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“More popcorn?” Murmur asks the room, indicating his empty bowl.
“Sure, I’ll go grab us more.” Astaroth gets up, taking the bowl with him.
“I’ll help make some for the room, sir,” Trometh adds as he follows Astaroth into the kitchen.
“I’m pretty sure I saw Jillian at the cooking competition,” Ryker hesitantly says. “So, I doubt that this Liliwen is Rez’s mother.”
“That’s impossible, Ryker,” JP states, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees.
“No, I did. She even warned me that I needed to keep Nerezza safe and that there were more players on the field than what our parents knew.” Ryker implores us to believe him with his wide eyes, and I must admit I do.
“No. You. Don’t. Understand. Ryker. Rez said her mother was murdered. There’s no way you saw her a few weeks ago.” JP shakes his head. “Whoever you saw had to be a doppelgänger or wore a really convincing facade."
Ryker snorts and shakes his head. “It would have to be a pretty good glamour to get past me.”
“Well, let’s ask Lynx. He might know,” I try to supply helpfully as we all turn to look at him.
“Don’t look at me,” he says, raising his hands up in the air. “Rez filled me in on our highlights, but the only parents I seem to remember are my own.”
“How is that?” Levi asks, cocking an eyebrow and lacing his fingers over his chest.
“Maybe we should wait until Rez comes back to discuss that so we don’t have to go over it twice,” I suggest, feeling the need to change the subject. Plus, it’s making my stomach curl that we’re talking about Rez without her being here to defend herself.
“That’s a good point, Ezekiel,” Lilith purrs. “So, boys, tell me what I’ve missed while I’ve been away.”
This is going to be a fucking long night.
CHAPTER 8
Bringing in the Knight
Rez
The stinging tears push me to get to my room quickly. I don’t want to be caught crying in front of anyone. For now, I just need to be alone. I couldn’t stay in that room anymore, listening to what else Lilith was saying. It’s great that the guys finally get to experience their mother for the first time, but that doesn’t mean I need to stick around and let the memory of my mother be tarnished.
Really? Lilith is practically saying that my mother isn’t my mom. Who the fuck does Lilith think she is? How the fuck would she know? Was she there when I was born? It’s not her face in the picture holding me as a baby, so she should keep her fucking mouth shut and only talk about shit that she knows.
I finally make it to my room, but I don’t stop there. Closing the door, I continue into the bathroom and lock it. When I close myself off into a corner, I feel better, so that’s what I do. Instead of crawling underneath the counter and making myself as small as possible, I go behind the divide and sit on the floor on the other side of the bench. Feeling somewhat protected and blissfully alone, I let go, allowing myself to fall apart.
Tears flow like an endless river down my cheeks as thoughts of my mother flood me. Yes, she wasn’t perfect, that much is clear, but she was mine. She raised me and taught me to respect all life forms.
The thought of her not being my mother is… it’s… I can’t—no. I won’t entertain it. This has all been a mess. Ever since I lost my mom nothing has made sense. Now I have Lynx back, but he doesn’t remember me or our history.
Rocking back and forth, I think about what a clusterfuck this all is. An ancient evil is back; the Sulks; the Rebels are uprising again; Lynx somehow died but is back with no memory; Levi has to tie himself to the Queen Harpy herself on Sunday; Lilith is, for all intents and purposes, the guys’ mother; Knox and I have a matebond, where we can feel each other’s emotions sometimes; Zeke has an entity; L.A.M.B. looks like they want to skin us alive if given the chance; Moni is missing Chester if her blue coloring has been any indicator; JP has a water Nyx form he can turn into; Knots is free of his door but trapped in the dorm; and apparently I’m Ryker’s Viagra. Did I miss anything? Oh, yeah! We’re in Hell!
All of my muscles in my body seem to tense up as I curl into a ball, thinking of the emotional drama my friends must also be going through. Empathy, that’s what I’m feeling—and I can’t contain it any longer as it flutters to the surface. But it’s too much combined with all my stress. With a vicious yell, I scream out and beg for relief at the top of my lungs. But nothing changes. I know that’s not how it works, but at least it’s cathartic in its own way. Letting my body slump against the wall, I sob onto my knees.
I just want someone to hold me and tell me that things will be okay. Why can’t I have Knots here to wrap me in his arms right now? He helped make me feel safe when my life was spiraling out of control and I believed Lynx was dead. He would gather me in his embrace and just hold me, not having to fill the silence between us.
Out of nowhere, the room jars slightly, causing me to brace myself against the wooden bench as a loud crack reverberates on the other side of the partition.
Crack!
An onslaught of coughing starts on the other side, and I freeze, my heart racing as I hold my breath.
How did someone get in here with the door locked?
“Ugh,” someone groans. “Shit. I think I broke… Are we in a bathroom? Why is it so hot?” a voice squeaks.
