Page 7 of Woven Souls

“I’m going to find the shower. It’s been a while since this body has been graced with hot water and soap.”

With that, Jonah leaves us alone. When the door clicks shut behind him, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I shift and lie down on my stomach. Propping my elbow up so that my head can rest in my hand, I stare down at the back of Willow’s head.

“I know you’re awake.”

“Fuck off.” The pillow muffles her voice but not the bitterness twisting her words.

I wince.

“Willow, we need to talk.”

“No,wedon’t have to do anything.Youwant to talk.”

My stomach twists uncomfortably. I reach out with my free hand and place it gently on her lower back. The contact sends a zip of joy through me that is immediately stifled by the intensity of my guilt. As it threatens to consume me, bile rises in my throat. I may not have stabbed Willow, but I didn’t try to save her either. Beneath my touch, Willow stiffens dramatically, a sharp intake of breath follows the movement. She stays stiff for a handful of seconds before her body relaxes into the touch.

“How about I talk, and you listen?” I suggest when she doesn’t say anything. Instead of waiting for a reply that may not come, I dive into it, hoping to relieve the pressure of the mounting guilt. “For the past week, I’ve been trying to figure out what I’d say to you when we ran into each other again. Now that we’re together, I’m still at a loss for words. I know you’re angry at us, and rightfully so. What Theo did took us all by surprise, but you have to understand why he did it—”

“I know why, Kwil.”

Willow sits up abruptly and turns to look at me. I try hard to cover my wince as my eyes trail over her face. She looks worse than Theo, with heavy circles under her eyes, and her cheeks aren’t nearly as full.

Suffered. The monster in me bristles, angry at everything and everyone all over again. Its instincts wrestle with my rationality, and I struggle to remain in control. As I sit up, Willow pushes away my hand.

“Theo stabbed me because he was being blackmailed. Angry doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel about that, but at least I can kind of understand his motives. But I thoughtyou…” The heat in her voice simmers out as her face twists in confusion and… pain? When her eyes mist up, it feels like someone is shoving a fist through my chest and attempting to yank out my heart.

Betrayed. Even a creature as deplorable as the one I’ve become understands the emotions flitting across her face.

I reach out to cup her cheek. For a moment, I think she’ll let me. Just as my fingertips touch her soft skin, Willow pulls away. At her flinch, I realize that the claws on the two fingers of my left hand have nicked her. Willow reaches up to touch her cheek, and when she pulls them away, a trace of blood smears over them.

“Shit, Willow. Are you—”

She slaps my other hand away when I reach for her again.

“I’m fine. I was fine before you three came into my life, and I’ll be fine when you guys are out of it. Until then, I’ll just have to suck it up. At least I have Jonah—”

“You have me!” Unjust jealousy flares up at the sound of the other man’s name. I grab her hand as she tries to bat me away. Before Willow can pull back, my hold tightens. “I stood by when I should have stepped in. I know that, Willow. My decision not to act will haunt me for eternity. I just couldn’t fathom that Theo would do such a thing. Even in our precarious position I thought— Fuck, it doesn’t matter. I should have done something to stop it, and I didn’t. I’m so sorry.”

Those beautiful green eyes, still slightly dazed, slide away from my face. The clear distrust in them makes me feel nearly feral. Willow, out of anyone, should be able to trust me.

“I hate what Theo was forced to do, Willow, but you have to understand why he did it.” Maybe if she can just get some insight, she’ll forgive us all for accepting Theo’s action.

The window starts to rattle again. This time harder than before. Although I can’t see and hear the spirits, the hair on the back of my neck rises as their presence creeps in.

With a hiss of annoyance, Willow flings out her hand towards the window. The rattling intensifies. At first, there's a swelling of unintelligible sounds. After a second, the sounds swell into a cacophony of voices, deafening us. Cringing, I open my mouth to ask what the hell is going on. Before I can, the screams fade away to nothing, leaving the room just as silent as before. The rattling stops with it. Willow’s eyes snap back to my face, and righteous outrage brings life to her eyes again.

“Well? You have my complete attention. Tell me, Kwil, what was so imperative that he had to stab me?”

I hold her gaze, ready to make her understand, at least a bit.

“Do you recall Rowan talking about Theo’s family?” Before she can answer, I continue, “Theo became a Ghost to protect them. If he hadn’t struck and Rowan managed to escape his impending death, Theo’s mother and sisters most likely would have been thrown into the gutter and possibly killed.”

The fury on Willow’s face lessens as she listens. I press on before it can return.

“You see, once we’re deemed Fallen, it’s a death sentence. Maybe if that was the only consequence, Theodon wouldn’t have cared or worked as hard as he has to keep me and Viktor from facing the gallows. But when you’re Fallen, it’s not just you who’s affected. You sully your family’s name as well. Mine will get on alright. My sisters have married into prestigious families. My parents will face the brunt of our people’s scorn but will, eventually, be alright. Viktor’s parents will probably be shunned, but they too are wealthy and will be alright without society’s approval.

“But Theo? His family has already faced a horrible fall from grace. His father was the last King of Fae and King Vestille’s downfall was infamous. Long story short, our king was beheaded, and Theo’s family was next, but he managed to persuade the newly appointed parliament representatives that he would revive the faith his people had in his family. He gave up his life to become a Ghost and show the world that the Windom name could be trusted and admired once more. If Rowan managed to escape us, he would have gone back and destroyed all that is left of the Windom name. Theo was thinking of his family, Willow. You have to understand… So much was at stake.”

I let go of Willow’s hand to,carefully, hold her face.

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