The Last Theiro

24

Cassia
•••

I knocked quietly first and then waited. Nobody answered so I knocked louder and faster.

"Peter, I know you're in there."

The door swung open, revealing a tall man with dark brown eyes and brown hair. Peter frowned but stepped to the side and motioned for me to come in.

He shut the door behind me as I went inside and stared at me expectantly.

"I need your help, Peter," I said desperately.

His mouth remained in a frown and I continued.

"I...I can't find Tessa and Eden." I buried my face in my hands and my body shook from my uncontrollable sobs.

Hands slowly peeled my own away from my face and Peter peered at me with a deep scowl on his face.

"What do you mean you can't find them?"

I shook my head as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Cassia, tell me what happened," Peter demanded.

"You were right." I wiped the tears away and took deep steady breaths. "I think Tessa found out about the truth. And then...then she tried to kill me."

I waited for Peter's surprised reaction but he just stared at me. "I warned you, Cassia."

"I know, Peter. I know. And I messed up."

He stared at me and then pulled me into a hug. I awkwardly hugged him back and cried into his shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" My voice cracked.

Peter pulled back and studied my face. His thumb lightly grazed my cheek and he rubbed my tears away. "We'll go to the cabin first."

"I already went there."

"We'll go there again to make sure."

The walk to the cabin was silent and when I glanced over at Peter, his eyes were narrowed and his mouth was set in a straight line. I knew he was still upset with me for not listening to him but he was the only person I could go for help. He was the only person who knew everything and I trusted him.

When I woke up in Eden's house and he wasn't there, I had thought he went to the cabin to talk to Tessa. But I was proved wrong when I found the cabin empty. Tessa's bow was lying on the counter and immediately I knew something was wrong. She never went anywhere without her father's bow.

"Did you end up telling her the truth?"

Peter pulled me away from my thoughts and I shook my head.

He halted his steps. "Why wouldn't you tell her?"

I shrugged. I really didn't want to have this conversation now.

Peter frowned at me. "It's not fair what you did to her."

"Don't you think I know that?!" I spat hotly.

He looked a little taken back but that didn't stop me from pouring my rage onto him.

"I know what I did! I know it wasn't right! I know it was selfish! But what other choice did I have?"

"You didn't want to tell her because you didn't want to face the truth yourself." He crossed his arms.

I ignored the fact that he was right. "What about you?!"

"What about me?" He scoffed.

"I'm not the only one running away from my demons. You have yet to face yours!"