CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Bellamy
6 Years Ago
Bellamy hadn’t gotten out of bed by the time Vesper came storming in. She was hardly even awake. Vesper slammed the door behind her, and Bellamy jumped, her heart racing, her mind whirring through all the reasons for Vesper’s foul mood.
Vesper brandished a paper and crushed it in her fist before throwing it on Bellamy’s chest.
“You told me you killed her,” Vesper hissed, pacing beside the bed. “What the fuck, Bellamy?”
Bellamy stared at the crumpled paper, eyes wide, her breathing shallow. She pulled the covers up around her. What had that bitch done? She didn’t want to read the words, scared to face the evidence of her betrayal, her lies. How much did Cedar tell? Because that was the only thing she could think would have happened. Did Cedar tell her employers that she’d done it on purpose? Was Bellamy marked for death now?
“Read it,” Vesper ordered, glaring at her. Bellamy’s hands shook as she unraveled the note.
Bellamy exhaled in relief. That wasn’t so bad. “Ves, I didn’t?—”
“You lied to me. Who is she?”
Bellamy swallowed, stealing herself for more lies. She refused to look at Vesper, couldn’t stand seeing the hurt she knew was there. “Do you think it was someone we didn’t see?” she asked, trying to deflect.
“It was your job to secure the perimeter. Did you do that?”
“Yes,” Bellamy whispered.
“And?”
Bellamy shook her head. “It was an accident, a mistake. I didn’t see anyone else.” She tried the feeble excuse but her voice wavered. At least it wasn’t entirely a lie. It was a mistake, one she regretted deeply. “But, at least it’s only a demotion, they’re not… I mean, we’re alive.”
Vesper sighed. Bellamy dared a peek at her. She was shaking her head, looking like she was about to say something, but Bellamy didn’t give her the chance. She grabbed Vesper’s hand and pulled her down onto the bed.
“I’m sorry,” Bellamy whispered, hugging Vesper tight. “I promise it won’t happen again. I’ll be more careful.” She kissed Vesper’s shoulder, willing her tears away before Vesper saw them.
“I’m gonna take a walk,” Vesper mumbled, extracting herself carefully. Bellamy bit the inside of her cheek. Tears burned in her eyes. She had done this to them, and now she’d have to live with it. This was going to eat away at Vesper, and Bellamyknew it. The worst part was that she didn’t know how to fix it—how she could rebuild that little bit of trust she’d ruined.
“We’re okay?” Bellamy asked in a small voice, shrinking in on herself.
Vesper leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I just need to cool off.”
Two hours later and Vesper still hadn’t come back. Bellamy knew she should’ve taken advantage, searched for Cedar until she had those damn bracelets destroyed, but she couldn’t. She’d spent the morning in her pity party instead. Now she was all cried out and worried that Vesper hadn’t come home yet.
Bellamy dragged herself out of bed, washed her face, and put on fresh makeup—she couldn’t even tell she’d been crying. She bunched her mess of curls into a high bun and then bundled up in Vesper’s warmest hoodie to face the biting cold. She’d start with the gambling houses—the most likely place to find Cedar—and if that turned up nothing, then she’d go to the gardens. That’s where Vesper would be.
In the stairwell, Bellamy was accosted once again by a young red-head.
“Cedar,” she greeted warily. Bellamy didn’t trust the predatory look in that bitch’s eyes.
“Bellamy.” Cedar handed over the bracelet, watching as Bellamy pocketed it.
“Is that all? You said your partner had one.”
A slow smile crept over Cedar’s face. “My partner has disposed of theirs as they saw fit.” Bellamy’s eyes narrowed and she snatched the front of Cedar’s shirt, twisting the fabric in her fists.
“What the fuck does that mean?” she growled, itching to lightthe shirt up with magic, to stab this fucking bitch intent on making her miserable.
“I find it interesting that you didn’t even verify the contents of the bracelet,” Cedar replied, entirely unfazed by Bellamy’s threat.
Bellamy faltered. Her grip loosened before she dropped Cedar’s shirt all together, digging in her pocket. She took an unsteady breath and tapped the side of the bracelet to expose the recording. The image was crisp and clear as if she were looking through a window at herself.
