Page 106 of Fallen Princess: Shadow Stalker

She makes a whimper, but not much else. I scoop her out of the water, and everything drips wet over us, but I don’t care. I take her to the bed and lie her down.

Removing my soaked leather vest and my t-shirt. I stare down at the woman beneath me on the bed.

She lies here, unmoving, as if she’s dead, but I can see her chest rising up and down. I look around to check if she’s taken any illicit pills but find nothing that catches my eye.

Grabbing a towel from the bathroom, I dry her as best as I can and then take the blanket that’s folded neatly at the end of the bed and cover her body with it, tucking her in.

Standing at the end of her bed, I observe her. She’s entirely out of it. Running my hand through my hair, my mind races, and I quickly strategize.

This is more than just some sleeping pill she must have consumed. I could probably prick her with a needle, and she won’t wake up. Whatever she took was pretty heavy-duty stuff, so why the fuck does she have access to somethinglike this?

I carefully open the bedside drawers, my curiosity pushing me to search for the location where she keeps these mysterious pills. To my surprise, the only questionable items I find are over-the-counter prescription pills meant to aid sleep. It’s nothing that would justify the current catatonic state she’s in.

My attention shifts to the teacup on the dresser.

The tea cup’s empty.

I pick it up, inspect it closely, and sniff it.

“She needs to sleep.”

I turn towards the doorway where the voice came from to find Catalina scowling at me.

“What was in the tea?” I inquire, putting the cup back down where I found it.

“Exactly what one puts in a tea,” she responds, adjusting the thermostat on the wall and tending to Eden, drying her wet hair with the towel I had used.

“You cannot leave her like this with wet hair. She will wake up with a dry throat and a possible infection,” she barks accusingly. “She won’t be able to sing for days.”

I eye her suspiciously.

“Seems like you have much experience with Eden passed out like this. She’s dead to the world. What drug is she on?”

Catalina abruptly stops what she's doing, giving me a hostile glare, confirming that I have struck a nerve.

“Eden doesn’t use drugs. How dare you suggest something like that,” she retorts with a hint of anger. "She doesn't deserve any of you."

“She may not do drugs knowingly. Does she know her tea is spiked with enough barbituates to put out an elephant?” I counter with the insinuating suggestion.

“This poor girl has been through enough and all because of you. You and your friends are nothing but trouble. She wouldn’t have been here if it weren’t for you, and that dog would be enjoying his retired life with his owner,” Catalina retaliates.

Anger spikes through me as she dares to blame us for what happened to her and Storm.

“You know nothing about us.”

“I witnessed enough.”

Seemingly agitated, she rises from the bed and heads to the bathroom with the wet towel. She walks over to where I stand, picks up the teacup from the dresser, and hesitates before addressing me.

“I witnessed the aftermath ten years ago of what you beasts did to her. Getting involved with likes of you was always a mistake. I returned to LA and found her a shell of the girl she was. It was I who brought her back to the land of the living. I took care of her, fed and bathed her for years. Not one of you cared. It wasn't until you needed her that you came knocking on her door. You will use her, treat her like your whore, and then dispose of her. But I will still be here and bring her back to life as I did before.”

I want to wring the old woman’s neck. But, as much as I’d like to destroy the woman, I refrain from it.

“You haven’t answered my question, Catalina,” I say, biting my tongue as I’m one second from exploding on the woman. “What did you put in Eden’s drink?”

“Tea, herbs. Nothing illegal. It aids in her sleep. She doesn’t sleep well.”

Angrily, I walk over, grab Eden's hands, pull her to sit up, and let go. She flops back down like a stuffed doll.

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