Page 14 of Fallen Thorns
Family.
Marianne glided over to us, and it struck me how small she was up close. A petite, porcelain doll wrapped in lace and bows. “So young. I’m sorry, child.” She turned to Mars. “Any leads?”
Mars gave a solemn shake of their head. “Arlo said it was a woman.”
They were talking about my death; the person who killed me.
“Lucy — Lucienne. She said her name was Lucienne,” I interjected.
The name didn’t appear to ring any bells between them.
“There has been another rise in attacks recently, as I’m sure you are all aware.” The Thorn’s leader turned to address the room. “I will treat this as no coincidence. Arlo here was killed by whoever was involved in the previous two recent deaths. But we cannot rest now. This is only the beginning. Whoever this woman is, it is highly unlikely she works alone. Our second victim was not a solo attack, and that I can confirm. They were bothdrained,but unfortunately police are being Manipulated into closing these cases. We need to start coming up with plans and increase our patrols. We need to get to the bottom of who is behind this. We cannot let this get out of handagain.”
A cacophony of agreements followed. And, despite the frightening sting of the word ‘again’, I finally felt seen. Not just as an extra or irrelevant presence, but someone whose death mattered — someone whoselifemattered.
“My dear boy, we promise we will find the woman who did this to you. She will not get away with this. That is not what we stand for.” Marianne stared into my eyes, a calming gesture, and crossed her hands over her chest.
My eyes softened, tears forming in the corners.Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“We can protect you now, and stop this from happening again,” Mars added from beside me. I looked at them in that moment and saw only sincerity.
That was the moment that reality took hold. This was no joke. No fantasy. These people were real. Monstersarereal.
Nothing would ever be the same again.
“Arlo. Let us find you a room so you can make yourself comfortable. You’ll have a lot of adjusting to do and we will be there to support you every step of the way. You are not alone.” Marianne continued.
I considered the offer, tried to imagine myself assimilating into this lifestyle and leaving my old life behind, but it wouldn’t work. “I... thank you. But I think I’d like to go home now.” My hands trembled.
“This is your home.”
“No, I’m sorry, but it’s not. I need to think things through. Please.”
Think things through.The excuse sounded valid, except there was nothing Icouldthink through. The choice had been taken from me the second Lucy murdered me, and Mars brought me back. But oh, how desperate I was, and how in denial. I desired nothing more than to pretend this was all fake so I could continue living my shitty life, one where I bought overpriced drinks and debated every single life choice, no matter how trivial. It all suddenly became a lot less complicated. I lived a simple life. But this, this inhuman business, was too much for my brain to handle, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Nothing at all. I wanted to live.
Mars moved beside me. “You probably should stay with us, you know, even just for a few months,” they said, words hushed.
I blinked a few times, brain refusing to soak up what they just said. “But my life.”
“We can help you sort it all out, you don’t have to stop anything. You can attend your course as normal; we’ll figure out your loans, too. That’s no issue. You’ll just need to learn how to cope with your new body and... urges.”
Urges.
“Please let me think things through,” I repeated through clenched teeth as pressure rose into my throat. My hands grew restless, and I repressed the urge to scream.
I watched Marianne glance displeasingly at Mars, unspoken words shared between their interlocked gaze. “Okay then,” she finally said.
The invisible weight lifted from my shoulders.
“Okay?” I waited for confirmation.
Marianne nodded.
Nothing more was said. Mars escorted me out. Ben, Casper, and a few others formed an unintentional parting around us, and they all shared the same look of sadness. It didn’t alter my thoughts, though, or my resolve. I was adamant I could cope with this alone, I just needed breathing space. Time to process. I was not entirely sure I would ever be able to, but I could try.
Oh, the optimism.
Mars returned my coat to me, and I followed them silently through corridors and staircases until we reached the light. I shielded my eyes momentarily, but it was overcast, and, just like Mars had explained, I was unaffected by the sun.
