Page 160 of Heiress of Fire

But then, a curly-headed brunette man rushed to Beacon and Ron, crashing into their arms. It was Bane, their brother. Their cries of joy enlighten the gloomy atmosphere of the field. Davina’s blurry vision then focused on her friend in green battered armor.

Caleb stood in the middle of the battleground, his eyes frantically scanning the scene, as he dropped to his knees. He reached for the pile of ashes that had once been the form of his sister. The rapid heartbeats of her siblings and the whimpers of the surviving warriors around her had become inaudible. And all that she could hear was Caleb’s screaming for his other half.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, moving her sibling’s arms away from her.

“Where are you going?” Emmy asked.

“Stay there,” Davina ordered.

She picked up her pace and ran to the youngest Dunbar. His hands were covered in grey particles while tears slicked down his face. Caleb looked up at her with sorrow, a pain that seemed to create a crack in his very soul. His cheeks were coated with long lines of misery. “Caleb, I—“

There would never be any words that could ease his pain. Davina fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around him.

“No!” Caleb shrieked. He pushed and thrashed against her grip but she held onto him even more fiercely.

“It’s going to be okay,” Davina cooed.

“No, leave me alone. Stop! Let me go!” he cried, nudging and pushing her away.

A lump lodged itself into her throat as she croaked, “I’m not letting you go.”

Once she said that, he stopped fighting to be freed and wrapped his arms around her torso. Caleb leaned against her shoulder and sobbed. Davina rested her cheek on his head while she rubbed his back, hoping that her embrace could be a drop of solace for him.

Bane made his way to her siblings, putting a protective arm around them, as Ron motioned to the others to head toward Caleb and her. Ron, Cara, Snow, Valerie, and Beacon strode over to them, eyes hanging low.

Valerie bent down and hugged Caleb’s back. Snow sat before him and sent him a sad smile, then grabbed a hold of his hand while Cara grabbed his other. Beacon rested a hand over Caleb’s shoulder and Ron embraced both Davina and Caleb.

“It’ll be okay, Caleb,” Valerie whispered.

He only shook his head as he wailed.

Leilani Dunbar was dead.

Her first true friend was gone. And in the heat of the moment, she hadn’t realized how much it pained her to think of a life without Lani. Davina’s lips quivered with each of Caleb’s sobs until she couldn’t contain the tears that she had been trying to keep away.

EPILOGUE

“Thank you for letting us stay here.”

“You and your siblings are welcome here anytime. For as long as you want.” Ron smiled before taking the bag from her shoulders and leading her into a new room.

Davina blushed, not breaking her gaze from Ron’s. They stood before a lilac door. The room ahead of them would be hers while she searched for a new home for herself after Leilani’s deception.

She’d never explored this deep into his manor. The only rooms she’d visited before had been the infirmary and the living room, but that day she was introduced to various guest bedrooms, two kitchens, a dining room, and three bathing rooms.

Ron opened the door, allowing her a clear view of the chambers. The bed was filled with what seemed to be comfy blankets and pillows, placed by the corner, under the window. She’d be able to get a good view of the pond in the backyard. A desk and bookcase were on the other side of the room. The wallpaper was a deep plum color, the tiles were white, and a massive armoire stood at the end of the bed.

Ron walked to the wardrobe and unlocked it. Only for different shades of purple clothing to spill out. Davina laughed as he searched to pick up the cloth from the floor but as much as he tried, more kept falling out of his grip.

After a few seconds of struggling against the textiles, he stood upright and scratched the back of his neck. “I got you something.”

“Ron… You didn’t have to.” She chuckled.

“I wanted to.” He shrugged. Davina sighed with a smile as she kneeled and helped him collect the clothing onto the bed. Once they finished, they sat down on the bed. She felt the mattress sink in and it was as if she were sitting on a cloud. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever slept in a bed this comfortable before.”

“From now on, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. You are going to truly live and I’m going to make sure of that.”

Davina gave a small smile.

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