They told me the date every day now. I didn’t believe them the first time they had told me because how could I? I wasn’t in that room for two and a half months, I couldn’t have been, but that’s what they said, and I didn’t think they would lie over something as silly as the date. Even for my sake.
I also learned from Greyson that I had missed Everett’s birthday. August 21st. He was 30 years old now.
He hadn’t come to visit me yet. Not even once. Everyone else had, even Azrael, although he had just stood in the corner and stared before finally speaking to me.
I remembered that day. I was in a haze, coming out of some drug-induced nap, and Azrael was there, his eyes glowing in the darkness. It had been night, I guess, because everything was dark.
“I can see it, you know,”he had said.“That little crack they found in your soul and widened. Like calls to like, rose. It would do you well to remember that. He may be your Claim, but it was you who so eloquently described the difference between twin flames and soulmates. I don’t believe in such trivialities, but if I did, I would have to say that while you and the mountains are flames, you and I? Our souls hum to the same frequency.”
I had no idea what he meant, but I have thought about it every single day since he said it.
I hadn’t seen Everett since the day I got here though. Sometimes I thought I heard his voice, but I had thought I heard it in the room too, and he had never been there. I hadn’t seen or heard from Phil either. Had they killed him?
As far as I knew, they had killed everyone else at that compound. Every single person in the Delepski family tree was now dead. And if they weren’t, Malachi had sent people out to make sure they were. Everyone involved in their business, in their diamond dealings, they were all scattered across the world now.
All of them except for Phil, I hoped.
“Hey, Lucy,” Emily greeted, her long black hair falling over her shoulders as she leaned over to scratch my dog.
She was absolutely beautiful and the complete opposite of Rae in style. She had a grunge, gothic, emo thing going on, but she also loved neon colors, reminding me of that woman from the posters I had seen outside The Club so long ago.
Her makeup was loud and beautiful, and her outfits,fuck, I loved her outfits. Today she was sporting black fishnets, black biker boots, a pink, pleated plaid skirt, and an over-sized zip-up hoodie with neon graffiti all over it. Her eyeshadow matched her skirt, and her eyelashes could reach the moon.
While Rae, out of my peripheral vision, looked like she had walked straight off the cover of vogue with her red-bottomed black boots, her skinny designer jeans, white boyfriend shirt, and neutral, glittering makeup, save for the red lip.
I envied them both. Not just for the clothes they wore, but for the smiles on their faces.
Lucy’s tail hit my leg with each wag, but she only snuggled closer to me as if she hoped her joy at seeing Emily again would rub off.
I wished it would.
“Also, we got in contact with Katie,” Rae went on as Evelyn set the duffle bag on my bed. “We assured her you were taking a long furlough. That we would pay whatever we needed to ensure that she would give you all the time you needed. She told us she was worried and that, whatever happened, you needed to takeyour time. She’s praying for you, Liv.”
Prayers. What good had they done me in that room?
When I didn’t respond, Evelyn stepped up to the bed and smiled. “We’re getting you dressed, okay? We’re breaking out of this joint. Time to finally get home.”
Home. My home wasn’t here. He was gone. Elsewhere. Breaking his word over and over and over again.
But, despite how badly I never wanted to leave this bed, I’d be glad for something a little more familiar.
So, with lethargic movements, I set Merlin down on the nightstand where his little container of napkins was, and slowly pulled the blankets back.
I kept my eyes up as I swung my legs over. I had to admit, I was never one to be so…body oriented. I loved how I looked, but I was never arrogant about it.
Now?
Now I hated myself. I hated how I looked. I hated everything about who I was. I was glad Everett wasn’t here. I was glad he couldn’t see me because what would he say? Once I had been so confident that I had changed in front of them. Unafraid of being stark-naked in front of he and Evelyn, but now?
Now all I wanted was to wrap myself up in a blanket and never let the world see me ever again.
“We’re going to get you into a real bath too,” Evelyn said, stepping up to me as Rae and Emily turned towards the window. “Nice and hot, some nice salts. Rae is the goddess of feminine beauty. She’s already stocked your house with everything you need to feel good and fresh again, and Emily left some things around the house that helped her when she was going through it,” she went on, easing the hospital gown off and grabbing a sweater. “I won’t spoil the surprise, but it’s cute. Not my style, still cute. Matches your last name.”
Lucy eased forward, sniffing at something on my left side, hertongue hot against my skin. A whine fell from her, but I couldn’t bring myself to look.
“My last name is Kingsmen.”
My mind paused. That had been important enough to say. Why? Because it was about my identity? Because it was about my name? Why was that more important than talking to them about things I used to love? Books and art and music.
