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“Everyone’s dead now, Finn.” I swallowed, choking back down the emotions. “They’re all gone and it’s just you and me left now.”
“I know,” he whispered as he reached out to touch me. He thought better of it, dropped his hand quickly, and tucked it under his thigh. “You’re free now, Autumn. I know it doesn’t feel like a blessing but it is. You were always too good for that place and those people. Embrace this new life that you’ve been given and don’t ever look back. It’s best if you just forget about that all and move on with your new life.”
I gaped at him as he got up and shuffled his way out of the room.
I knew he meant well and he was probably in shock too or something but he was wrong. I couldn’t just forget them and move on with my life as if nothing had ever happened. They had been my people, that had been my whole entire life. It was really gone now that they were all dead.
That wasn’t something you just moved on from as if it were nothing.
They’d all been brutally murdered by our own people. I didn’t care that he’d escaped them years ago, he’d grown up there just like I had, they were still his people whether he liked it or not.
Honestly, what was the matter with him? He’d grown so cold.
“I’m not the best cook around here,” Raven said as he came up behind me, making me jump. He looked sheepish as he sat the tray down on the coffee table. “Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you. I made you scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage links. With some orange juice. There’s enough for Finn here too. Where did he go?”
“Finn was weird and ran off. Thanks for the food, Raven. I really should learn how to cook so I can start making my own food. You all don’t need to be waiting on me all the time.”
He looked at me sternly. “We like doing it for you. It’s our pleasure. What do you mean Finn got weird?”
I shrugged as I forked up some eggs and stuffed them into my mouth. I hadn’t ever had scrambled eggs before coming here, like most things, but they were quickly becoming a favorite of mine. “Mmm,” I moaned happily. “So good.”
He smiled indulgently at me as he watched me eat everything on my plate. Only when I was done eating and he’d watched the whole show did he pick up the other fork and eat the food that he’d said he’d made for Finn.
I sat back and sipped from the glass of orange juice as I returned the favor and watched him eat. It felt very intimate how he watched me back the whole time. I wasn’t uncomfortable though. I almost felt a strange closeness to him that I’d never felt before.
“Why were you all sleeping in my room?” I felt brave enough to ask when he finished eating and sat his fork down on the empty plate.
“We couldn’t stay away from you. I think it’s obvious that we’re all drawn to you in some way. It’s starting and I think this time it’s actually right. There’s a bond that’s beginning to form between all of us, I think. Can’t you feel it? Sometimes it can happen to the really lucky people when they form their coven. It’s probably because your magic is so strong and you were in such a state of need when we found you that it started reaching out to us. You can try to fight it but I don’t think it will matter in the end. Your heart and your soul will always belong with your rightful coven.”
My heart started beating frantically inside of my chest.
I wanted to stay and I certainly felt drawn to all of them in a way I had never been to anyone else before. But that didn’t mean I was ready for some type of commitment to them or anything more than that.
I was scared and I knew better than to just trust them because they’d been kind to me.
But I wanted what he was offering to me.
Almost desperately so.
I just wasn’t sure if I was capable of being brave enough to go for it and accept what they were offering.
Bravery wasn’t exactly my strong suit.
17
Liam
This place gave me the fucking creeps, there was nothing else for it. The feeling would only go away when we left this place for good.
I had no idea how sweet Autumn had lived in this place for so long.
Maybe it helped explain a thing or two about Finn though. However, it wasn’t going to change the way I looked at him. The dude was all kinds of fucked up in the head.
I think Autumn was a little fucked up in the head too. And how could she not be? That was okay though. Given enough time in the normal world with enough exposure to how things are supposed to work and she’d figure it out. She was incredibly smart and I had faith in her. We all did.
Fuck. I shivered as the cold wind slammed into the back of my neck and wrapped around my exposed throat like icy fingers.
It was bitter out and more proof that winter was finally here. I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed tonight.
