Page 62 of Shadow Bonds

“Shh, I’ve got you,” Theon whispers.

CHAPTER 19

My eyes blink open to find the four guys around me. I’m no longer in pain. So, they must have healed me. I’m also in my own bed with Knox lying beside me. Cyrus is at the end of the bed, and Theon is propped up against the wall on the floor. All are asleep except Malakai who watches me with a look of pain and rage in his eyes.

“Theon found you… And those that hurt you,” he whispers, the rage in his eyes practically glowing.

“Where are they?” I ask and sit up, trying not to wake the others.

“Dead. Theon ripped them apart,” he says, but he doesn’t seem happy about it. But I can understand that.

My goal was to keep them safe and not drag them into anymore of my or old Sena’s mess, and that’s all I seem to be doing lately.

“I didn’t know?—”

“You blocked us out,” Knox whispers harshly from beside me, making me jolt. “And you’re pushing us away. Why?”

I grow silent, finding the others awake now too and watching me. But my thoughts immediately turn to the Void.

I don’t know what Sena’s family has on them. But I can’t risk it. I can’t risk them ever going back there.

“What did your family say?” Cyrus says as ifhe’sthe one that can read my mind now.

“Did you hear the rumors?” I ask, hoping it will distract them long enough to figure out what to tell them.

“We don’t give a shit about rumors,” Malakai says. “We never have. But you’re making it hard for us to trust you when you shut us out and pull away.”

He leans forward, his eyes not leaving mine. “So, I’ll ask again. What happened?”

I sigh, glancing down at my hands. “My family just made it clear how horrible they are. It made me realize I might not have been the nicest person before.” An understatement of the century.

Knox chokes on a laugh, and I narrow my eyes on him, making him smile. It eases some of the tension in me.

“I just needed a moment to figure it out,” I tell them, not completely lying to them but not telling them the entire truth either.

I need to figure out more about Sena’s family before I drag them into anything else.

After my words, there’s almost a collective sigh of relief in the air around us.

“Aren’t you going to ask me about the rumors?” I ask and glance between them.

“We don’t care,” Malakai repeats, and I roll my eyes at him.

“You do. And I get it.” It’s not like old Sena had a great track record.

“We—” Knox starts.

“The video must have been before. I don’t remember it, nor am I lying about not knowing any of you before coming here.” I shake my head before narrowing my eyes on them all. “Also,from here on out, we’re going to pretend the old Sena was a different person. Because let’s be honest, she kind of sounds like a bitch.”

Knox chokes on a strangled laugh while the others stare at me in shock.

“And just so you know, I didn’t hurt Cora,” I tell them as my chest tightens.

Cyrus leans over and takes my hand, “We know.”

I glance around at them all, and a rush a relief floods me when I see that they actually believe me. “I can’t prove it, but I’m nearly sure Arabella pushed her.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Cyrus says, and I nod.

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