Cedar had managed to get them transport back in the trolley she’d taken to their meeting. All in all, their trip back had been uneventful—no fighting, minimal sniping, a bit more of Cedar trying to explain her actions and garner trust. Bellamy didn’t even bring up Vesper’s deception. She’d been oddly quiet, and Vesper hated that she couldn’t read her thoughts. A storm was coming, she just didn’t know what form it would take.
“It was the safest place I could think of,” Vesper shrugged defensively. “Besides, she likes it here. She has friends. We all look out for her.”
“I am going to kill you if you’ve touched her.”
Vesper laughed, ripping the cheap, scratchy covering off as soon as Mazz closed and locked the doors behind them. They didn’t need to hide here. Business hours hadn’t started yet, and Mazz didn’t let anyone in without thoroughly vetting them first.
“She’s a kid, Cedar. I haven’t eventhoughtabout touchingher. Thanks, Mazz,” Vesper smiled at Mazz, who gave Cedar and Bellamy a wary look.
“You better be right about this, V,” she muttered. Then she walked away to leave them to it. Bellamy snatched Vesper's hand, clinging to her in a protective hold that effectively warded off any of the girls who might’ve been thinking about approaching. Not that there were many kicking around this early.
“Is that why you come down here so much?” Bellamy asked in a whisper, her voice full of hope.
“Yeah, I try to check on her every few days—make sure she’s okay, has what she needs, stuff like that,” Vesper replied somewhat dismissively as she led them through the twisted hallways.
The rooms where Cypress stayed were behind a bit of light illusion magic. Mazz had engineered it to look like there was no hallway there, the red patterned wall just continued down. But Vesper knew the hallway would appear if she just kept walking. No one ever checked too closely, and the girls were good about keeping clients away from the area.
“So, the whores,” Bellamy started, again, sounding too hopeful. “That wasn’t real? It was just a cover?” Cedar tried to choke down her laugh while Vesper uncomfortably cleared her throat.
“Well… It started out that way,” she said awkwardly. Bellamy’s hand tightened in hers, nails digging painfully into Vesper’s palm until she yanked her hand away. “I won’t do it anymore,” Vesper murmured, rubbing her hand.
Vesper stopped them in front of a solid black door marked only by “003” beside it. There were a total of six secret rooms in this hidden hallway—five bedrooms and one shared kitchen. As far as Vesper knew, they functioned primarily as safe places for the girls to stay if anyone needed an emergency escape or just a room for the night.
Mazz had told her a while ago that this was one of her main points of pride for the Downstairs—the ability to provide safe and protected housing for any girls in trouble. Vesper knew only afew of them lived there full time, one being Mazz. The other was Cypress. Mazz warned her during their messaging while they were on the way, that Wisp might be moving in full time. So, that would be fun.
Vesper glanced at Cedar before taking a steadying breath and knocked on the door. Two succinct taps—how she always knocked. Shuffling around was followed by a muffled “Come in.” A body slammed into Vesper almost as soon as she’d gotten the door open.
“Vessie!” Cypress squealed, squeezing Vesper tight and knocking the breath out of her. “Mazz told me you had to leave. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
Vesper chuckled and wrapped her arms around Cypress, giving the top of her head a quick kiss. “You know I’d never leave you, kid. Besides, I’d hate to miss your birthday.”
“I’m not a kid!” Cypress complained, still latched onto Vesper. “I’m almost twenty-two. That’s barely younger than you.”
Vesper laughed and nudged her off. “Hey, I got you a present.”
Cypress looked up at her, not quite making eye contact. She tugged the sleeves of her oversized flannel to cover her hands. Her eyes held such unbridled excitement and adoration that Vesper only hoped this wasn’t a huge mistake. If Cedar had been lying—which Vesper didn’t really think she was—she trusted Bellamy to take Cedar out before she could touch Cypress.
“Is it what I’ve been asking for?”
Vesper snorted. “Nice try. It’s better.”Hopefully. She stepped aside to reveal Cedar, waiting surprisingly patiently in the doorway. Her eyes shined with tears, and a tight smile spread across her face as she took in the sight of her now grown little sister.
Cypress, on the other hand, wore a much different expression. Her thin lips turned down, and her brow was creased. She glared at Cedar with such disdain that Vesper questioned if she should’ve brought Cedar at all. This kid had spent so longwishing her sister would save her, only to be let down. Vesper couldn’t imagine what she was feeling.
Maybe Vesper should have gone about this a different way…
“Cy,” Cedar whispered, arms outstretched.
Cypress took a step back, her hands balled into fists at her side. “Where were you?!” she shouted. “You left me! I was all alone, and you leftme!”
Cedar’s arms dropped to her sides. “I’m sorry, Cy. I didn’t have a choice. I came back for you though. I’m here now.”
Vesper darted a glance at Bellamy, who was partially hidden in the hallway and shifting uncomfortably, eyeing Vesper. Bel’s eyes widened, and she tipped her head back to ask if they could leave. Vesper nodded, inching away from the sisters.
They’d stay right outside just in case, but she didn’t think Cedar would do anything to harm Cypress. Cedar might actually be the one who needed protection. Either way, Vesper would rather not be in the room for what looked like would be a screaming match. She still wanted to at least give them the illusion of privacy.
She missed whatever Cedar said, but Cypress’s response made it perfectly clear that Vesper was going exactly nowhere as the kid snatched her arm in a death grip.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about me anymore!” Cypress yelled. “Vessie is going to take care of me like she has been since you abandoned me!” Cypress held tight when Vesper tried to pry her hand off. “Don’t leave me,” she whimpered, clinging harder.
