Reborn Deceit

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Rose

"Rose."

Damians voice drifted into Roses mind, his deep tone shaking her into the beginnings of consciousness. She tried to open her eyes, but they refused to budge. The whole scene was oddly similar to when she passed out after the encounter with the wolf thing, right before she figured out the truth about what she was.

"Rose, baby, wake up."

Either she was going crazy, or Damian was literally in her brain right now.

Just like the last time this happened, Rose worked hard to try and hang on to his words and let them drag her above the waters of unconsciousness. But every time she thought she had a good hold, she would slip and the waves would take her back down.

"Come on, Rose."

Rose tried with all her might to force herself to wake up, or whatever the hell she was supposed to do at this moment. But right when she thought she had a good grip—

Roses eyes flickered open, and she took an involuntary small gasp. For a few seconds, confusion clouded her thoughts. Glancing around, she didn't recognize the room she was in. The large four-poster bed with its cornflower blue bed spread and assortment of pillows was new to her, as was the stone fireplace on the right wall.

And then it all came back to her.

Rose felt a panic attack coming on as the images from last night began parading through her brain. Corinna, the things she told her, the things she showed her. Was it possible that what Corinna said was the truth?

Rose shook herself from the thoughts, trying hard to ignore the swells of panic that were rising in her. That was when she realized that Damian wasn't in the room. But he had just been here calling to her...hadn't he?

Rose lifted the covers off of her and slipped out of the large bed, only to find that someone had taken the gown from last night off of her and had replaced it with a silky night gown. Had it been Damian? Rose ignored the thoughts, and slipped on a robe that was hanging on a hook near the large wooden dresser. She couldn't worry about who might have seen her in just her underwear. Right now she needed to find her so called friends and demand answers from them.

After sliding her feet into a pair of slippers, Rose was walking out of the room when she realized she had absolutely no idea where she was going. But the hallway was eerily dark, except for a few scattered lights down the length of the corridor, signaling that it was clearly very early in the morning, so Rose decided to just walk until she found people.

Rose had just rounded corner number eight, and was headed down yet another long hallway with thoughts of giving up, when she caught sight of an open room door with light spilling out of it. It was the first lit up room she had come across.

Tiptoeing closer to the room, Rose heard no noise from inside. She was sure there was no one inside, but she decided to take a peak anyway. As quietly as she could manage, Rose poked her head around the doorway, and the sight she came across chilled her to the bone.

The room looked to be a study. Two of the walls were floor to ceiling bookshelves, and Rose realized the light that she had seen was coming from the giant fireplace that sat on the wall opposite the door. A fire had been lit, and it was roaring with life. In front of the fire stood Caius, one arm resting on the mantel while the other gripped a glass with a dark amber liquid filled to the brim. Felix sat in an armchair behind Caius, his hand wrapped around a drink that matched Caius's. Aiden was nowhere in sight.

A sniffle dragged Roses attention away from the two boys and over to where Mira sat on one of the two couches, a crumpled tissue gripped in her hand. Completely opposite her sat Damian. The sight of him made Roses heart clench. He looked absolutely defeated. His elbows were resting on his knees, his head hung low in his hands.