Page 70 of Tarnished Embers

“Fuck,” I whisper just as several police cars pull to a stop outside the front of the house, their sirens blaring and blue lights flashing.

“I called them as soon as we saw her,” Kit tells me, and I tear my gaze away from the shitshow to look at him. “They knew of the charges and were looking for her.”

“Shit, this might take some explaining,” Cas rasps out, and I wince. What if they think we killed her? That I killed her? Did I?

I play through what happened, and my hands shake as I realise I knocked her away which caused her to trip. Nausea swirls in my stomach at the idea that I had a hand in my mother’s death, but then something in my chest loosens. She’ll never hurt any of us or Ember again. I’ve saved us all from ever having to deal with her scheming and manipulations for good.

“We should probably let them in,” I tell them in a gruff voice, straightening up and heading to the balcony doors.

“Hey, Prince,” Cas says softly, and I pause, my back still facing them all as a deep inhale makes my chest rise. “Thank you, brother.”

I close my eyes, letting the weight that has held me down for years fall away, leaving me light as a fucking feather.

* * *

“WE GO DOWN TOGETHER” BY DOVE CAMERON, KHALID

EMBER

Serene Haven lives up to its name. It’s on the outskirts of London and is surrounded by rolling hills and wooded areas. The building itself is an old manor house, and I love all the old paintings that line the walls, the rooms spacious, each with their own bathrooms.

The communal spaces feel more like an upmarket hotel, but with an air of tranquillity that immediately puts you at ease, with soft, muted tones and lots of cushions and throw blankets scattered around.

I spend the first couple of hours settling in, meeting some of the other residents—they don’t like the term patients—and my therapists. I will take part in group therapy and one-on-one sessions. Plus, they have art therapy and lots of exercise programs.

I’m taken for a tour and they show me an indoor pool and sauna setup, a gym, and yoga studio. They believe physical exercise and meditation are as important for healing as talking through our problems.

I’m in the garden room several hours after my arrival, nestled on a large soft sofa with a blanket and a sketchpad when one of the staff members walks towards me, three guys following.

“Little Sis!” Oct yells, rushing past the orderly and scooping me up in his arms before pulling me in for an enormous hug. “Fuck, I missed you, beautiful.”

“Oct,” I breathe out, wrapping my arms around him, my sketchpad forgotten at my feet as I just breathe him in. All tension drains from my body, leaving me almost boneless as I lose myself in his arms.

“Hey, Pretty Thing,” Kit whispers against my ear, encasing me between them, and my entire body sags in relief.

“Hey,” I murmur back, letting go of Oct and turning in his arms to hug Kit to me.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful you were,” Kit tells me, pulling back to rake his eyes all over me.

“You saw me a few hours ago.” I laugh, spotting Cas and stepping away from the twins to give him a hug too. “Hello, Cas.”

“Fuck, Cinders,” he rasps out, pulling me so close that not a breath of air is between us. “How are you settling in?”

I loosen my grip on him to look into his beautiful copper eyes. There’s a tightness around them, and I frown as I realise Prince is missing.

“Where’s Prince?” I ask, my stomach knotting as Cas heaves a sigh.

“You best sit down for this, baby,” he tells me, keeping me in his arms as he sits on the sofa, pulling me into his lap. The twins settle on either side of us, both touching me.

“What’s happened?” My voice is quiet, straining over the sudden lump that has formed in my throat. How much more can we take?

Cas sighs once more and my body lifts with the movement, it’s so deep. “Odette is dead, Cinders.”

My whole body goes stiff, my eyes widening as I wriggle to look up at him.

“What?” It’s a hiss of air, a breath that colours the surrounding air in shades of grey.

“She…fell off the balcony,” Cas says softly, and he looks away for a split second, letting me know that there’s more to the story.

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