𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 | ✔

SIXTEEN

The room turns silent at my morbid comment, but it was true. What sort of life is this? Being unhappy and everyone hates you because you're nasty and malicious for no reason.

"Cleo," my father whispers out. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, I was afraid. I know how powerful Pandora's spells are, what they can do to people. Turning loved ones against you, it was a cowardly thing of me to do and I'm sorry."

My arms fold over my chest. "These guys might hate me," I motion to Kassian, Nella and Mace behind me. "But they still took me in and never gave up on me. No matter how much of an ass I really was, they don't even know me. You're my father. What does that say about you?"

"Selfish," Nella whispers to Mace so quietly that only we could hear it.

I wanted to smile at her comment because I knew that she understood me but now was not the time to drop my shield.

His dark eyes close for a moment, his shoulders sinking forward in nothing other than guilt. As he should. You don't give up on your flesh and blood.

Ludo clears his throat and we turn our attention towards him. "Diamond is in her study," he says, trying to change the subject. "Shall we go and see what she has to say about your mother?"

I nod and remove myself from the room before anyone else has the chance, I didn't even want to stand here and look at my father for a second more. Nella runs up behind me and dips her head closer to mine.

"You handled that well," she whispers towards me.

"I know," I say confidently, my eyes look towards her.

Ludo guides us further into the castle before knocking on a door, hearing Diamond's voice from behind the wood. When we enter the place was like a magical shrine, plants of all sizes and dream catchers spread across the room. Light classical music playing in the background, an incense burner at the edge of the window.

Diamond's pale blue eyes find mine and she instantly jumps up at the sight of me. "Cleo!" She says in disbelief as she pushes her chair out of the way and holds her hands onto my shoulders. "Oh my dear, how are you?"

"I'm alright," I nod back at her. "It's good to see you Diamond."

"Likewise," she grins back at me as she pulls back her hands, bangles upon bangles sitting on her wrists. A line of multicoloured rings on her fingers and long pendant necklaces around her slim neck.

"I heard what Pandora did," her pink painted lips frown towards me.

"That's why I'm here," I tell her strongly. "We want to take her down, she doesn't deserve to be living if all she causes is misery."

Diamond looks back at me and nods. "Okay," she says eventually.

"I don't know what you know but we need help in getting to her, her weaknesses. Something that will give us a one up on her," I explain. "I don't want anyone dying for me, so I need to know what we can do that will take her out without it being that much of a bloodbath."

Her mouth scrunches up to one side. "Well let's go find somewhere to sit down so we can discuss this." She nods towards me before pushing her way past Ludo and sliding her arm past his torso and walking us out of her study.

We settle down at a large oak table in an empty room, Nella pulls up a chair beside me and Diamond and Ludo sit opposite us. Kassian and Mace perch around us as they wait patiently for Diamond to speak.

"If there's one thing that I remember about your mother, it's her passion of hatred," Diamond explains. "And I know it's not news to you Cleo, but she has despised you since you were little."