Now he thought it was a good idea to open his mouth?
Fucking prick.
“How about you go fuck yourself, coward,” Scout practically snarled as he glared at Finn from across the room.
Shit. This was spiraling out of control and quickly. I didn’t like for one second the way that Rain, Romero, and Isobel were now looking at my brother.
Ariel busted out laughing and it did nothing to dispel the tension building in the room.
“Look at you, Finn!” she crowed. “You just make friends everywhere that you go. It’s not just me who thinks you’re an asshole. I fucking love it.”
“Ariel,” Rain snapped at his daughter. She just shrugged and continued grinning like she found the whole thing hilarious.
Autumn stood up quickly and murmured, “Please, excuse me.” She walked out of the room with her head hung down and looked like she might have been on the verge of crying.
Finn got up and looked like he was going to run after her but thought better of it and sat back down after looking at us.
It was the only smart thing he’d done since getting here.
