Page 115 of Unbound By Shadows
Her mother whined, “Doesn’t anyone care about my feelings here?”
“Please don't be upset, Mom. You’re going to be okay,” Selene said.
“Don’t patronize me.”
“Vivian… ” her father warned.
“Why aren’t you trying to stop her, Robert?”
Her dad shot Selene the same pleading look he always did when her mother’s moods amplified. It was a look that saidcontrol her, will you?
Selene twisted her fingers together.“I know this is hard, and I’m sorry. I’m not trying to abandon you. I just want to lead my own life.”
“It sounds bizarre to me,” her father said. “But I’ve never known you to do anything without good reason. If this is what you want, I’m sure you’ve thought it through.”
“I have, Dad.”
Vivian pointed a pink-nailed finger at her. “Selfish. You’re a selfish, spoiled girl, and that’s all there is to it.”
Selene felt like she’d been slapped. Her mother’s reaction was expected, but the pain of her accusation cut deeply. She thought about the girl in the photo. Why was it Selene’s responsibility to fill the emotional needs of everyone but herself?
The ache of guilt burned away as a rush of anger filled the space. The feeling was so strong it frightened her at first, then she let it wash over her like baptismal water. A shadow moved toward her,and she dismissed it with a finger. Instead of feeling victimized by her mother's manipulation, Selene felt a commanding sense of power.
She was done being needed.
Looking around the table, she said, “Dad, Evan, thank you for your support. Cass, I appreciate your concern. You’re right, I haven’t been the same since Rugby. I’ve realized I’m not happy with my life the way it is now. So I’m changing it.”
She faced her mother. “Mom, I have spent my life catering to your needs. I am a grown woman, and if I want to move away, I can. You can’t bully me anymore with guilt trips. I love all of you, and I will come back to visit when I can. But Iamgoing. This is what I want.”
She stood from the table and pulled two gift-wrapped boxes from her purse. She handed the first one to Cass. “I’m leaving you all of my jewelry and my laptop. There’s also a large check in there; will you send it to Rugby’s historic preservation fund? I’d really appreciate it.” Cass accepted the box, nodding glumly.
Selene handed the other box to her brother. “Evan, I’m tired of seeing you drive around in that death trap of a car. I want you to have mine. Here are the keys and the title.”
Evan stood to give her a big hug. Selene hugged him back, fighting the urge to sob. Quickly, she wiped her eyes and looked at her parents.
“Mom, Dad, I love you. Goodbye.”
She left a wad of cash on the table to cover the meals and a generous tip. Then she walked out the door and didn’t look back.
When she got back to the apartment, Selene took a moment to collect herself. All of her things were packed in boxes with a note asking Kevin to donate them, and she had tied up every loose end in her life she could think of. A mass email to her friends and colleagues broke the news of her major life change, but she still couldn't shake how badly things had ended with her sister.
Briefly, she considered sending her a letterexplaining the real story, but Selene knew that was a bad idea.What would she even say?
Dear Cass, Just wanted to let you know that while we were in Rugby I actually traveled into another dimension, fell in love with a demon, and now I'm leaving to see him. Love ya!
Ridiculous. There was nothing she could do to fix this rift. She simply had to accept it as a casualty of her decision. Maybe one day she would be able to tell her the truth.
Donning a backpack full of essentials, Selene took one last look around her apartment. This was it. Ordinary Selene was long gone. She was Aurelian Selene now, through and through. It was time to claim it. She stood in the middle of the room, then pulled the traveler's stone from her pocket. Curling her fingers around it, she took a deep breath.
She pictured herself outside the gates of Queen Thema's castle. She imagined the sparkling white stone and arched windows. The sound of water rushing below the castle’s bridge and the feel of mist swirling around her hair. She could practically smell the mint growing in the garden and hear Queen Thema's boisterous laugh.
And then with a tug deep in her belly… she was gone.
Chapter 48
Sam stopped sawing a long beam of wood to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The winter freeze was thawing in Snowmelt, and everyone was heartened by the first warm day of the season. Brunie sat under a tree, singing to herself while sewing the hem on a pair of blue-checked curtains. Eldridge was perched on a stump nearby, sanding pieces of wood.
For the past few months, Sam had been living in the loft of Brunie and Eldridge's barn. Since the plumbing was installed last week, they were working on other improvements to make the space more habitable. A set of windows had been added, shelves and cabinets were built, and now they were focused on flooring. The list of improvements to be completed was extensive but necessary for Sam’s long-term comfort.
