Page 71 of Tarnished Embers
“What happened?” I gasp out, my hands trembling. Oct takes one in his, rubbing over my cold knuckles, and it soothes some of the anxiety racing through me.
“Prince and Odette were arguing after she confessed to having you committed,” Cas informs me, and my wide eyes go even wider at that.
“She had me committed? To here?” My head is reeling, all the peace I’d found lost. I’d come to terms with being at Serene Haven was the best decision for me, but to find out it was forced upon me…that woman has tainted it.
“So she could control your money, Little Sis,” Oct grits out, his jaw tight. “And Prince confronted her about it. They were on the balcony, but he’d turned his back on her, and then she tried to grab him.”
Dread fills my veins with ice, and I shiver, even though the afternoon sun shines through the large windows.
“Then what happened?” My voice is barely above a whisper, but like watching a car crash, I can’t look away and need to know the rest.
“He broke her hold, and then she was falling,” Kit continues, and I twist to look over my shoulder at him. The skin around his eyes is tight, but he doesn’t look sad. None of them do. I guess after everything she did, she doesn’t deserve their grief. “She landed on the fountain.” He winces, and I don’t need to know the gory details to know that it probably wasn’t pretty.
“So where is Prince now?” I question, my stomach quivering. Sweat slicks my palms, even though I feel freezing.
“He’s still with the cops, answering questions.” Cas huffs out a breath. “We called John, and he’s with him and will represent him if it goes further, but he doesn’t think that’s likely, given our statements.”
Oh, my poor Prince. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling right now. She may have been an all-round bitch, but she was still his mum, and to be so closely linked to her death, even if it was accidental... Fuck, this is a shitshow.
“So, what happens now?” I ask quietly, my shoulders rounding with the weight that seems to settle on them.
“Hey, Cinders, baby, look at me,” Cas urges softly, and his warm palm tilts my face until I’m staring into his copper eyes. “Nothing has to change if you don’t want it to. You can stay here for as long as you need. We’ll still be waiting for you to come back when you’re ready.”
My forehead creases, my chest loosening at his words. “Are you sure? It’s just…” I take an inhale, preparing myself to tell them the truth of how I feel being here. “It’s just that I feel calmer here, like it might actually be exactly the place I need to be.”
I nibble my lower lip, my stomach churning at the admission. I don’t want them to think that I don’t need them too. I just need this more right now.
“We understand, Little Sis,” Oct murmurs gently, bringing my legs across his lap and massaging them, sending delicious tingles along the aching muscles. “And you’ve actually made me think about seeing someone too, to talk through all the shit.”
“Really?” I ask, a small smile tugging my lips upwards. “That’s great, Oct.”
“Yeah,” Kit says from behind me, placing a kiss on my shoulder. “I think we could all do with a little help.”
I take another deep inhale before snuggling into Cas and releasing it, Oct massaging my calves and Kit wrapping me up from behind. There’s a twinge of pain in my chest, because I wish Prince were here too, and I can’t help the worry that leaves me a little nauseous that it won’t work out and he’ll be charged for Odette’s death. Her last act of control over his life.
“Tell us more about this place, Cinders,” Cas quietly demands, and I look up into his eyes to see that he knew my mind was worrying. Giving him a grateful smile, I tell them all that I’ve learned so far, and the way they ask questions and seem genuinely happy for me makes a warmth blossom inside my chest, easing the tightness and the pain.
Maybe things might be okay after all.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
“FACE IN THE CROWD” BY FREYA RIDINGS
EMBER
After a night of tossing and turning, with hands grasping me every time I closed my eyes, I’m feeling pretty shitty as I head down for breakfast.
“Ember?” a familiar feminine voice that I’ve not heard in years sounds as I enter the dining room, and when I swivel my head, I have to blink.
“Iris?” My brows furrow, my mind taking a hot minute to process the fact that my old friend is here, at Serene Haven.
She looks, well, pretty rough to be honest. Her long, wheat-blonde hair is tied in a messy bun, her slight frame engulfed in a massive hoodie with some kind of grim reaper printed on it. I frown more as I remember always admiring her quirky boho style, so the leggings and hoodie are not like what I used to know.
“Hey,” she says softly, getting up from her seat and coming towards me. The circles under her eyes are as dark as mine, and my chest tightens thinking about the reasons she might be here. I learned yesterday that Serene Haven specialises in helping victims of sexual violence, both male and female, although they are very careful about keeping us separate until we are ready to face the opposite sex.
“Hi,” I answer back, not sure what to say. I can’t exactly ask her how she is, there’s a reason we’re both here, and it’s not because we’re fine and dandy. “Long time, huh?”
She nods, swallowing. “It’s been too long, really. I–I’m sorry we lost touch after school,” she stutters out, and a pang runs through me. I met her when we moved to Chelsea, and we used to be super close, but her dad sent her to some fancy finishing school after we finished our exams while I went to college.