Page 295 of Scarlet Wars
“You don’t justreact, Emma,” Maurice cut in. “You win us that entire battle. Without you unleashing your power—without you destroying every single Collab on that field—we lose the war against them. Every future you were all so desperate to fight for dies with it.”
“The Krait. Preventing the existence of the Trackers. Every reason Mr. Walker here has been smashing LiaPrisms left and right: gone. All of it.” His gaze was merciless. “We never even reach those futures if we lose that battle.”
Something in my chest went ice-cold as I looked at Emma.
The devastation on her face wasn’t loud. It didn’t shatter or rage. It hollowed, like something essential had been scooped out and left behind.
Maurice tilted his head, studying her the way one might assess a solution already reached.
“Considering your reaction to your parents’ death,” he said evenly, “this shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
“My reaction…” Emma repeated faintly. “When I killed those militants.”
“Yes.”
Her jaw tightened. “Did you send them to try to ‘unleash me’ too?”
“No.” For the first time, something soft entered his voice. “Emma, I already told you this. I had nothing to do with your parents’ deaths.” He held her gaze. “I swear on my life.”
A beat passed.
“But you did have the president issue that second warrant for my arrest?”
Maurice nodded once. “Yes. After you killed those people, he agreed to have you delivered into my care.”
“And when you realized what Stephen had told the Chiefs,” she continued, sounding steadier now, dangerously so, “you had me jump through that portal.”
“Yes.”
“To make sure I’d follow through on my feelings for Caden.”
Maurice shook his head once. “Only to counteract the Chiefs’ threat. Only to make you see they were lying and had their own agenda.”
Emma ignored his pathetic attempt to justify his actions. “And once I knew what I needed to know, you had the president lift the warrant.”
“Yes, daughter.”
Those two words landed wrong—worse than cringe coming from him.
Emma’s hands clenched at her sides. “Why not simply contact me?” she demanded. “Why not nex me? Why abduct people? Why lure me to New York, then to Cyclos?”
Maurice drew a slow, measured breath, as if he were bracing himself for reason rather than judgment.
“Believe me, I considered it. More than once.” His gaze flicked away before returning to her. “But Julius told me he’d filled James in on parts of your past. Not all of it, he omitted those that would’ve ensured your understanding, like me beingyour father.” His mouth tightened. “So, I simply assumed the picture you had of me wouldn’t be…flattering.”
Emma didn’t respond.
“And then I heard Stephen was looking for me,” Maurice continued. “I put two and two together. I thought maybe you’d asked him to hunt me down. And if that was the case?—”
“Then the chances of me coming to you of my own free will,” Emma added coldly, “would be slim to non-existent.”
Maurice nodded once.
No argument.
No denial.
Only confirmation.
