Page 4 of Twisted Truths

OBSIDIAN

Amelody plays in my head in the voice of an angel. It takes me a moment to realize what keeps sounding on a loop in my head—a Bee Gees’ song.

I blink my eyes open, squinting at the brazen overhead lights. It takes me a minute to realize I’m in a hospital bed—and not alone. My three brothers are huddled around me, their gazes filled with a mix of worry, relief, and fury.

“How did you find me?” My voice is raspy.

Kol takes pity on me and hands me a cup of water from the bedside table. I sit up and round my shoulders from the pain in my chest. “Someone recognized you and knew where you’d been staying. Found your wallet in that shack you were renting,” he says as I swallow the entire cup of water in three gulps.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Asher says because he’s the oldest and took on the role of caregiver after our dad died.

“How are you feeling?” Nero asks, ever the peacemaker.

“Like I almost drowned.” I tip up the corner of my lips, but it’s clear that none of them will let me use charm to blow this off.

“What happened?” Kol asks seriously.

I shrug. “Apparently, I thought I was a better surfer than I was. Guess Mother Nature wins this round.”

“You almost died,” Asher seethes, his blue eyes boring into my near-black ones.

“Why didn’t I?” I pass Kol the empty cup, and he refills it for me.

“Someone saved you. Pulled you from the water and gave you CPR.”

My memory flits with a voice. That humming that’s been in my head. “A woman…”

“Though no one seems to know who. She didn’t stick around,” Kol says and passes me another cup of water.

A gold locket with pearls along the chain. The image floats through my mind. The woman was wearing it, and it dangled in front of me when she was on top of me.

“Sid,” Asher snaps.

I turn in his direction.

“Do you know who she was?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No idea.”

Asher frowns. Maybe he wants to give her some reward money, but knowing Ash, he probably wants to check my story against hers.

“The important thing is that you’re okay,” Nero says.

The room is quiet for a beat before Kol asks, “Why’d you take off without telling anyone where you were going?”

Because I didn’t want to have this conversation.

“Needed to clear my head.” I down the water, my eyes focusing on the dry erase board in front of me with my name on it.

“That’s all?” Asher says, and I look at him.

“That’s all.” Our gazes hold until he turns away.

“I’m going to call Anabelle and tell her he’s okay,” Asher says to Kol and Nero before leaving the room.

Nero’s eyes shift between me and Kol, who is staring intently at me. “I’m gonna give Cinder a call too.”

Kol’s gaze flicks to Nero, and he nods. Once Nero leaves the room, Kol’s jaw tightens. “So that’s all it was… an accident?”

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