The Forsaken (Book Three in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Cake Or Coffin?

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” I said, throwing my bag on the bench seat next to the door.

Michael came in seconds behind me. “Georgiana…”

“You all knew, didn’t you?”

My brother looked down at the counter top, the only one who wouldn’t look at me. My father detached from the group and approached me.

“We thought it was best, in case the Counsel didn’t allow him back into the school.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me? I thought we agreed no more secrets. Not after the last time.”

“Georgiana,” my mother said. “We didn’t want to upset you.”

“Upset me? So you lied to me? I understand why Bast did it. But you four? I’m not some fragile china doll. Stop treating me like one.”

“Then you should stop acting like one,” my father snapped at me. “The past three months you’ve been a shadow. You flinch every time someone says his name and you refuse to talk about it. How did you expect us to treat you?”

I couldn’t believe he just said that. His words hurt and tears sprang to my eyes. He faltered when he saw them. “Kitten, I’m sorry…I…”

I marched off to my room and slammed the door. I just stood there for a moment, trying to make the pain his words caused to go away. When it was gone, all of it, I took off my jacket and my other winter gear. I really wanted a shower. I went into my bathroom and looked around for a bag. I found one but I had no way of tying it down. Cling wrap. The thought popped in my head like one of those mole games at the arcades. But that would mean I’d have to leave my room. It couldn’t be avoided. I opened my room and marched out. Apparently my family, all but my brother, had relocated to my father’s office. My brother was in his room, door cracked. I grabbed the cling wrap from the kitchen. I paused at my brother’s room and decided to go in. I knocked first of course.

“Yeah.”

I opened the door with the cling wrap. My brother was sitting at his desk, fiddling with a pen.

“Hey little brother,” I said quietly.

“Hey.” He turned to look at me.

“Can we talk?”

“Sure. Close the door.”

I came in and closed the door. I sunk down on his bed. “Are you ok?”

“Not really.”

“What’s wrong? You and Sophie…?”

“Everything’s fine. She’ll be by later.”

“Then…what’s wrong? Last night at the infirmary…”

“They called me in. To testify.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not easy being the little brother, your little brother to be specific. I get to watch you go through everything and most of the time I can’t really do anything about it. I’m the moral support. I ran while you got beaten to a pulp and kidnapped. Then I had to sit around here and listen to Mom cry and blame herself because she sent us out there. After the second day…no one expected you to come back alive. Dad was locked away in his office, drinking. Mom was locked in their room, crying. I didn’t know what to do. You’re my big sister, Gee. I’m not supposed to bury you.”

My eyes filled with tears and I reached out and took his hand.

“I’m sorry, Bast. Sometimes even I forget you’re the one who has to deal with…the aftermath.”