Dark Faïz (Book 2) [Completed]

Chapters 2-3

Loud voices from below woke me up. My face sweating, unable to get this dream out of my head, I took several minutes to understand that the morning was already there. Should I tell the group, or just William? He might take me for a fool and surely blame my terrible vision on the aftermath of the funeral. In my bed, I always fixed on the ceiling, at the level of the moldings, which formed in the center a rosette. Victoria, I said in a whisper before I decided to get up, my heart still not healed.

Lily's threatening finger was pointing towards Ray when I appeared in the living room. Not knowing what was going on, I preferred to stay at the entrance to analyze and understand the situation.

"You weren't allowed!" Lily said, her jaw clenched, her face distorted with anger.

"I will never regret what we did," Ray replied as calmly as possible.

Sitting next to Charles, William seemed to be watching the scene, but on closer inspection, his gaze was blank, expressionless. He was shot. It wasn't hard to guess that he hadn't slept in days. Faïz must have been in the same state. At that thought, I missed a breath and the pain in my chest returned as violently as a boomerang.

"That's not justice, Ray...son."

Lily was begging him. She put a delicate hand on his chest. Ray seemed immediately affected by this gesture and his shell cracked.

"Ogres is dead. No court on Earth could have done justice to Victoria. He will be judged, Lily, like all of us here. This is the most important thing."

I understood why Ray, William, and Faïz were absent at the funeral. This revelation froze my blood. I then felt William's eyes fall on me, but it was impossible for me to look at him, disillusioned by what they had done.

"Zoe?" asked Charles, surprised to see me. "Come and have something to eat before you go."

He tried to use a tone as detached as possible.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry. Where should we go?" I managed to ask, despite a growing lump in the throat.

Lily came near me while William got up to meet me.

"Faïz is waiting for you," said Lily, full of resentment against her son. "You all seem to have to talk to each other."

"David, Asarys, and Alexia will join us," added William.

"All right," I agreed. "I'll get my jacket from my room."

"We'll be waiting for you in the car," Ray said, walking past me to reach the front door.