Every Breath She Takes [CURRENTLY ON HOLD]

Chapter 27: Changes

The poor thing hung her head, and I saw how frightened she was. Taking pity on her, I put my arm around her shoulders.

“Come on, sweetheart. We’ll leave your mother to rest here.”

She tore away. “No! She’ll get hurt again!” She was trembling, and I crouched in front of her, meeting her tear filled eyes.

“No she won’t,” I said softly. “No one will hurt her. I promise.” I took one of her hands in my own, noticing how much she was shaking. “No one gets hurt here.”

“Are you sure?” she asked plaintively, sniffing as she tried to hide her tears. I smiled, and wiped them away for her.

“Yes,” I assured her. “You can ask Cam, if you want.”

I looked at my eldest, who nodded eagerly.

“Mum’s right,” he said. “This is a house of laughter.”

I smiled at that, and stood, holding out my hand in invitation. “Come on, sweetheart. Let your mother rest. She needs it.”

Caliana hesitated, and then took a look back at Duchess. The woman’s eyes were opened again, and I watched as she gave a brief nod, having clearly heard our conversation. The girl took my hand then, and let herself be led out of the room. I closed the door gently, knowing that she would notice that I left it unlocked.

“Come on. Are you hungry?”

Her eyes lit up, but she quickly concealed it, staying silent. I smiled gently, and led her towards the kitchen, Cam trailing behind us.

“Cam?”

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you get something for us to eat?”

He nodded, and leapt forward, as I knew he would. He was always hungry. I pointed to one of the kitchen chairs, and Caliana slid into it obediently.

“Is there anything in particular you want?” Cam asked, glancing back at her. She stared at him, and then shook her head worriedly.

“No,” she whispered. I sat down opposite her, waiting until Cam had served her some scrambled eggs before I spoke.

“Can you tell us what happened, sweetheart?” I asked kindly. She hesitated, her mouth full, and her eyes wide. “When you’re finished,” I added. “There’s no rush.”

She nodded, swallowing her mouthful. She ate in silence, and I leant back, closing my eyes. I sensed Cam come around, then he began to massage my shoulders, gently, releasing the tension in me. I gave a small sigh, relaxing.

“Thank you,” I said softly, not wanting to disturb Caliana. She finished quickly, and pushed the plate away.

“Thank you,” she whispered, looking at us timidly. I could see, however, that the fear in her eyes was lessening.

“You’re welcome,” I replied.

She looked down nervously, and I could see that she was fiddling with her shirt. I let a silence fill the kitchen, waiting patiently for her to speak. Finally, she lifted her head, her blue eyes meeting mine hesitantly.

“He hurt her,” she whispered. “And he tried to hurt me.”

Cam’s hands tightened on my shoulders, and I put a hand over one of his. “Hush, Cam,” I murmured. I could feel him shaking with anger. “When?” I asked the girl, making sure to keep my voice gentle.

She took a deep breath, and shook her head. “I don’t know,” she replied quietly, her eyes not leaving mine. “Mum managed to get us out – I don’t know how. She said he’d find us. He’d hurt us.” Her eyes filled with terror. “Please…”

“You’re safe here,” I assured her, rising out of my chair. “Come, sweetheart. I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

Both of them followed me back down the hallway to our spare room. Inside, there were two small beds, old ones of the twins. I was thankful now that they hadn’t been thrown out.

“Here, Caliana. When your Mum’s better, she can stay with you. Is that alright?”

Her eyes wide in her pale and too-thin face, she took in the room. “Yes,” she whispered, almost in awe. “It’s huge.”

I bit my lip. The room wasn’t – it was the smallest of the house, used more as a storage room than a bedroom.