Page 49 of Grotesque Love

Carver has been in my life a long time, and other than being overly strict and becoming the centre of my mother’s universe, he never mistreated me…so why? Why does he bring out these reactions in me? What is my mind keeping locked away from me?

There’s a small click, and I know it’s his Zippo lighter. It has a small metal case with the Clifton crest engraved on it. I’ve seen it so many times over the years, I could probably draw it from memory.

He takes a deep inhale of his cigarette, the sound feels so close to my right ear that it makes me wince.

In a low, syrupy voice, he practically purrs. “It’s just me and you against the world, my little Rapunzel. Let’s just stay locked in the manor and hide away from the rest of the world for a little while longer, hmm? Soon everything will be sorted. It will be okay.”

Silence.

Even if I wanted to,which I don’t, not even a small squeak would come from my mouth.

It feels like I’ve got a mouthful of dirt.

A rock in my throat.

I can’t remember.

And I can’t breathe.

“Make sure you take your medication, you’ll never get better if you don’t.” Carver is oblivious to my meltdown, and the Zippo clicks again as he twirls it in his fingers, like he does when he’s feeling distracted. “I’ll see you soon, princess.”

The line goes dead, and I blink.

Before I know what’s happening, I’m on my knees, fisting the bedcovers and gasping to catch my breath. Tears stream down my cheeks as I fight to suck in enough oxygen.

My chest hurts, it feels like I’ve been run through with a scaffolding pole. I tremble, my whole body shaking.

I can’t stop it.

I’ve lost control over my body.

Time passes in a blur.

I’m still fighting for air as the light finally fades.

MAL

I’m the first to find her, barely clinging on as she loses herself to some sort of panic attack.

With our progress last night, I hadn’t wanted to be far from her, and so I’d stayed on the perch outside her bathroom window when the sun rose this morning.

I’d watched through the window and the open bedroom door while the groundskeeper handed her the phone. Something on the call must have triggered her because right now, she looks like she did before. When she was losing herself inside her own head. I can’t let that happen again.

I open her windows, leaning out and whistling for the others.

“Ari? Little dove?” I whisper, my attention back on her as I creep forward, but her eyes are glassy. Unseeing.

“What happened?” Sax asks as he lands on her window ledge.Folding in his wings, he is quicker to move than me – less hesitant as he scoops her into his arms, pulling her onto his chest and stroking her hair.

“The Lord of the Manor called,” I surmise.

“What was said?”

“How would I know?”

“Now is not the time for your bratty ways, Mal,” Sax snaps. I frown at the tension in his tone, in his body, even as he holds Ari like she’s fractured crystal about to shatter and break. He’s so gentle with her, but the apprehension is rolling off him in waves.

“What do we do?” Jas asks tentatively, stepping towards them.

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