She peered down her nose at me. “Because it doesn’t have to be Nate that dies.”
“Does that mean it could be one of the vampires holding him?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Perhaps.”
"What are you allowed to tell me?" I asked exasperatedly.
She pulled me close and hugged me, with my back against her chest.
“I will tell you that you are going to change the Mundus Noctis,” she whispered into my hair.
I huffed, and she laughed.
“Oh, my stubborn one. You have so much of your mother in you, and so much of your father. It will be fun watching you grow.”
I was still a little miffed, but Flora was softening me even more, and I relaxed my stiff back against her. “You’ll keep visiting me, won’t you?”
She breathed, reflecting. “I am here until you do not need me anymore.”
I grabbed her hand afraid she would leave me forever. “How can you say that? I will need you for the rest of my life.”
“Eventually you will have to let me go, little one.”
My heart sank, but I couldn't cry. I still wanted to be comforted and stayed in Flora’s arms. I felt like I had just gotten Flora back, which was close to impossible. I couldn’t bear to let her go so soon.
I hadn't realized that I had begun crying until Flora started to hum. She only did that when I was upset to calm me. And then I touched a cheek, and sure enough, it was wet with my tears. Her humming helped a little. I felt loved and safe, but I missed Sera. When I woke up, Flora would be gone again, but Sera would still be there. She had never left me. She was always there to fill those pieces that were missing; the piece that was shattered from losing Flora and Martin, from not knowing my biological parents, and from moving all of the place. Sera had always tried to keep me safe. I needed to make sure she was always safe.
I sighed a couple of times, trying to relieve my chest from the ache. And before I knew it, she had hummed me into a deep sleep.
Chapter Thirty
I woke up early, like usual, and realized from my stench that I had to get a shower. I opened the door and peered out into the hall to see if anyone was awake or out walking around. I didn’t hear anyone or see anyone, so I grabbed more new clothes that I found in the dresser and I tiptoed across the hall into the bathroom.
I understood that Meredith was complaining about a shared bathroom, but the bathroom itself was immense and utterly beautiful. It was a spa oasis with beige walls and lighter beige, heated, marble floors. Double sinks were on the right as I entered, sitting in a lengthy marbled vanity with oak cabinets. Above the sinks, was a mirror the entire length of the wall.
To the left, there was a marbled, tiled, walk-in shower under a rounded arch with three waterfall shower heads. And next to the shower, there was a tub in a rounded alcove in its own little oasis. Steps led up into the large jacuzzi tub with three, small, faux, arch windows with "outside" lighting behind them to stimulate the illumination from real windows. And in between the windows flickered sconces which set the bathroom into a dimmer setting, in case I wanted the faux lighting off.
I had to wipe the drool off my chin. It was the bathroom for kings… or I guess, a Fae princess. I wanted to spend the rest of my days in that bathroom, but I knew Nate and Meredith would awaken eventually. So I went looking for the towels, which were in a linen closet, next to the toilet, which was on the other side of the shower. I also found some shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that smelled like black raspberries, roses, and vanilla bean. I let my eyes roll back in bliss. The smell was heavenly.
I shed my stinky clothes as fast as possible, cringing at the aches that still lingered in some places. Mainly my side. But I managed, and meandered into the shower, keeping my right side, still bandaged, slightly outside of the spray from only one of the shower heads; the other two I didn’t even turn on. I had enough water to wash the grime out of my hair and the dirt and sweat from my body. Feeling almost like a new person, I got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my body, and approached one of the sinks.
I still held off on taking a look at my wound while I put on a pair of pants and a sports bra that I had previously put on the vanity, and wrapped my used towel around my hair.
I found some bandages, cotton balls, disinfectant, and medical tape in the linen closet behind where I had seen the body wash, and I placed all of it on the other side of the sink.
I looked at myself in the mirror apprehensively, but determined. The cotton bandage was now seeping, and absolutely filthy. My time in avoiding this was up, and I had to change it. Closing my eyes, I tore off the bloody bandage, biting down on my lip to control the pain. I tasted blood quickly after.
I finally opened my eyes to look at my wound. Stitches were holding together the broken skin, but it wasn't as horrible as I had imagined it. The injury was starting to heal, but because of the iron from the lamp pole, it was taking a while. It didn't help that it went from the back, through my body, and out the front. Some of the edges were still touched with a little grey. But for the most part, the puckered skin was knitting back together. It just wasn’t very pretty and around it was very red and puffy.
I dabbed some disinfectant on a cotton pad and tapped one of the edges of the open cut. I tried to hold in my agony from the burning fire of pain the disinfectant caused against the open wound, but it was no use.
The cotton pad instantly fell into the sink as I gripped the edge of the vanity with both hands and squeezed while trying to release a long, low-pitched groan. I had hoped that no one had heard, but the sound of the bathroom door opening told me otherwise.
Anahita stood in the doorway with a mug in her hand as she took in my appearance.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” I muttered. I didn’t really want to get into it with her, but I did want her to go away. I wasn’t keen on her seeing me so vulnerable.
She raised her head up and sniffed the air. “It smells off.”
“Yeah,” I grumbled. “I haven’t exactly been taking care of it.”
Anahita walked toward me and put the mug on the counter next to the sink. Red liquid that smelled like iron, which I guessed was blood, sloshed along the inside.
“Let me help you,” she suggested. There was no expression on her face to tell me whether or not she was sincere.
I gave her a cautious look and shifted uncomfortably.
“How are you going to get your back?” She raised a perfect, black eyebrow.
I nodded in defeat, as Anahita took the disinfectant bottle and another clean cotton pad.
“This is going to hurt, but I will try to make quick dabs.” She looked up at me then and smirked. “If it makes you feel better, you can curse me out.”
Annoyance was on my face as she started dabbing. It didn’t take too long before I was hissing and cringing. I tried to keep the cursing to a minimum.
“Why are you being so nice?” I hissed between dabs.
“Am I?” She dabbed again, and I sucked in a breath.
“Well, I’m sure you’re getting some sort of kick out of this,” I rushed the words out before cringing again. “But why are you helping me?”
“Did you know that we all could feel your pain? All of us.” She snarled.
“Yes,” I whispered.
She stopped dabbing the front and reached for the healing ointment.
“Let’s just say that feeling everything that you went through and the fact that you are still here, and more than dedicated to fulfilling this challenge, has given me a little more respect for you,” she studied me, as she applied the ointment.
My mouth dropped in shock.
She laughed softly and gave me a half smile. “I will admit that I have been in many scrapes before. Being one of the Scelesti, it’s always a struggle to maintain your power. However, most of the time, I was the one doling out the pain.”
I scowled, but she continued.
“I have to say that I have never been impaled on
a pole before. You’re not the spoiled little princess that I had thought you were. ” She gingerly placed a new, clean bandage on the front and tape around it. She made a move of her finger for me to turn around, and I did, leaving my back toward her.
I felt her feel for the bandage and I braced myself as she peeled it off fast, sending small pains to the area. I didn’t feel anything else, but I heard movement. When I looked over my shoulder, she was pouring disinfectant onto a cotton swab. I turned my head back around when she moved to clean the wound on my back.
I let out a guttural groan on the first dab but went back to cringing as she began cleaning my back.
“You didn’t answer my question,” I said between cringes.
She sighed. “Because after feeling all that and the fact that you are still alive and determined even if it could mean your death… It makes me feel something that I don’t understand. And for some reason, it makes me want to help,” Anahita replied, never stopping the dabbing.
"It might be called ‘compassion' or something like that," I snarked but winced when she applied pressure after my remark. I paused a moment to think back on everything that had happened with Anahita and how she was helping me.
“I’m sorry,” I rasped, partially from the pain, but also because of the guilt that I had.
She didn’t respond as she finished cleaning and I heard a thud as she tossed the cotton pads in the trash under the sink.
“I’m sorry,” I started again, not really expecting any response. “I was awful toward you in the car. And although there’s a strong part of me that doesn’t like you… you didn’t deserve my anger like that. You tried to reason with me, and I was a bitch toward you. So I’m sorry.”
“You really scared a lot of people,” she sighed, making my guilt feel heavier even after I felt a little better apologizing to her.
I flinched when she touched my back wound with her cold fingers that had the healing ointment on it.
“I had never seen Zane go so crazy scared in my entire time with him. I mean, he went absolutely insane because he let you go and he couldn’t get to you.” She sighed again, but this time it sounded in defeat about what, I had no idea. “I get it now. I don’t like, but I get it.”
Then, she gingerly taped the cotton bandage over the back wound and smoothed the tape around the injury in the back. "All right, you're done."
“We will never speak of this to anyone,” I said, turning around to face her.
She had a smirk on her face. "What? You don't want others to know about a possible cease-fire and bonding experience?"
I shrugged. “We’ll let them figure it out. And just so you know, we’re not friends.”
She snarled. “Of course not. But you’re a little more tolerable now.”
I tilted my head and grinned. “And I guess you’re a little more human now.”
She growled to disprove my comment, grabbed her mug of breakfast or dinner for her, and headed toward the door.
I was just lifting up a clean shirt to pull over my head when she turned back around.
“Just so you know, if you joined the Scelesti, that Fae manipulation would make you scary as all hell. I’m glad you’re not. Especially if you can be that nasty and not be a Scelesta.” She shivered involuntarily and walked out of the bathroom.
I shrugged, taking her comment as a compliment and went back to finishing getting ready for school and double checking to make sure I had cleaned up my mess. Then I left the bathroom, taking care of everything else that I usually did while I waited for Nate and Meredith to wake up.
✽✽✽
Sometime while I was out, Nate had gone back to get his car. I didn’t know when, or if anyone had gone with him, and I didn’t ask. I only hoped someone did. Regardless, Nate’s SUV was now parked out in the driveway, and he had insisted on driving us to school, instead of walking to avoid any unnecessary "harming" instances. I didn't blame him, but I also knew Nate was initially hoping to use one of the fancy cars in the garage from the way he had been drooling over them the first time he saw them even though he had his own available. Of course, Finn had said no with a lot of grump, complaining that it was too early to be annoyed by teenagers, and told him to drive the car he came in.
Nate had moped a little as we headed outside. Finn wouldn’t even let him park in the garage next to one of those fancy cars that he coveted so much. He had said that Nate was still too much of a "greenhorn" and he was afraid Nate might do some damage to the expensive vehicles. Whatever that meant.
And although we felt bad for Nate, Meredith and I tried to keep our giggles suppressed as we climbed into Nate’s SUV. Meredith took the front passenger seat since she was feeling chattier than me. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk with them, I just had a lot on my mind as I slid into the backseat.
There was no sign of the sun as we started out. Although, it was fall and early morning, there was always some lighting to show signs of a new day. But now there was none, and I already knew there wouldn't be. It had even begun to rain uncontrollably.
“Pretty weird out there, huh?” Meredith hinted suspiciously about the weather and the darkness.
“It’s not a coincidence,” I mumbled, turning my head away from the window.
Nate’s hands flexed on the steering wheel. “Why do you say that?”
I sighed. “That master that I fought said that I only had days left.”
Nate quickly pulled into a plaza that was next to the school that had a bunch of shops and even a donut shop.
“Where you going to tell us?” He turned around to look at me, his eyes sparking with anger.
“Certain things seemed to be bigger at the time, but yes, I would have,” I snapped back in a clipped tone.
Nate turned back around, staring out the front windshield while Meredith gave me a pitying look from her seat.
I bit my lip. “Since we are on this topic… Has either of you heard from Korina since we last talked? Did Ajax respond? Or even Jesse?”
Meredith shook her head.
“I haven’t heard from Korina. And I tried calling the guys last night, but neither answered,” Nate said despondently. “I will go to Ajax’ after school today.”
“No!” I yelled, remembering the premonition, and worried that Nate would be snatched if he was by himself. “You can’t go alone. If that premonition is true, which I have been assured that it’s going to happen, you can’t go alone.”
“I am still willing to go with him,” Meredith whispered once again.
“We discussed this last night. I’m still not comfortable with that.” I squinted uneasily, unsure of how to address the topic of Korina, and then continued slowly, "because, in the premonition given to me, Korina is a vampire, and not a good one. And they are very strong. Stronger than a mortal.”
“Would it make you feel better if we found someone stronger to go with us?” Meredith asked, reasoning with me.
I felt relieved that she didn’t seem insulted that I thought of them as being closer to humans, and nodded, still not feeling confident, but better knowing that he would not be alone.
“And Nate, please, don’t go to Korina if she contacts you.”
He promised as he put the car back into drive and we finished the short minute drive to our school right past the shops. It still hadn't stopped raining, and the wind was picking up as we got out of the vehicle. The weather was getting worse.
I shivered in my jacket. I knew Obscurus was in charge of the darkness, but I wasn’t sure if he had a hand in the weather as well.
When we entered the school, I separated from the group, promising to meet up with them later. I had to make sure Sera’s bosses knew that she hadn’t walked out on her job and that she was actually in the hospital.
It seemed like my worries were unfounded when I entered the office, and the office secretary’s face dropped and her bushy, grey eyebrows knitted in concern.
“Oh, Caden, honey,” Mrs. Pearson started. “I’m so s
orry to hear about your sister.”
I looked at her strangely. “How can you know since I haven’t talked to you yet?”
“Oh, your Uncle Finn informed us yesterday.”
I was taken back, surprised that Finn had taken an initiative to protect Sera’s job and grateful that I didn’t have to be an adult.
“How is she doing?” The secretary asked.
“She’s stable. She’s not awake yet, but I’m going to see her tonight.”
Mrs. Pearson leaned forward at her desk and placed her hands on the counter.
“Have they found the driver that hit her?”
I almost stuttered. I wasn't entirely sure what Finn had said, but it sounded like part of it was that Sera was hit by a driver who fled the scene.
“No,” I responded slowly.
Mrs. Pearson clucked her tongue and leaned back in her chair. “I hope they find the scumbag.”
“Me too,” I replied with determination. I would find the asshole that hurt Sera.
“Of course,” she said with sympathy in her voice.
“Well, I better get going. Could I please have a pass to Mr. Myles’ class?”
Mrs. Pearson took out her hall passes and began writing. “It’s actually Ms. Carlisle now.”
My heart lurched slightly in surprise. “What happened to Mr. Myles?”
“No one knows,” she shrugged, her head still down looking at the passes with a pen in her right hand.
My head was trying to tell me something as a neuron kept ticking in the back of my brain, but I couldn’t put the pieces together.
I mumbled a "thanks”, grabbing the pass as my cellphone vibrated in my pocket. I checked it as I made my way to English with Ms. Carlisle, who was the substitute from yesterday, but I guess she was now Mr. Myles’ replacement. From the group text message, Meredith and Nate still hadn’t seen or heard anything of Korina, Ajax, or Jesse.
With everyone missing, it made me a little suspicious of Ms. Carlisle, and when I entered the classroom, I examined her to determine if there was something preternatural about her. But she was just a small petite woman straight out of college with long brunette hair and thin glasses that framed her face. She was very sweet and smiled generously. Even when I came in late and handed her my pass. Ms. Carlisle didn’t seem annoyed that I had interrupted her class. Nothing tipped off my radar that she was anything but a nice lady.
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