by Rory Miles
“We can’t leave.”
I turned when Bron spoke, glancing between him and Kace.
“He’s family. We can’t send him off with strangers and hope for the best. He needs us there when he wakes up.”
I bristled at the word stranger, but relaxed when he gestured to Dawn and Orval instead of me.
“We were given a job.” Bron’s eyes filled with remorse.
Did he really want to stay after what happened?
Kace shoved him. “Sloan’s fucking family. Where is the goddess now? Huh?”
His words were so similar to my thoughts. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved I wouldn’t have to convince him to leave or worried. Was I going off the deep end too?
Bron shoved him back. “This isn’t her fault. Daman attacked Sloan.” He blocked the punch Kace threw, twisting Kace’s hand behind his back and holding him still. “Don’t.”
Kace seethed. The vein in his forehead bulged as he gritted his teeth, refusing to back down. “She didn’t even help! She doesn’t care.” He tried to wrench out of Bron’s hold.
Shit. The stubborn fool was going to break his arm.
“Kace will come with me. Shawn too.”
Bron narrowed his eyes at me, letting go of Kace and shoving him away. He lifted his finger and pointed at Kace in warning. “I’m not in the mood for your shit.” He turned to me, crossing his arms over his chest. “You don’t get to decide.”
I laughed, shaking my head, the anger I’d felt moments ago still fresh.
“Neither do you, Bron. You aren’t in charge of anyone. We all have free will for a reason, right? Well, Kace is coming back to Forest City, and if Shawn wants to as well, he’ll fucking come.”
He prowled toward me in a way that would normally make me excited, but all I felt now was white-hot rage.
“You’re mad,” he said.
“Astute observation.”
He huffed out an annoyed breath, scrubbing a hand over his face.
“Believe me when I say I understand your anger. Sloan is my brother,” his voice wavered, “but my duty and my obligation to keep this world safe from people like Daman means so much more to me now. We cannot let him corrupt our world.” His words made me regret my anger. “If we leave, he wins. People will die and there aren’t enough sapphire stones to save everyone.”
You know that moment when you realize you were wrong, but aren’t quite ready to let go of the anger? That was how I felt in that moment. He had a point, but damn it all, why did it have to be someone I cared about?
Hadn’t I been through enough already? I wanted to slap myself as soon as the thought crossed my mind. This wasn’t a pity party for one. I was being a selfish brat.
Bron wrapped me in a hug, squeezing the anger from me. He held me tight, refusing to let me go and I didn’t fight it. After almost losing someone, I would take all the hugs I could get.
We’d get through what came next. We had to.
Shawn and Kace carried Sloan on one of the cots, his body tied down with ropes to keep him in place. He hadn’t woken but his breathing was even. Hopefully the doctors in Forest City could repair the rest of the damage. I walked behind them, trying to hide the tears streaming down my face. Shawn hadn’t spoken since he told the others he was leaving.
Bron didn’t seem happy about them abandoning their positions but he knew better than to say anything. He’d only make Shawn and Kace mad if he tried to get them to stay. Noah, Corban, and Erik wanted to come, but with the attack, it made sense for them to stay with Bron. Alone, Bron would be easily killed. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Dawn and Orval trailed behind us, her little hand disappearing in his large palm. She looked pale but gave me a reassuring smile, as if to say everything will be okay.
The cottage came into view. Kace and Shawn bypassed it, heading toward Forest City and the hospital. I showed Dawn and Orval inside, halting in the middle of the living room. There was a door between the kitchen and hallway that hadn’t been there before.
Curse it all, I’d forgotten about the surprise. I laughed at Orval and Dawn, explaining the situation. Dawn’s eyes lit with excitement.
“Open it,” she said, nudging me forward.
My feet shuffled over the floor, hand hovering over the handle. I glanced over my shoulder at Dawn, she smiled and nodded, making a get on with it gesture. With a nod, I turned back and opened the door, sucking in a breath when it swung wide.
They built me my own room.
A very large, pretty room. The walls were light blue with white trim. One side of the room was mostly covered by a built-in bookshelf which was partially filled. My eyes skimmed the titles, some of my favorites and some that I had yet to read. An oversized chair that begged to be sat in rested atop an ornate rug in the corner where the bookshelf stopped.
My gaze swept to the other side of the room where a giant bed with a dark blue and white quilt pressed against the wall. Pillows were piled high across the length of the bed, which took up the entire right side of the room. The same bed they had shared in the other room.
They moved their bed into my room? My heart squeezed. This wasn’t my room. This was our room. We were meant to share it. A large oak dresser—six drawers wide and four drawers tall—sat underneath the large window. Sheer curtains were pulled across the window, barely darkening the room. Another set of heavy curtains, these ones dark blue, could be pulled across the window for privacy.
Dawn stepped up to the books, her eyes glistening. “They built this for you?”
“Yes,” I said, clearing my throat when the word cracked.
There were no cots. I left Dawn in the room, her hand skimming over the sheer curtains as she gushed over the finer details—the carvings on the dresser, the pretty painting hanging over the bed, the small bedside table with fresh flowers.
The door to the old bedroom was open, I stepped into the mostly empty space, taking in the changes. Seven small cots were set up in the room. Two smaller oak dressers—one for Kace and one for Shawn—were the only other pieces of furniture. The extra cots made sense to me. If someone didn’t feel like sharing a bed, they would at least have another place to sleep for the night. Or if some of us needed privacy, the others could stay the night in here if they didn’t feel like joining.
I turned back toward the hall when I heard Dawn calling my name. She stood at the end of the hallway, hands on her hips and eyebrows raised.
“Do you want me to make food?”
I shook my head. It was late, and we’d barely slept. Orval thanked me when I told them they could use the cots, gesturing to the room behind me. Dawn headed down the hall with him, letting him go in first before stopping in front of me. Her face was lined with worry. Some sort of battle waged in her eyes. When her arms encircled me, I understood her dilemma. We weren’t very close. She sighed in relief when I returned the hug, patting her back and lingering for a few seconds. She rubbed my arms when she pulled back.
“He will be okay. You did so good.”
I nodded, pressing my lips together and forcing the tears back. Orval was lucky to have her. He needed someone who would take care of him and Dawn seemed like a nurturer.
“Go get some sleep,” she said, shooing me toward my new room.
“Goodnight,” I replied even though the sky had barely begun to lighten into the early stages of morning.
After stopping in the bathroom to take care of business, scrubbing my body with a wet towel and washing my face, I returned to the new room. My fingers trailed over the top of the dresser, marveling at the smooth finish. It took a few tries but I found the drawers filled with my clothes. I put on a shirt I didn’t recognize; the front of it said “don’t wake me if I’m dreaming.”
I climbed onto the bed, heading toward the middle. Sleeping at one of the sides felt wrong, especially when I’d be able to spread out as far as I wanted. The blanket was warm and the pillows soft; my eyes drooped, heavy with sleep.
A while
later, I heard the door open. I jolted up, relaxing when I saw Kace and Shawn standing in the room. They both looked so lost. I patted the bed on either side of me. Kace moved around the bed and started undressing, stripping down to his boxers and sliding under the blankets. Shawn hesitated.
“There is plenty of space.” I didn’t need to say the rest . . . We wouldn’t have to touch. He knew what I meant.
I lay back on the pillow, pulling the blanket up to my shoulders and closing my eyes. I pretended not to notice the sounds of him undressing, pretended the slight dip in the bed didn’t fill me with relief. If he’d share a bed with me, perhaps he didn’t hate me after all.
Kace had already fallen asleep, his soft snoring interrupting the otherwise quiet room. Shawn scooted toward me. I opened my eyes, turning my head and giving him a confused look.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, stopping just a few inches away from me.
I shook my head. He didn’t need to apologize to me. He’d been upset and I completely understood his anger. Sometime people said things in the heat of the moment.
He stared at me when I opened my arms, inviting him into my space. His face contorted, eyes filling with tears. When he reached out to me and pulled me to him, I held tight, like I could squeeze the memory out of him.
We still didn’t know if Sloan would make a full recovery. A few tears wet my shoulder but he didn’t sob. Instead, he settled his head on my chest, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Only when his breathing evened out did I let myself fall asleep.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The next day was spent preparing for our return to the cave. Sloan couldn’t have visitors yet. The doctors had told us that he needed to rest. After a few blood transfusions and good old-fashioned hand stitching, Sloan was on his way to hopefully making a full recovery. We’d left the hospital sad but relieved. We wouldn’t see him before we left, but he’d live and as soon as we took care of Daman, we’d come get him.
The bag I carried was full of supplies: food, water, wine and mead. Shawn had one bag full of clothes, an extra outfit for each man, and another filled with small weapons. They hadn’t grabbed many as magic would be the main combat method, but it wouldn’t hurt for everyone to have a spare weapon. Kace carried another bag full of food for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow.
Dawn and Orval had gone to see Red. I hadn’t seen her yet but Orval had given me permission to let her run the business a bit longer. Not that I needed his permission to do anything. It was just easier than having to fight him over it. I didn’t think I would win that battle.
We dumped the bags on the kitchen table. Shawn collapsed into a chair. Kace started boiling water for tea, keeping himself busy to avoid facing reality. I sat next to Shawn, watching Kace rearrange the mugs in the cabinet, muttering about how dirty everything was.
“Sloan keeps everything neat,” Shawn said, shoulders tensing. His eyes narrowed on Kace, ready for confrontation.
Kace paused in the middle of putting a mug on the shelf, letting his head hang for a second before he gingerly set it down.
“The tea will be done in a minute.”
Shawn crossed his arms and sat back, the chair creaking. His face rippled with disappointment, like he wanted to fight. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table instead. The chair creaked again. With a scowl full of misplaced anger, Shawn moved to a different chair, staring at the one he’d vacated like it was enemy number one. Kace placed mugs in front of us, going back to grab his own. Shawn’s fingers curled tightly around the mug when the chair he’d moved to made the slightest of noises. Letting go of the mug and shoving back from the table, he picked up the chair and slammed it over and over against the floor.
The fit of rage happened so quickly I didn’t have a chance to react. Shards of broken wood flew everywhere, hitting my face and landing in our tea. Kace raced around the table, yanking the mangled seat away from Shawn and shoving him back. Shawn’s chest rose with angry pants. He went to grab another chair but Kace used his free hand to shoot a freezing spell at him. Shawn’s fingers stopped inches from his target.
“This is his table. I won’t let you destroy it.”
Shawn’s eyes gleamed with anger, telling me Kace wouldn’t stop him from doing anything. Kace saw the look, tossed the broken chair aside and poked his frozen chest.
“Sloan made this set with Dad. You don’t get to destroy it because you’re upset. He’s going to be fine and when he comes home, he’ll be pissed to see you’ve broken the table.”
I picked up the mugs of tea, going to dump them out in the sink and to start boiling fresh water. Staying out of their way was the best I could do. This wasn’t my fight. I barely belonged here.
Tuning out Kace’s reprimands, I placed three bags of chamomile tea in the boiling water and shut off the stove. I watched the tea steep for three minutes before I poured the brew into the mugs. I braced myself for the worst, turning around to see how far their anger had progressed. The mugs almost slipped from my fingers when I saw Kace embracing a now un-frozen Shawn. The sight brought a fresh wave of tears but I held them back. Shawn wouldn’t appreciate my emotions right now.
Bringing two mugs over for the men, I placed them on the table near where they stood, then grabbed my cup and headed outside so I could cry in peace.
The weather had changed: a crisp fall breeze moved through the trees, playing with the ends of my hair and making me shiver. I didn’t think to grab the sweater I’d bought before leaving the house. Still, the cold didn’t stop me from walking. After a little while, I found myself moving toward a porch swing.
Mrs. Draper’s house looked untouched; the front window was still broken. Shards of glass covered half of the porch. I brushed off the small pieces on the old wooden swing, wincing when a few bit into the back of my hand. I sat and kicked off the floor, my mug in one hand and the other resting against my leg. I watched the squirrels race around, clearly enjoying the cooler temperatures.
When the swing failed to soothe my thoughts, I headed inside, cutting through the living room and heading back to the bedrooms. Laying in her bed felt disrespectful, so I veered toward the spare room. The window squeaked when I pulled it open to let fresh air into the stale room. I sat on the edge of the bed, the yellow quilt bunching underneath me, and glanced around.
The room was full of flowers: paintings, the quilt, the chair in the corner covered with yellow roses, the dresser with flowers carved into the edges. Frankly, the room was ugly and ostentatious, but a complete, almost shocking reflection of who Mrs. Draper was.
I lay on the bed, curling into a ball, and cried, letting the sobs out without worrying about what anyone would think. All the stress and tension leaked out of me. I’d been alone for so long, I almost forgot what it was like to care about people.
Everything had changed and not for the better. Shawn was a mess and Sloan was still unconscious. Daman would strike soon, hopefully not before we were able to return to the cave. I rolled over to the other pillow when I soaked the first one through, sighing when my crying finally slowed. I closed my eyes, shutting out the sounds of the forest, and fell asleep.
“I found her.”
Kace’s voice woke me. I blinked, noticing the sun had crept across the sky and the room had darkened. How long had I slept?
I glanced over at him standing in the doorway. Lines creased his forehead. Shawn shouldered past him, coming over to sit on the bed and looking at me with brows drawn down.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, shifting to sit and lean against the pillow for support.
Shawn and Kace shared a look.
“You didn’t tell us where you were going.”
I made a face at Shawn. “Well, you found me.”
He frowned at me. “We were worried.” The way he said it made me think I should feel bad.
“Honestly.” I blew out a breath. “I didn’t think you’d notice. Plus, I needed some room to breathe.”
Kace le
ft his place in the doorway, coming over to sit on the other side of the bed. His shoulder brushed mine.
“We’re sorry for fighting.”
My laugh made them both give me a worried look. “It wasn’t the fighting.”
Shawn leaned on one elbow, scooting further onto the small bed. The larger bed at home made so much sense in that moment, with Kace and me pressed up against each other and Shawn barely fitting at the end. Kace nudged me, his eyes asking a question.
I quickly glanced at Shawn, worrying what he’d think if I told them the truth.
Understanding flashed in his eyes. “Listen.” He sighed. “I’m really sorry for what I said. You love Sloan too. You don’t have to hide your tears from us, we’re family.”
“Are we?” I asked. “Every time something happens I feel like I’m pushed away because I haven’t been in the group as long as you guys. Sometimes it reminds me of my real family, and they aren’t what I’d consider loving.”
Kace said, “We’ve been through so much together. When bad things happen, we tend to forget about everyone else. We haven’t had to worry about another person in such a long time. Because of you, we are learning how to open up and let others in. We’re idiots for making you feel the way you do. I promise we will try harder. We can’t lose you.”
His words surprised me. Since when were either of them worried about losing me?
Kace laughed when he saw my face. “I know. It took me a while to realize I actually like your smart-ass. I mean, I don’t want to sleep with you, but you’re like a sister to me now.”
Shawn nodded in agreement.
My real brother hadn’t turned out to be very reliable, so while I liked the thought, my heart remained wary of their declarations. Past experience told me there’d come a time when they’d forget their promises.
“We should probably get back. Dawn’s making dinner.”
The rumbling in my stomach answered Kace.