Homesick Book 2. The Secrets of Blackthorn Manor

Awkward Meetings

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Chapter Seven

Awkward Meetings

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A harsh, stunned silence had overtaken the room. The group sat staring at one another. Adrian felt a little like the floor was about to give out from under him. There had been a letter explaining everything. They had intended to give it to him the night they died. This realization came with the guiltily realisation that he hadn't actually told the dragons any of his thoughts about that night. In all honesty, he hadn't told anyone the details aside from Daniel, Owethu and Lyndall.

Owethu was frowning. Before Adrian could stop him, the naga asked, 'Is this why they were murdered?'

The dragons looked horrified. 'Murdered? What is this you speak of?' Even Amy was looking uncomfortable. She knew more than their visitors, but she'd not asked for details. Maybe she didn't want them or was just trying to protect Adrian from having to explain. Honestly it was probably a little of both.

'There is a lot I haven't told you both yet. To be honest, we haven't made this public knowledge yet. We don't actually have any proof,' Adrian said, talking down to the tabletop. He couldn't face their hurt and shocked faces. The silence stretched on.

'I'm sorry. I didn't know myself until Liam tried to kill me,' he babbled. 'I didn't know what to do with the information. I just...'

'Adrian, slow down and explain,' Dumitru said though his eyes were still a little wide with shock.

It took a long time to explain. Peters brought tea and coffee. Adrian was glad to have something to do with his hands as he stirred sugar into his brew. Talking about it brought every painful memory flooding back along with the strangest sensation. He felt like he was being watched. When he looked up, Duchess and Prince had perched themselves like little furry sentries overlooking their master. There was something deeply intelligent in their mismatched eyes.

He started right back at the night of the quadrennial conference when he had run into Liam for the first time after his family passed. That had also been the same night he met Owethu. He went to mention the drugged bread, the feelings of being followed and the attempted break in and finally the attack where Liam had used Edmund to get onto the property and drug Adrian.

Despite the drugged haze and long hours in darkness afterward, Adrian still remembered that conversation as though it had happened only yesterday.

"Money!? You think this is about money? You don't even know what your parents did for a living! You think your family got this rich publishing research articles on Wendigos and Goblins?"

"What... the fuck are you talking about?" Adrian had slurred.

"You were supposed to have died in that car crash with the rest of your family and left the estate to your staff to handle! Instead, you survived and fucked everything up,"

He closed his eyes, willing his thoughts to still. He took a long measured sip of his now cold coffee and finished telling his story with Liam's death and Edmund's arrest. The room was quiet for a short while, those inside it temporarily captured in their own thoughts or sadness. Amy sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with a white handkerchief.

'We always wondered...' Mariana said, grief exposed in her lovely features.

'I'm sorry I didn't tell you both sooner. You were so close to my parents, and you have always been kind to me, and my repayment was to lock you out,' Adrian said miserably.

'What else could you have done? You're still so young and you had just been too hurt by people you thought you knew. With the council about and the naga's mate bond on top of everything else...' The dragon's eyes flicked a distrustful look toward Owethu. 'We understand.'