Wake of Darkness [1]

Chapter Thirty-Nine

♕ Destiny Fulfilled ♕

There was something cold beneath her. Her clothes felt wet and rigid, but her skin was warm. So warm that for less than a second, she let herself think she was back at Goldcrest, and the sun was shinning down on her skin. She still could feel the ghost touch of her mother in her wrists, the cut still burning with the slightest move. Aubrette lifted her head from the ground, trying to pull herself as close to the staircase as she could, and as far from the dead as possible.

The darkness of the room made it almost impossible to distinguish their faces, but she still felt their eyes on her as she dragged herself up, gathering all her strength and trying to put herself slowly back together. Aubrette grabbed onto the metal bar and pushed herself up, her head filling with a familiar sharp pain, that rushed all the way down her spine. Biting her lip to not scream, Aubrette felt a tear fall down her cheek, and the pain slowly got better, and she was no longer afraid to try and take a step.

When Aubrette placed her weight on the first step of the staircase, the sharp pain intensified, making her slip to the floor once more. And this time she let herself scream as her hands touched the floor, and her wrists seemed to burst into flames.

Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself to look down at them, a thin line making its way across them, almost healed, but not nearly enough as it should've been. The sight made her throat hurt, but not nearly as much as the look of her hair as it fell into view. There was nothing left of the lavender. Nothing of the dark black tone she'd worn for weeks. Her hair was a dark version of grey, her eyes barely being able to distinguish the faded color in the darkness. What had they done to her?

She couldn't feel coldness running through her veins, couldn't feel the dark staring at her, or her heart beating in temptation. But she could feel the warmth, not overwhelming and unbearable but soothing. Like Asher's skin had felt. But it did not feel reassuring. The warmth haunted her. Like a wicked joke she'd forgotten long ago.

Aubrette hugged her knees close to her chest and tried to slow down her breathing. She tried to focus on just that, the warmth. Forgetting as best as she could that the one thing that constantly made her feel like herself had been teared away and she hadn't even given a fight. She had let them do it. Let her do it. But how could she fight the one person in the world she had worshiped all her life?

She saw Mason's eyes in her mind, the way they shined black, like no light could reflect through them. He had convinced her to turn against them so quickly. She had trusted him without question, had trusted him against her instincts. Had believed him despite knowing better.

Aubrette thought back on the last happy day they'd had before he left for Goldcrest. The three of them had stayed locked away in Sybilla's room for hours, ignoring Nerezza and Deirdre as they waited for Aubrette to go down into the training room. They'd spoken of the future and dreamed of one day being free enough to walk out through the front doors without having to sneak out. Aubrette had dreamed of being able to give them both a higher tittle. One that would keep them by her side for better or worse. And life had just been right. Easy. She'd been happy.

It couldn't have been a lie. All of those memories couldn't be lies. Mason would never have done this, not the Mason she knew, the one she considered her family.

Aubrette didn't allow herself to think of Sybilla. In her mind Sybilla was safe, running through some random town searching for a safe place to stay. And even when she started to think how unlikely that was, she knew that it was better than this. Better than losing her to her mother, better than have her disappear, or have her face Layla's faith or worse the gray lady's. Aubrette closed her eyes and pictured her alive and breathing, sitting by the edge of Luna Bay, and playing in the snow, like she'd always describe doing as a child. She concentrated all of her energy in just that. Until she finally believed it. And her memory did not hurt as brightly.