Page 58 of Fallen Thorns
Carmen’s tense manner softened a tad and she looked to Rani with… pride? I didn’t really understand it, but my mind calmed at the gentle look they both exchanged.
“You’re strong enough, Ben,” Casper continued, still comforting his boyfriend.
“I know, and I know I’m maybe overreacting, and I know we should trust her, but I just… I don’t like it.” Ben hung his head low, hands going back to his cross. I turned away in respect when Casper then leaned down to kiss Ben’s worried hands; it felt too intimate of a moment for me to be present in.
“You should all try practising with each other, but not in unruly groups like that. Work on each other, instead.” Carmen gestured around to the room’s occupants, and we all nodded in slow agreement.
“Arlo, you can practise on me.”
My eyes widened.I must have misheard.
But no.
Carmen was speaking directly at me with an air of confidence filtering over her quickening pulse. She was frightened of me, that was undeniable. But she didn’t want to show it and she was doing an excellent job.
“And me,” Rani added, moving closer to Carmen so I could look at them both clearly. Ben and Casper remained silent until all I could hear were heavy breaths and the syncing heartbeats in front of me.
I scare them.
I never meant for this.
I never meant for any of it.
“Okay.” I swallowed my words.
Rani nodded and Carmen reached up for her hand, squeezing it tightly.
I was suddenly hyperaware of how unintentionally but obviously alienated I was in that room.
* * *
I caughtMars coming out of a stairwell as I stepped out into one of the many corridors making up The Thorns’ home. They were evidently distracted, and I noticed as I let my focus wander, they had blood on their hands. The corridor was badly lit but I could smell the sweetness of it.What did they do?
“Arlo.” They turned to face me, stunned by my presence. Their face glowed under the torch on the wall. Their tone was a mixture of shock and relief.
“What have you done?”
Mars frowned, confused. “Done? She’ll live. Elise, the girl, she’s going to be okay.”
Realisation kicked in.
“That’s…” I studied their hands and they raised them up to the light.
“Elise’s blood.”
Elise’s blood.
“What about…”
“We locked him up, Marianne is with him now. He’ll be guarded all night.”
Good. I let out a deep sigh of relief and brushed my fingers through my hair.
“Don’t worry too much, Arlo. I know that was pretty horrific, but trust me, Marianne has dealt with much worse. She’ll sort this out.”
“Will she…?”
They shook their head. “She won’t kill him. Not unless she really has to. She’s not a monster, Arlo, but she does what needs to be done to keep us all safe. She’ll make the right call, she always does.”
