Emily is the first to recover. Sort of. Her voice is shrill when she says, “Ben! I’ve missed you.”
“You have to come visit,” Sandra says.
“Yeah.” Emily bobs her head. “We want to show you all the things we’ve learned in ballet.”
“You take ballet?” Ben asks, his tone full of surprise.
Sandra nods. “Yep, and we’re good at it. Right, Gloria?”
Gloria’s voice, although far from the speaker, is kind and affirmative.
“It’s been so long since we’ve all been together," I say, swallowing the emotion gathering in my throat. “I can’t wait to see you.”
Ben’s gaze shifts to me again. This time, his eyes carry a weight that instantly sobers my bubbling excitement. In that moment, the harsh reality of my situation sinks in. I’m not just Delilah anymore. I’m a bride of the Order, entangled in a world far more dangerous than the one my foster family inhabits.
The thought process is painfully clear now, becoming sharper with each second that I stare into Ben’s eyes. I can’t freely visit my foster family whenever I wish, not without considering the grave risks that my presence might bring to their doorstep.
It dawns on me why Ben’s visits, once a constant in our lives, dwindled to nothing over the past three years. He was trying to shield us from the very danger that now envelops me.
In his silence and absence, he was protecting us the best way he knew how. It’s a bitter revelation that paints his actionsin a completely different light. Ben wasn’t distancing himself because he wanted to. He did it because hehadto.
The Order’s reach is long and unforgiving, and those caught in its grasp can never truly escape.
I give Ben a curt nod, acknowledging his somber message. Emily and Sandra, unaware of the silent exchange, continue to chat about the upcoming Thanksgiving visit with an enthusiasm I can no longer share. It’s a sacrifice I’m forced to accept, one that Ben has been living with for years. As we say our goodbyes, I’m left with a sense of loss for a normalcy I can no longer claim.
“They’re cute,” Raven says after I end the call.
“Yeah, they are.” I turn to look up at Ben. “Thanks for jumping on the video. They’ve missed you.”
He inclines his head. “Yeah.”
“Well, I’ve got to start walking to class now, or I won’t make it on time,” I say with a forced laugh, a weak attempt to distract myself from my depressing thoughts.
Raven looks at my foster brother. “Tag, you’re it.” When he scrunches his face in confusion, she points at me. “It’s your turn to babysit her and walk her to class. I’d do it, but you’re here, and you look like you want me to leave, so I will. See ya later, Watson. Later, Ben.”
“Bye, Sherlock.”
She winks and walks away, while Ben looks at me with his forehead scrunched up. “Watson? Sherlock?”
I roll my eyes. “It’s an inside joke.”
“Ready?” Ben asks. I nod, and we walk in companionable silence until Ben fractures it. “Are you nervous about Saturday night?”
I swing my gaze to him, my eyes wide. “What’s happening on Saturday?”
“X didn’t tell you?” When I shake my head, Ben briefly squeezes his eyes shut. “Ah, fuck.”
I poke him in the bicep. “There’s no point in trying to hide anything from me. I’m committed to torturing the information out of you if I have to.”
He pulls in a deep breath, and I find myself inhaling alongside him in preparation for whatever he’s about to disclose.
“This weekend is the Sanguine Solstice,” he says.
“The what?”
A chuckle breaks through his solemn demeanor. “The Sanguine Solstice is also known as the blood moon. The Order is putting on a celebration for the recruits who passed the first Trial. It’s a stupid dance.”
“A dance?”
