Page 153 of Heir of Illusion

We sit in silence for a few moments, neither of us sure what to say. Her back is straight as she perches on the stool, her fingers digging into the material of her trousers. The sight of her in anything but a dress is strange and unfamiliar. I didn’t even think she owned pants.

Her brown eyes settle on the bruises at my neck, and her full lips twist into a grimace. “He’s done that to you before?”

My shoulders stiffen, but I nod.

“I’m sorry.” The force behind her words tells me she’s referring to more than just my injuries. She shifts uncomfortably on the stool before standing up and pacing back and forth through the tiny room.

“I should have done more to help you,” Della whispers, her gaze cast down. “It’s whatshewould have wanted.”

I flinch as her voice cracks.

“But I was so furious,” she continues, coming to stand before me as her eyes meet mine. “And I blamed you for something that wasn’t your fault.”

I stare at her, completely dumbfounded. Those are words I never expected to hear from Della. I feared she would regard me with civil hatred for the rest of our lives. My fingers dig into the sheet covering my lap as I force myself to be brave enough to accept her apology, instead of insisting I don’t deserve it. Still, I can’t stop myself from offering my own confession.

“I’m sorry too,” I croak, my voice horrible and raw. “I was a fool.”

“Shh,” she whispers, her soft fingers brushing through my hair. “So was I.”

My eyes drift shut as she continues her gentle ministrations, and I slip into my dreams once more.

Chapter

Forty-Two

Sometime later, I wake to the sound of people filing down the stairs. My eyelids feel like sandpaper as I pry them open to find everyone crowding into the cramped space.

“What’s going on?” I ask, the words quiet but not as breathy as before.

Thorne is at my side in an instant. “We think we might know where thealmanovais being kept.”

“Where?” Surprise has me trying to push myself up, causing my head to spin. Thorne places a hand on my back, offering his silent support to keep me from tumbling out of the bed.

“He said he’ll only tell you.” Fia steps forward, dragging a bloody and broken Nolan with her.

My heart breaks at the sight of the sweet baker. His nose has clearly been broken and both of his eyes are black. The way he’s hunching forward and clutching his ribs tells me they’re likely broken. Despite the fact that I know this was necessary, I still hate to see him this way.

“Tell her what you told us,” Griffen orders him. His typical light-hearted nature is gone, leaving a calculated warrior in its wake.

Nolan’s hateful gaze connects with mine. “He’sgoing to kill you tonight.”

In a flash, Thorne is across the room, the back of his hand smacking against Nolan’s face. “Say that again, and I will end you.”

Everyone in the room goes still.

“Now tell her what you said earlier,” Thorne growls as he grabs a fistful of the man’s hair and forces him to look at me.

His lips pull back and when he finally speaks it’s through clenched teeth. “He’s is waiting in the place where he first saw you.”

My nose scrunches.Where he first saw me…Iturn the words over in my mind, trying to decipher their meaning.Amemory flashes of a dark silhouette standing in a window, watching me as I passed by on the street below.

“The house,” I whisper, my gaze connecting with Thorne’s. “The one in the Lowers where the woman attacked me.”

His eyes widen. “You were right all along. Darby did go there.”

My thoughts race, and I swing my legs over the side of the bed. “We need to go. Now.”

Thorne steps in front of me, his hand on my shoulder stopping me from standing up. “It’s most likely a trap.”

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