Page 84 of Forged in Rain

“What?” I whisper through dry lips. Did Cyn know what was coming before he got here? What’s happening?

Pam’s eyes flicker before she glances at Cyn, then back at me. “You’re a princess, Rain. A princess needs a prince, not a soldier.”

Mining through her words, I laugh bitterly and cover my mouth. “I’m nothing but a fucking girl disillusioned by her family.”

She shrugs. “Be that as it may, you’re here. This is where you belong. We show a united front. You can go.”

She nods at Cyn, and he pushes back from the table, his chair banging against the wall behind him. Iris bows her head, and I look up at him, willing him to meet my eyes. But lead fills my veins when he doesn’t even raise his head as he stalks to the door.

At the threshold, he pauses when Pam says, looking right at me, “Remember our deal. You want your sister free of this? Stay away from my niece.”

And just like that, the world falls out from under me, and I’m weightless.

I don’t remember what happens next, only that Cyn stiffens and slams the door on the way out.

∞∞∞

I open my eyes to the familiar sight of my old room and look around with bleary eyes.

I’m back. Cyn left yesterday and left me here. I know what I said, and intellectually I understand, but it doesn’t stop the overwhelming pain that tugs at my heart.

Panting through the ache, I curl into a ball and cry, clenching and releasing my hands. But it’s too great, and I can’t breathe, so I pound at my chest.

“What are you doing? Stop,” Iris says, jumping on the bed and grabbing my wrist.

Only when I pause do I feel the burn from my fists, but I don’t care because I’ll take the physical pain over the wretched blaze in my soul any day.

Choking back a sob, I wrench from her grasp and slam against my chest again until she tackles me to the bed. Struggling against her, I flail my limbs, but she just grips me tighter until I sag into the mattress.

It’s quiet for a moment while I catch my breath, and she hugs me to her.

Raising her head, she looks into my eyes and says fiercely, “Don’t let them win.”

“Who?”

“Anyone. You’re stronger than this.”

Searching her hard brown eyes, I frown before nodding wearily. Pulling back, she studies me for a moment before saying, “C’mon, we have to get to school.”

“I can’t,” I say through watery tears, wiping my face when she chuffs.

“You don’t have a choice. Mother,” she sneers, “has demanded it. Appearances and all.”

“Appearances?” Really? Which would those be? Iris is the school slut, and I’m right back where I started, a fucking nobody.

“Yes, don’t ask. I learned the hard way. You never like the answer.”

“Why? What’s going on, Iris?”

She bows her head, staring at her hands before she wipes her face. “I don’t know, but I think it has something to do with John.”

“Iris, did you know about Cue?”

“No.”

“I don’t understand,” I say, dropping my head to the pillow.

“I don’t either. We have to find John.”

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