Page 19 of Between

“He knows you?” Serena nudged my arm, and I gave a slow nod. A sudden guilt struck me at the realization that he knew me and my name, but I didn’t know his.

My response was slow as I watched him out my window. “He must remember me from the service.”

It was an obvious lie, but I said it partially in protection, and partially in denial. I didn’t want her to know about Caius, and I didn’t want her to know what all this really was.

Not yet.

I pulled the car through the open gates and parked off to the side. Grabbing the umbrella from the back seat, I hopped out of the car, and Serena did the same.

“I didn’t think it was supposed to rain today,” she said to me as I opened the umbrella and held it above us. It barely managed to cover us both as long as we squeezed together and leaned in. I shrugged in response, brushing away the remark.

There’s a lot she doesn’t know.

As I led the way to the mausoleum, Serena glanced around. “This place is beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is,” I echoed. I don’t know if it was because of the rain, but the leaves seemed to look extra green today. The trees soaked in the excess water, the moss collected the drops, and everything looked more than healthy.

Maybe it was because I was looking through the eyes of Serena, someone who was seeing all this for the first time. The shimmer of the novelty was there.

But maybe, if she finds out thatthis—according to Caius—is actually the realm between Heaven and Hell, she won’t see it as beautiful anymore.

Then again, is it fair to this place to not be considered beautiful just because of the label it wears?

As we were walking, heavy footsteps came from the path to our left, releasing me from my train of thought. A hooded man walked toward us, and I prayed that it wasn’t Caius. I didn’t need my sister meeting him.

Not yet.

But as soon as I turned to look, I could tell it wasn’t him. This man had a similar body type, with a towering height and broad shoulders, but I could see the difference in the way he carried himself. He seemed more…friendly.

Before I knew it, he was right in front of us.

“Compliments of the Estates.”

His voice was smooth as he extended his arm to Serena and held out a brand-new umbrella. I watched as Serena’s eyes met his, their gazes connected, a powerful and surging moment in time. Without looking away, she slowly took the umbrella and muttered a quiet “Thank you.”

The man gave a single nod and briefly glanced to me. I smirked in return as he shifted on his feet and walked back the way he came.

“Holy shit,” Serena whispered to me as she opened the umbrella, and I couldn’t help but smile. Based on the rosy blush on her cheeks, I knew exactly what she was thinking, and I didn’t blame her one bit. Whoever he may be, he was intriguing and enigmatic, to say the least.

With each of us under our own umbrella, we continued the short walk to the mausoleum. I stopped in front of the structure and looked up, and Serena did the same.

Even though I was still sad and grieving, this was a totally different experience for Serena. This was the first time visiting him and seeing his resting place, and it was only the beginning of her life without him.

I heard her sharp inhale at the sight of our last name on the top of the building.

I looked at her and nodded to the entrance. “Go ahead. I can wait out here.”

Serena hesitated, her eyes still glued to the cursive name etched in the stone. “Will you go with me?” she asked, and I could hear the quiver in her voice. Meanwhile, there was no hesitation in mine.

“Of course.”

Looping my arm in hers, we both ascended the steps and closed our umbrellas. Once inside, Serena looked around to the beautiful, perfectly kept inside. I moved to sit on the stone bench along the wall while Serena approached the ceramic urn. She motioned to it and looked at me, as if questioning if that was it.

I nodded, and she looked back to the vase.

And she cried.

Tears slid down her cheeks freely, her emotions coming in waves as she let go. Her feelings rushed to the surface as she held her face in her hands, her shoulders heaving with sorrow.

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