Page 198 of The Devil's Fire

We didn’t say anything as our eyes met, and I saw him visibly relax. His expression carried a hint of pain, leaving me with a slight frown as I wondered why he would look at me like that.

Lifting my hand, I gently placed it on his cheek, caressing him and noting the exhaustion etched on his face. Damiano closed his eyes as if he had longed for my touch, placing his hand over mine and kissing my palm.

“Wha -” I winced in pain, halting my words when my dry throat hurt intensely.

“Shh, don’t talk if it hurts. I’ll get you some water.” Damiano poured a glass and put a straw in it as he handed it to me.

“Small sips.” He instructed. I tried to follow, but the cool water running down my parched throat felt so soothing that I emptied the glass a bit faster than I should have, now feeling a little nauseous.

I immediately groaned in pain when I tried to move to sit up. It felt like I had been hit by a truck over and over again.

“Don’t move, you have a bruised rib. I’ll call for Ellie and let her know you’re awake.” He pressed a button on the side.

“Wh-what happened?” It came out as a half-whisper. My voice was hoarse and cracked a little as I tried to speak. Licking my dry lips, I tried to piece together why I was in so much pain.

“…You don’t remember what happened?” Damiano frowned slightly as I shook my head. He kept my hand in his when the door opened quietly, and Ellie walked in with a smile.

“Good to see you’re awake. I’m just going to examine you and ask you a few questions.” I gave her a small nod as she flashed her penlight into my eyes, causing me to blink rapidly at the sharp light.

“Do you know who you are? When is your birthday?” Ellie continued to ask me questions about myself, and I answered them all.

“Do you know what happened to you?”

“No.”

Damiano gave my hand a small squeeze, making me look at him.

“Can anyone tell me what happened?” I asked.

“Althaia.” I turned back to Ellie, who wore a serious expression, causing my heart to beat faster. “You were in a car accident.”

I instinctively reached up to touch the bandage wrapped around my head. Swallowing hard, I tried to recall the events, and my body tensed despite the pain. Fragments rushed back, and my breathing quickened. I squeezed Damiano’s hand as panic set in.

All those men.

The woods.

My mother!

“Mom …” I whispered. Panic surged through me, and I tried to get out of bed. I had to see if she was okay.

Ellie tried to calm me, but I pushed her hands away, determined to find my mother.

“Althaia stop. You’re hurting yourself.” Damiano urged as I groaned in pain. He had to hold me gently to prevent me from moving. Tears welled up as I looked at him.

“My mom… where is she? Is she okay? Tell me she’s okay.” I clung tightly to Damiano’s arms, desperately searching his face for any sign. But the longer he remained silent, the more the truth settled in.

Images of my mother being stabbed repeatedly flashed in my mind, and I let out a shocked gasp. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I shook my head, hoping against hope that Damiano would say it was all a terrible nightmare and everything was still okay.

“I’m sorry…” Damiano’s words confirmed the nightmare was real. Sobs escaped from me, and I crumbled as he held me.

“You’re lying!” I choked out, wanting to break free from his grasp, but he held me tightly as I sobbed into his chest.

My mother, who had cared for me my whole life, was gone.

My entire body trembled as Damiano held me close. The tears showed no sign of stopping, and with each passing moment, my heart seemed to shatter a little more.

I lost track of time as I cried, but eventually my sobs subsided, leaving me feeling numb.

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