Page 83 of Beneath the Watching

We exited the library. “No, but I need to talk to him. He could get hurt when he tries, it’ll be considered an act of defiance.”

“He’s taking all this better than I expected. I mean, I’m upset but we kinda always knew, me and Madison, that she’d break one day. Just didn’t expectthisto be the way...”

I grabbed Mabel’s hand as we turned down the hallway. “She was your friend and I’m sorry for your loss,” I paused and kissed her temple before continuing. “Hopefully she'll find some peace.”

“Hopefully,” Mabel agreed, quietly.

Mabel stayed in our quarters while I went to the lower levels of the castle. It wasn’t often anyone died in the Realm but when they did, they were brought to what was called an Intermission room. Here, cadavers were laid out, sometimes in a change of clothing, to await whatever was next. Sometimes the body would simply disappear, and sometimes it would go through rapid decomposition.

Ilya was standing beside a marble table where Kiara’s corpse was now displayed. “Has Lucian been notified?” I asked.

“No,” he rasped.

Moving closer to the table I examined her for any signs of change. For my friend’s sake, I prayed she wouldn’t transform into a pile of sludge. “Ramone?”

“No,” Ilya replied, forcefully. I nodded.

Several seconds passed before the air wavered and Ilya’s hand dropped to the table. He’d been holding Kiara’s, but she quietly disappeared.

The time I’d spent with Kiara had been short, only a couple meetings when Lucian had decided I’d train her to withstand temptation from Ramone via psychological weapons. It was no secret no love had ever been lost between us.

I was fully aware of Mabels’s close friendship and Ilya’s feelings for the woman, although his motivations behind the emotions may have left a lot to be desired. My girlfriend and my best friend were handling this unexpected event in a much better manner than I could have imagined. Mabel was never one to cry or whine but I knew she’d be hurting.

“When are you going to tell Ramone?” I asked Ilya, who was standing perfectly still, staring at the table that held his woman’s body moments before.

“He might already know,” he replied. I knew he was referring to the invisible thread that had connected the love of his life with the other man, the thread whose severance would’ve likely notified him instantly.

My hands slid into my pockets as I waited. “Do you need me to go with you?” I prompted, after he’d remained silent.

Ilya ran a hand through his hair and then gripped his chin before dropping his arm. “Yes, come with me.” He turned on his heel and headed out of the room. “We’ll go later on today,” he called over his shoulder.

A thought occurred to me, remembering what Mabel had told me about the gilded bottles of wine my peers drank fromoccasionally. “Wait,” I said, and Ilya stopped. “That wine—did Kiara drink it often?”

“Not really, I don’t think. Why?”

“Have you tested it?”

He became irritated. “Extensively. What’s your point?”

“Mabel said she threw away a bottle and it reappeared. Do you think it affected Kiara at all?”

Ilya’s shoulders sagged. “I appreciate what you’re doing but I’m responsible for her—me and Ramone. There’s several of those bottles around so I’m sure your girl has seen them more than once.”

He was likely correct, so I let the subject drop and watched him walk away to begin taking care of business. I’d told Mabel not to speak of the liquor, but too much had happened and I’d needed to know.

I didn’t have to ask what he was taking care of first. I knew he was going to inform Lucian that his long lost and recently returned daughter was dead by her own hand.

31

MABEL

“I’m sosorry about your friend,” Tiffany attempted to console me but there was nothing anyone could say.

My intent had been to help Kiara, be there for her, and see if I could help her get home. Over time it’d become apparent that she had zero desire to go home and there was nothing anyone could’ve done for her. Knowing all that didn’t lessen the smidgen of guilt that plagued me.

With Kiara gone, Stefan gave me more freedom. He was still a bit over-protective, but I understood. Tiffany and I were in a building that looked like it came from a princess amusement park. It was on the list while scoping out sites for my bakery, and Jack and Benjamin lurked out front eating ice cream cones. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we were at an overpriced family resort.

“Thank you,” I said. “I think it's what she really wanted though. You’d have to have known her, but I think she did exactly what she wanted to.”

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