Lauren insisted Vincula was not the horrid place everyone believed it to be.Had Rory been happy there?Did she make friends, or was she ostracized?
The black hole in her memory was unsettling and bothered her more than she wanted to admit to the others.
Lauren sat beside her, quieter than the other three, and after glancing at Rory, pushed her chair back and stood. “It’s time for you to leave,” she said to Dume. “Rory had a long day and needs to rest.”
Rory looked at Lauren, silently thanking her. It was strange. She’d been gone for three months, but she didn’t miss her friends. In her mind, she had seen them earlier that day, not three months ago, and it only added to her distress.
She was relieved they didn’t hate her, but she needed space. Guilt nibbled at the edge of her mind. Her memory might be flawed, but theirs weren’t. They dealt with her absence and the fallout of her crimes.Were they mistreated for associating with her?
Dume didn’t argue, and he approached her with a big hug and whispered, “I’m glad you’re home.”
Home. She didn’t feel at home. “Me too,” she lied, hugging him back.
Her father patted her on the shoulder. “I’m headed to work. I figure you could use some time for yourself.”
Rory hugged him. “Thank you for still loving me,” she murmured.
“Your mother isn’t the only one who loves you, no matter what.” He kissed the top of her head and left.
“Can I speak with Rory privately?” Dume asked the two guards, who nodded and stepped outside.
Rory fought the urge to fidget. “Dume, I—”
“Don’t,” he cut in. “I don’t need your apologies, but I owe you mine.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat, wondering what he had to apologize for.
“I should have known.” His voice was pained, and she hated it. “I’ve known you almost my entire life, and I should have questioned your motives from the beginning. I couldn’t believe you’d do something like that, and I kept telling myself it wasn’t true.”
Humiliation colored her cheeks because itwastrue.
“I know you, Rory, and I know you wouldn’t kill someone without reason,” he asserted. “That you actually had a reason never occurred to me until Sera.”
“I never expected you to second guess my crimes,” she replied. “No one looks at a serial killer and thinks they have rational thoughts, and even though I believe I did the realm a favor, it doesn’t make my actions any less heinous.”
“But I should have,” he argued. “I should have known. I’m sorry.”
She reached forward and placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t; it will only make me feel worse.”
“Keith thinks you’re a supermystic, you know.” Dume rolled his eyes, but his mouth curled into a half-smile.
Rory busted out laughing, and her chest warmed at the thought of her friend. “Keith is an idiot.”
Dume’s smile spread across his face. “That we can agree on. I’m going to let you rest, but I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Rory gave him one last hug and watched him leave. The moment he stepped through the door, Lauren and Sam filed back inside.
She sighed and forced a smile. “Take me to my cell, please. I’m beat.”
Sam was closest to her, and his hand moved like he wanted to reach out. “I must leave, but I will return in a few days.” He nodded briefly, not waiting for a reply, and left without a word.
Rory blinked, impressed with how fast he moved. “You’ll get used to it,” Lauren said, breaking her trance. “Come on. I’ll show you your room.”
4
VINCULA
Lenora sat across from Caius,looking devastated. “Why did you do it?” she asked him. He’d expected more yelling or crying, but what he didn’t expect was the poised calm she exuded.
