The Memory Thief | ONC2020 [AMBASSADOR PICK]

Chapter 14

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Pain drowned out the world, leaving her a hollow shell. Tears wouldn't stop coming, flooding like miniature waterfalls. She hid her face in his shoulder, leaning into his warm embrace, but the icy touch of loss didn't leave her heart.

"I'm so sorry," Nyron repeated.

She didn't have the strength to answer. It wasn't his fault, of course. Her mum wanted to get rid of that memory and she wouldn't have taken no for an answer, no matter what they'd said.

Still. Her mum was the only family she had left. And now she was gone.

In some strange, twisted way, Liliya also felt a certain relief. Her mother had been in so much pain for so long. She deserved some peace, some serenity. She was in a better place now. Somewhere she'd never have to feel pain again.

Perhaps she was reunited with her husband and daughter.

Liliya wasn't sure how much time had passed when she finally looked up. Nyron's face was pale and his eyes red. He looked at her like a scared little boy, as if she could start shouting at him any second.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered again.

"Stop saying that," Liliya muttered. "Mum made this decision herself."

Nyron nodded, but his head hung in shame.

With a movement so sudden it even startled herself, Liliya jumped up. "I, uh... I need to get things sorted. Arrange the funeral." Her head buzzed. Crying was useless. The need to act overcame her. Her hands itched to do something. "And you need to get somewhere safe. Shit," she added, eyes widening. "I need to get those marks off her, or they'll know what happened here."

"What can I do to help?"

"Find somewhere safe," she answered as she went to the kitchen to get a washcloth.

"I'm not leaving you now," said Nyron indignantly, following after her like a puppy.

"Nyron, I can't worry about you getting caught right now!" She took a shuddering breath as she turned around to face him. "I can't lose you too."

He hesitated.

"Look, I can't help you think of a plan in this state. You focus on that, I'll focus on my mother."

"Alright," said Nyron. "I'll... I'll go make us some tea then."

With a nod, she entered her mother's room and set to work.

Her head pounded from all the crying she'd done when she came back out an hour later. Nyron caught her as she fell onto the sofa.

"It'll be okay," he whispered. "You'll be alright."

"Do you know what you're going to do yet?" she muttered, clinging onto his shirt.

"I have a plan," he said. "But for now, I'm staying right here with you."

"Good," she whispered, closing her eyes.

For a few long moments, she just lay there against him. Her eyes fluttered shut as she enjoyed the feeling of him rubbing his hand over her arm.

A sudden noise startled her back into consciousness. "What was that?" she muttered sleepily.

"The door," said Nyron, voice tight. "Were you expecting anyone?"

She sat up, staring at the door. "No."

The shrill shriek of the doorbell filled the room again, making Liliya flinch.

"Lil! Are you in? Open up!"

Her eyes widened and she gasped. "It's Kit! You've got to get out of here, now!"

Nyron jumped up off the sofa just as the doorbell rang once more. "Liliya! Can you hear me? I'm coming in!"

"You had a plan, right? Go!" Liliya squealed.

He jumped over the back of the sofa towards her bedroom. "Meet me at midnight. Behind the library."

Her bedroom door slammed shut just as the front door swung open. Liliya swallowed, flicking her gaze from where Nyron had disappeared to Kit. She could only assume that he'd climb out the window.

Kit dropped her keys as she entered the apartment, both hands on the gun in her holster and her eyes scanning the room. "Are you alright? What happened here?"

Liliya took a deep breath. "Why are you barging in here like that?" she shouted, doing her best to sound angry while fear was much more prominent on her mind.

"I rang you about fifty times!" Kit shot back. "Why didn't you pick up?"

Liliya glanced at the phone that lay forgotten on the edge of the sofa. Now that she thought about it, she had heard it vibrate a few times. It just wasn't important, what with...

Fresh tears filled her eyes and it didn't take long for them to spill over.

"What happened?" said Kit, still checking the room and getting dangerously close to the bedroom. "Is it him?"

"No!" said Liliya. "It's my mum! She... She's gone, Kit!"

Kit froze as Liliya sank back onto the sofa and sobbed into her hands.

"Oh, no," Kit whispered. "Oh, Lil, I'm so sorry." She grabbed the radio from her waist as she made her way over to her best friend. "All clear. Wait by the car. Over," she told her colleagues.

She put her arms around Liliya, rubbing her back. "What happened?"

"You should've seen her last night," said Liliya between sobs. "She was so weak. I guess throughout the night she just... Gave up. She's gone, Kit."

Another lie... When will this end?

Suddenly the radio on Kit's waist crackled to life. "We got him. We captured Nyron Ombra. Over."

Liliya's heart squeezed. She tried to breath, but her longs wouldn't cooperate. They captured him? She'd lost him too?

Kit's eyes widened and she stared at Liliya. "Did you know he was here?"

"What? No, of course not!" she shot back, but she wasn't sure how convincing it sounded through a voice thick with grief. She wasn't sure how much Kit could read in the teared-up haze of her eyes.

"Wait here," Kit said, before exiting the living room to help her colleagues.

Liliya was left behind on the sofa. She buried her face in her hands as the severity of what happened overwhelmed her. She'd already lost her mum. Would she lose Nyron too? Would they charge her with obstruction of justice, send her to jail before she'd even got the chance to arrange her mother's funeral?

Oh mum... I wish none of this had ever happened... I miss you already.