Book 2 of the 𝕱𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖈𝖑𝖚𝖇 series
{Duology}
𖤓
𝕾𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖇𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘.
𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖞 𝖇𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚.
𖤓
𝕬𝖈𝖈𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖆 𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖎 got tricked once, but she vowed never to be fooled...
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I closed the door behind me as quietly as I could, my hand lingering on the cool brass knob, listening to the soft breathing from the other side. my little girl was sound asleep, curled up in her favorite position, one hand clutching her stuffed bear, her hair spilling over the pillow like dark silk. I watched her for a moment through the small crack in the door, the faint glow of the nightlight casting gentle shadows across her peaceful face. My heart ached, knowing what I was about to do. It wasn't something I wanted her to see—not yet, at least. But I couldn't wait any longer.
Time was slipping away from me, faster than I'd anticipated. There were too many moving parts now, too many forces circling around us, and if anything happened to me... no, I couldn't think like that. Not tonight. But I had to be prepared, had to leave her with something more than just unanswered questions and vague memories. She deserved the truth, as much of it as I could give her.
I let the door ease shut, not daring to make even the slightest noise that might disturb her sleep. The house felt quiet—too quiet, almost, in a way that was unnerving for someone like me, someone who had lived her life in the shadows, always alert, always ready for the next strike. But tonight, there was nothing. Only silence, and the weight of what I was about to do.
I paced the bathroom on bare feet anxiously nervous. Maybe it was because I knew, deep down, that this wasn't a place meant for peace. This house, this life—it was all a stage, a temporary respite in the never-ending theater of violence and power plays that ruled my world. I was Indigo, after all. Maeve was just the everyday mask I wore for Lia's sake. For Kieran's sake. For the normal world's sake.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror for a long moment. The woman staring back at me was tired, more so than I wanted to admit. The dark circles under my eyes had deepened over the past few weeks, and my skin looked pale, almost washed out under the dim bathroom light. It was the face of someone who had lived too many lives, seen too much and was still carrying the weight of it all.
With a small sigh, I reached for the cabinet above the sink. The mirror slid open with a familiar, satisfying sound, revealing the hidden compartment behind it. Inside, tucked away beneath a false bottom, was the hummingbird drive. It was small, no bigger than a flash drive with a hummingbird branded on the metal part of the casing. I'd had it designed specifically for this purpose—something inconspicuous, easy to hide, but capable of holding the entire weight of my past.
My fingers hesitated over the small drive for a moment before I finally pulled it free. It felt cold in my hand, but I knew the power it held. So much of my life was in this tiny thing, every decision I had ever made, every person I had ever saved, every soul I had ever taken. And now it would belong to Lia, whether I wanted it to or not.
I plugged the drive into the slot behind the mirror, watching as the green light blinked on, signaling that it was ready to record. The small camera embedded in the frame of the corner of the mirror came to life, its tiny lens reflecting back at me. I could see my own eyes staring back through the screen, weary but determined.
