Chapter 0060
Chapter 0060
I picked at my dinner that night, the food not tasting quite as good once I realized what was going on in
the basement.
This world is so confusing to me. On one hand, there’s so much beauty to it – the two days spent at the
stables were some of the happiest moments of my life. But everything that happened last night – and
now, knowing what happened downstairs – what still might be going on…
I’m so uncomfortable, knowing that I’m living in a world where the happy parts are bought with violence
and pain.
I drift into an uncomfortable sleep later. I had hoped that Daniel might come by, talk to me, maybe put
my mind at east. But he never showed up. I’m restless all night, waking up at every perceived noise.
I must have fallen into some sort of deep slumber, though, because when someone shakes my
shoulder I’m suddenly awake, gasping, shocked –
How the hell did they get into my room without me waking up –
I spin in my sheets, terrified, my eyes adjusting to see a dark figure crouched there –
I cringe back, but stop when I hear a soft, familiar shushing sound.
“Shh, shh, baby Fay, it’s all right,” Fiona says, putting her hands on my shoulders.
“Fiona!” I cry, sitting straight up in bed, instantly awake.
She turns her head towards the door at my noise, worried, and puts a finger to her lips, shushing me.
As her face is turned, the light from the window falls on her face, revealing a deep bruise starting along
her cheekbone, under her eye. Her lip is swollen too, a little cut down its left side.
“Fiona,” I say more softly, reaching out towards her face.
She flinches away from me but then works to put on a smile. I can see that it takes effort.
“What happened to you,” I ask, concerned – but in the pit of my stomach, I think I know.
“Don’t worry about it, baby,” she says, giving me a truer smile now. “How are you, are you okay?”
“Me,” I say, aghast. “Fiona, you –“
“Fay,” she says seriously, cutting me off, “we don’t have a lot of time. Tell me – are you all right?”
Surprised by the question, I nod. “Sure, Fiona,” I say. “I’m fine.”
“Okay, sweetheart,” she says, putting a hand on my cheek. “I’m going to go away for a while,” she
continues, glancing back at the door over her shoulder. “But I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to
you.”
Worry collects in my stomach and my chest as I study her face. “Where are you going? Why –“
“I just gotta get out of here,” she says, working again to keep the fear off of her face, but I can tell by
her quickening words that her time is growing short.
“Fiona, did he –“
“Don’t worry about it, Fay,” she says, smiling at me again. “Just stay on his good side, okay? He won’t
do anything to you if you do what he says. Lie if you have to – just…” she hesitates now, “do what you
need to do to survive. But at every turn, let him think he has the upper hand.” Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
Tears start in my eyes now. I open my mouth to speak but she interrupts me again.
“Don’t do that, little cousin,” she says, giving me a broad smile, wincing when it pulls at the cut on her
lip. “I’m all right – just like I said – I’m getting out of here.”
“So that’s real?” I ask, wiping the tears from beneath my eyes. “You’re really my cousin?”
“Sure,” she says, putting a hand on my cheek. “I knew you the instant I saw you in that kitchen
downstairs – knew you were our little baby Fay.”
I bite my lip against my emotions then, struggling to keep from crying. My cousin here, all this time,
taking care of me – and I didn’t know.
“But he…he didn’t know?” I ask.
She shakes her head at me.
“Were you – were you spy-“
“Don’t ask questions, Fay,” she says seriously. “That you don’t want to know the answer to.”
I snap my mouth shut, not really knowing, now, whether or not I want to know. I think I do but –
“Listen, baby,” she says, reaching into the pocket of her jeans. “I need you to do something for me. As
family.”
She produces a little note, pushing it into my hand. I stare down at it.
“I need you to get this to your dad,” she says quietly.
“To – to Alden?” I ask, looking up at her again, surprised.
“No, Fay,” she says, pursing her lips sarcastically. “I want you to take it to David, your other dad.” My
eyes search her face as she hits me, jokingly, upside the head. “Don’t be stupid. Of course to Alden.”