The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Bethany]

Biting her lip, Bethany studies her twin carefully. "Are you... sure? You seemed to... are you sure?" Still, she reaches into the back to pull out a small bottle of wine.

[Carver Amell]

She takes it, uncorking it. "You want the real me," she whispers, shrugging, then swallows three large mouthfuls of the wine. "Cast," she adds, as she lowers the bottle. 

[Bethany]

The real... "Oh Car... I... I'm sorry. I know you... I just meant the you under this... fog." Running a hand through her hair, she sighs, then reaches out to stroke Carol's own hair. "The dance of life never ends, so dance on, dance on," she murmurs in auran.

[Carver Amell]

Carol takes a deep breath -- and how much lighter is that breath? She hadn't noticed how heavy her breaths were until now -- and lets it out, studying her twin. I don't feel much different. It's easier to think, to feel. But I still don't want to feel. I don't want anything in this life. I don't want to leave Jadan, but I don't want to lose Beth. I'm still trapped. But I feel less trapped, despite knowing nothing's changed. 

"And the last?"

[Bethany]

Are you know going to... fine. "Okay. Last spell. This is the shortest spell so... " She takes a deep breath, then incants, "villains never really win. Eventually, a hero comes and the story continues."

[Carver Amell]

Carol's eyes widen, and tears brim in them. "Oh," she whispers. It's going to be okay. It really is. Beth is so smart, and so clever -- she'll find a way for everything to turn out alright. She can fix this thing wrong with me. We just have to distill this, make it last longer -- this could cure me. 

"Alright," she whispers, closing her eyes, wiping at them with the back of her hand. "Alright. I'm... I'm okay."

[Bethany]

"...how do you feel?" she whispers, her own heart in her throat. "Really feel and please don't use the words fine or okay."

[Carver Amell]

"Gods," she whispers, wiping at her eyes again. "I haven't felt this... hopeful, this alive, in years. Maybe a decade. I... I can believe it will be okay. It's like the shadow inside me is... hidden, or maybe irrelevant."

[Bethany]

A sob rips its way out of Beth and she throws her arm around her twin as if dying.

[Carver Amell]

Carol embraces her twin, holding her tightly, whispering in her ear. "It's going to be okay. You can solve this, you can figure it out. We'll all live peacefully together, you and me and Jadan -- we'll get another dog, a better one. It'll be okay."

[Bethany]

She can almost ignore that small part of it. Can almost let herself pretend Car hadn't said. That the spells had removed Carol's... interest in Jadan. But she can't. Nor can she stop herself from tensing a little. "Umm. I..." Crap. How to even I start this?

[Carver Amell]

Carol pulls back, studying her twin. "What's wrong?"

[Bethany]

Beth bits her lip, a tell she's always had, though Carol has been to out of it to use that knowledge for years. "I..." Her nerve fails her at the last second and she falls silent for another few seconds. "It... I'm not sure what to do. I... you know that... Jadan and I don't... get along. And I... I'm trying not to put you in the middle of that. But... I hate not telling you things. Important things."

[Carver Amell]

Carol searches Beth's face, hesitantly. Normally, hearing something like that would leave her crestfallen -- but she just looks a little anxious. "Please, Beth. Give him a chance. I know you'll like him if you do, if you just put aside your grudge and give him a real chance. He's such a sweet man, and he loves me so much. He's so kind, and gentle, and good -- once you figure out what's wrong with me, how to fix it, I'm sure we'll get married and everything will be great."

[Bethany]

Okay, found another drawback to this spell combo. "I... no. Car... no. He... He... might be those things to you but... he... He's another person entirely to other people. He... he's hurt people. Good people. And threatened, used, others." Like me. Like Bells and Hunter.