Chapter 73
He Stole Everything
Time halted. Stopped like the last tick of a clock. My head ached horribly, my breathing ragged, my whole body trembling. I was on my hands and knees. At some point, Rodney had released me.
My heart—
My heart was shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.
He killed my mother. He killed my mother.
The thoughts were like explosions crashing through me. I loved him, I trusted him, and everything was a lie. He was a fucking lie.
“As I expected, she was spelled.” Rodney’s voice sounded distant even though I could sense him standing behind me. “But if it makes you feel any better, it wasn’t of her free will.”
He killed my mother.
My jaw clenched. My vision swam as I raised my head.
Karson stood at the bottom of the stage, his face pale, his fists curled, his eyes wild in a storm of desperation, shock, guilt, and fury.
The whole room stilled, mannequins in a store, all staring at me.
Ethan darted his eyes between us, a look of pity, of rage, of … guilt?
The room kept spinning. I choked on a sob as I tried to shakily rise. Rodney placed his hand under my arm to help lift me up.
“Don’t fucking touch me.” I didn’t recognize the voice that came out. It was wild, it was animalistic, it was broken.
He let go and stepped back. I staggered to my feet.
“You son of a bitch,” Ethan snarled. “You fucking piece of shit. I knew you’d done something to her. I fucking knew it. But to stoop that low is pathetic even for you.”
Karson flinched but didn’t take his eyes off me.
He stole Tom, stole the life I had, stole the future we had planned, stole my mother, and my father.
The only parents, the only family love I had ever known.
Did my father know she was killed because of me?
I answered myself immediately—of course he did.
That’s why he hated me after her death; he blamed me. He stole everything precious I had.
I loved Karson, loved him more than I thought it was possible to love anyone. I thought he had mended the shattered pieces inside me. Instead, he was the one who had destroyed the beautiful picture.
My legs lost power again and I stumbled, as my whole world crashed out from under my feet.
Karson opened his mouth and closed it again, as if he thought better of what he was going to say. Or maybe he didn’t know what to say.
Tears poured down my face. “You killed my mother,” I choked out.
“Oh God,” Georgie gasped. “Oh God, Amy.”
His skin turned to a shade of gray. “Amelia, I—”
“Don’t fucking speak.” Rage swirled through me. The lights in the room flickered. Darkness, light, darkness. I sucked in a breath down my seared throat and tried to calm the fury. The lights stopped flickering, but I could feel my power, my darkness simmering inside like a volcano.
Everyone just stared. No one said a word.
Marg and Bob were standing in the corner near the hallway, Bob with his arm around Marg’s silently heaving shoulders. They could escape, but they wouldn’t leave without Sarah.
Michael was staring at the ground.
Monique’s eyes were wide with shock and filled with pity.
Kenneth was up, his hand cradling the back of his neck as he looked between us.
Sarah was seated, her back pressed against a wall, her eyes lifted to the ceiling as she laughed. She fucking laughed.
Janice stood beside Rodney, her sword out, ready to defend him if anyone attacked. Rodney’s face had lost its usual color.
“Are you happy?” I demanded. “Did you enjoy what you saw?”
His brow flickered. “Amelia—”
The volcano erupted. My hand shot up. Rodney’s body flew across the room and exploded into the windows.
The bars bent under the force, bones snapping, shattering.
He cried out, then fell silent as his body dangled, jammed between the bars.
He wouldn’t die, but I hoped it fucking hurt.
Even then, it wouldn’t hurt as much as I was hurting.
Janice raised her sword.
I was far too furious to feel even an ounce of fear. “Do it, I dare you.”
“Janice, no.” Kenneth’s deep voice boomed across the room. Janice’s eyes glittered, her jaw clenched. “Rodney is fine. We’ve all seen enough hurt today. You know the pain rage and loss cause.”
Janice stiffened, the tattoo on her neck a mark denoting her loss of whoever she had loved. She stared at me for a moment, then she lowered her sword and stepped back.
A cracking sound shot through the room. I whipped my head back.
Ethan had slammed into Karson. They were on the floor.
Ethan was on top of him. Punch after punch smashed into Karson’s face.
Blood poured from his broken nose. His jaw shifted to an unnatural angle.
Karson didn’t defend himself, didn’t do anything but stare at me, his eyes completely and utterly broken.
The volcano died as pure agony roared its ugly head again.
Sobbing, I backed out of the room, and I turned and ran to the sound of his voice crying out my name behind me.