Page 36 of Cheshire's Smile
“Alright,” Morgana drew out. “If you’re sure. I’ll just go over here. I don’t do drama.”
I barely noticed her slink off to the little hill where she threw herself down on the ground, not at all worried about dirtying up her dress. My eyes were focused solely on the two males before me.
Cheshire and I had struggled and fought to get to this point — to find them — and now that they were standing before me. I was at a loss for words.
How did one even make up for leaving them trapped for a hundred years? What did I even say? There were no words that would make everything alright. No words to make the last hundred years disappear. So, I didn’t try to make up for it.
“Hello, Carban. Coby.” I rubbed my hands together before lacing them in front of me. “Technically, it was more of a springing than a release.”
Carban snorted. His biceps bulging as he crossed his arms. “And yet you have been running around for over a year.”
A single step forward. I stopped. My mouth opened and then closed.
“What? Nothing to say for yourself?” Carban snapped.
If I wasn’t so confounded by how much I had hurt them, I’d comment on how much more he was talking than Coby.The latter was usually the chattier of the twins. Had they really changed so much in their time here? Or was it because of me?
Releasing my hands, I flexed my fingers before taking a few shaky steps forward. “There are many things I could say. None of them would make any of what has happened better. It wouldn’t turn back time and make me not make that deal with the shadows. It would keep you and the others from being punished for my choices.”
“You’re right, it won’t,” Carban growled, his steps hard on the ground as he stalked forward.
My body tensed, unsure of his intentions. Every part of me screamed that Carban wouldn’t hurt me.
His hand wrapped around my throat and jerked me forward until his nose bumped against mine. “You disgust me. You are the most selfish, manipulative, worthless creature I have ever had the displeasure of meeting.” His hand tightened on my throat, not quite choking me but enough that I felt the pinch of his fingers. “I wish we had never saved you.”
My eyes burned at his words. My chin trembled. Those words stabbed me straight through the heart and to my very core.
Every word he said was the same I’d told myself repeatedly during those first few decades of imprisonment. The same ones that had echoed in my head this last year. Even when I helped Kat save the Underground. Even with Hatter by my side every night.
I deserved all his words and more. I didn’t deserve to have them back. I’d left them. Forgotten them. The fact that they hated me now was my own personal karma come back to bite me.
Carban’s hand loosened, his eyes softening.
I sucked in a breath and shoved my emotions deep down. I forced the tears back and put a smug grin onto my lips. I hoped it reached my eyes even as my heart was breaking.
“You’re right.” Power poured into my palm, and I slapped it against his arm, knocking him back a few steps. “I used you. All of you. I ran around from my problems and then when the first opportunity arose, I choose me. You were just...” I glanced over the two males before me, a sneer curling my lips. “Collateral damage.”
“I told you,” Carban threw over his shoulder. “She wasn’t worth it.”
I built a wall around my heart. But not quick enough. His words hit.
She wasn’t worth it.
She wasn’t worth it.
Iwasn’t worth it.
Squaring my shoulders, I turned away from the twins to find Morgana sitting up a concerned frown on her lips. "Let’s go. I don’t need to rest. Eugene is waiting for me.”
Morgana didn’t question my sudden change. She simply stood and lit the flame in her hand once more, ready to move forward.
I forced my hands to uncurl from the tight fists they’d become. My chin lifted, shoulders back, ready to walk out of their lives forever.
“Wait.” Coby rushed up beside Carban, who shot his brother a warning look. Coby blew out a breath and focused a hard look on me. “Why are you here?”
“Bet she is being punished again. What did you do this time?” Carban scoffed with a smug tug of his lips.
Coby shot a glare at his brother. “Did you see Cheshire? Did he get out? Is he okay?” His nose sniffed the air and his eyes widened. “You smell like him. Tell us where he is.”
