Trust From Within - Book 3 Daughter of a Monster Series

Chapter 18- Scared to Sleep?

"I thought he was immortal?"

"Technically, only Steve is, the other two are Eternals," I answer easily as I stare intently at my fingernails.

"Doesn't mean it's easy to kill them," Cole adds, his body leaning against the wall, golden eyes looking straight at Cameron.

"I'm sorry, for what I said. I didn't realise..."

"It's fine," I snap, Cole walks over, squeezing my shoulder as I hang my head, catching it with my hands.

"So, Notch is gone too?"

"Yeah, he is," Liam replies from the chair beside me.

"I'm sorry, mate," he tells Cole who nods in response, a sadness echoing from him.

"What happened to your arm?" Cole asks as a change of subject and I look up in curiousity.

"Oh- it uhm... it's-" he sighs in resignation. "I'll just show you."

For the first time since I've met him, he takes his left arm out of his pocket, but his sleeve looks empty as he grabs the end of it with his right hand. "When I woke up, I was in the middle of a house fire. It was bad, but I was lying on my side, probably is what saved my life. The supporting beams were falling down, and I found Mum and Dad's bodies." He looks specifically at Liam who lets out a small, sad whine.

"All I remember was the pain all along the left side of my body, and more specifically, on my arm." He peels back his sleeve, but as he pulls it back, there's no hand, no arm, just air, until it ends at a scarred stump, just under his shoulder. "I was just able to get out of there, went straight into the centre of town, asking for the doctor, telling them our house was on fire. I passed out in the middle of the street.

"When I woke up, I was in the doctor's office, my whole left side was wrapped up, the doctor told me he would have to amputate my arm, but he couldn't do it without my consent. It was life threatening, but not immediately, hence why he had to wait for my signature. All nerves in it were fried, the flesh was burnt to the bone on my hand. I signed off, and the next thing I remember is waking without an arm."

"That's horrible," I breathe out, subconsciously taking Dad's hand in mine, playing with his limp fingers.

"It could've been a lot worse," he answers as he nods toward Dad.

"I guess."

Liam already took him for a walk around, Gaby needs to meet him, but Steve is with her at the moment, the two of them have grown surprisingly close, he's now training her in archery so she can really refine her skills.

"I need to get a room sorted for you," I think out loud, and start to get to my feet, but Cole gently pushes me back onto the seat, his eyes burning through mine.

"No, you can stay here, or go to sleep, you look absolutely wrecked," he tells me. "I can get a room sorted."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Of course. Cameron, follow me, I can get you a room," Cole says, waving him on as he walks out the door. Liam slings an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

"Cole's right, you need rest, desperately," he gently says.

"I don't want to leave him here."

"He'll be fine, I'm still here, I won't leave him alone. Steve will be here soon anyway. He's bringing Gaby back soon."

"I can't sleep, Liam," I admit. "Everytime I close my eyes, I see you, or Dad, or Tristan, or the Dragon, and I can't sleep properly."

"I know, I know you can't, but you can't stay up the whole time. It's not healthy, even you need sleep."