Deadly

Chapter 10

The morning was all a blurr. Dallas came to wake me and Felicity who'd stayed the night. The servants brought our bags to the vehicle while we ate breakfast with the others. Then Felicity hugged our family when it came time to say goodbye.

" It'll be great, Felicity." Percy said proudly as he hugged her goodbye. " You'll get to see new things and meet new people."

" I'll be back in a week, Percy." She said, laughing at her brother.

" I know, but I'm excited for you to get a taste of the world." He said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. " No matter how small."

Pamula stole Felicity from him, pulling her into a motherly embrace, her expression nothing short of love and adoration. " My baby, you grew up so fast."

" I know, mother." She said smiling cheekily. Something twisted in my stomach, reminding me of the yearning I felt for my mother to treat me like that. Even after everything she did to me and my father, would it kill her to look at me like that, just once?

" You'll love the palace, darling." Pamula said as she pulled away from the embrace. " Be sure to tell me all about it when you get back."

" Take care, baby girl." My mother said tenderly, pulling her into a gentle hug. I had to divert my gaze. Under no circumstance did I want to see this.

" Thank you, I promise to be careful." Felicity said.

" Err.. See you sis'. Luca said awkwardly, giving her a one arm hug when she pulled him close.

" Katherine," My mother said. For a second I felt the weight over my heart lifted, but I knew better.
" Don't cause any trouble. I've given Dallas permission to use whatever punishment he sees fit if you disobey Benjamin's rules."

" Of course," I said bitterly, my eyes turning cold and dark. I sneered at her before adding sourly, " Mother."

An uncomfortable silence settled around the room. Dallas and Bennett stood on either side of me, both waiting, expectanting someone to come forward. Finding a cure to cancer was more likely than my family hugging me goodbye. Felicity has always been the only one to wish me well.

" See you when you get back, Katherine." Percy said shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

Felicity stood between me and our family, her expression a mixture of confliction and disappointment. " Joselynn.. Aren't you going to hug your daughter goodbye?"

My mother wrinkled her nose, giving Felicity a perplexed look.
" Why would I do that?"

" Don't bother, Felicity." I said, turning my back on all of them to leave this hell. " I don't expect any of them to care."

" Katherine wait!" Felicity yelled out.

" Goodbye Percy," I said to the only one who'd bothered to acknowledge my departure.

The cold autumn breeze nipped at my face as I stood beside the mini van we'd be leaving in. With my back to the palace, I turned my gaze to the changing leaves. Yellow, orange and red danced in the wind, adding color to the pale blue sky. When I took a deep breath, I could almost imagine being somewhere else, somewhere far from here, alone and at peace.

" I'm so sorry, Katherine." Felicity said rushing to my side, Benjamin, Bennett and Dallas followed behind her. " If you'd stayed longer I'm sure they would have-"

I closed my eyes, imagining the warm, protective arms of someone who once held me. Someone I would have given the world to if he'd just loved me back.

" There's no point, you can't force them to care." I said opening the back door of the dark green mini van. Dallas climbed in after me, leaving the front seats for Bennett and Felicity. I stared out the window, ignoring Felicity's troubled glances and Benjamin's exploiting gray eyes.