Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Blair
Clutching Dara farther into my chest, I take her up the stairs to her bedroom. Her soft snores fill the mostly quiet house. Her mouth opens and her head’s fallen back. I smile. She’s perfect.
Oliver opens her door, and I bring her over to her bed and gently slide her between her sheets. She moans, turning onto her stomach, her face squished into her pillow. I laugh. I have no idea how she sleeps on her stomach. I tried once but it wasn’t comfy at all.
“Wanna join me on the roof?” Oliver asks from the doorway. He’s holding up another joint and I nod.
I press a kiss onto Dara’s forehead, whispering, “Sweet dreams.”
Tonight’s been exactly what we all needed—a chance to let go of all the responsibilities, forget about the state of Silvia, and just have fun. When Oliver first mentioned it, I thought he was crazy as fuck. Why on earth would we have a party given the state of things? But after thinking about it, I realised he was right. Not that I’ll give him too much credit for it. He doesn’t need the ego boost.
I follow Oliver up to the roof. The cool night air whips around my bare ankles, the bottom of my pants shifting with the breeze. Oliver falls down into one of the hammocks and lights up the joint. I sink down into one of the bean bags in front of him, taking the joint from his fingers. I bring it to my lips and take in a heavy drag. My eyelids droop, my thoughts evaporating. It’s a welcome relief from all of the noise I’ve been dealing with lately.
I’ve had so many nightmares of my time with James. The torture, the pain. I’ve barely slept much lately because every time I close my eyes, I’m back in that chamber with him inflicting magic into my every bone.
My arms start to shake, and I grit my teeth together before taking another drag and passing the joint back to Oliver.
He watches me closely as I fall back into the bean bag. “You all good, bro?”
Clouds cover the night sky and I sit there silently for a moment before responding, “Honestly, no, but I will be. For her.”
“You know if you need anything, I’ll do it for you, yeah?” Oliver moves to his side so he’s facing me.
I purse my lips together and nod. I know my brother has my back, but some shit you have to face yourself. Your inner demons are yours alone to face and combat. No one else can chase them away.
Most days, I feel like I am in a constant battle with myself. Voices scream inside my head, telling me I should have done more, that he’ll get me again, that I’m not worthy of Dara, and I don’t know what to believe. We lie there in silence for a while, just watching the stars. I’m enjoying the light bliss the weed has over me.
“Do you think that Alaric and Kayla are okay?” Oliver breaks the silence.
“I know that Alaric would be doing everything he could to keep Kayla safe, but if she’s going through even a bit of what I did, I’m honestly not sure. She’s human; I don’t know how she’s even lasted a day with him.” I pause, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “That’s what I’m most worried about—that she’s gone. I don’t think Dara will cope if she is.”
Oliver sighs, clasping his hands together behind his head. “Yeah, that’s something I’m worried about too. Let’s hope that no news from Alaric doesn’t mean the worst.”
Lightning rips through the otherwise dark sky, casting it in a light glow. Thunder booms. I shoot up, clasping my now-pounding heart.
“Fucking hell. I’ve never seen a storm quite like this,” Harlan says, coming through the door and joining us on the balcony. Declan follows closely and shuts the door behind him. I reach out my hand and he grasps it, lifting me up. I join Harlan by the railing, looking out into Silvia as the storm rolls through. There’s no rain but the sky is lighting up in an array of colours, like fireworks. Thunder booms, cracks, and each one makes me jolt. Fuck, I wish I wasn’t so skittish, but each sound reminds me of James when his magic would hit. I’m awaiting the impact but it never comes—just the sounds echo through me.
“What the hell is going on?” Declan slides in next to me.
“No idea, but it can’t be good. We need to be on alert,” Harlan growls, gripping the railing until his knuckles turn white.
Something’s brewing out there, and I just hope we are ready for it.