Drowning with Fire #3 ✔

Chapter 20 - Theo

In spite of the supernatural world tearing my family apart, it somehow reunited us too. In body, like with Dad and Thea; in spirit with Mom.

Speaking of moms, it wasn't long until we got to Esther Milburn's. Anticipation surfaced within me again, as if induced by the uniform red bricks on the house.

What if Esther didn't know anything about Alistair? What do we do then?

<Then we figure it out by ourselves. We're actually pretty good at that.> Thea prompted, having picked up on my unspoken dreads. <We kinda took down a whole army of hunters back in Montana, remember?>

<But there were more of us.> I looked over at her as Wednesday knocked on Esther's burgundy red front door. <And things were simpler then.>

<You're right.> She admitted with a slight sigh.

When Esther Milburn eventually opened the door, her face was drawn in and grey with worry. She scanned all of our faces in nervous apprehension, her eyes landing on an empty space next to me.

Ember.

"She comes back tonight," I reminded her, ensuring my voice was steady and didn't crack with all the emotions running through me.

"You better come in." Smoothing her somewhat frizzy blonde hair away from her face (just like Ember does when she's stressed), she let us in.

I wanted Wednesday and Al to do all the talking. After all, it was Wednesday's dad who we came here to ask about. But mostly I couldn't shake the guilt-ridden feeling that Esther blamed me for Ember's death.

Yet, at the same time, she could've just been naturally grieving her daughter. Ember, who was supernatural and who'd died from supernatural causes and who was going to be supernaturally reborn... Then I remembered that Esther might not have known that Ember had died once before; though would that provide her with comfort or further dread?

Fuck. I wish Ember was here.

While clutching the mug of coffee Esther had forced into her hands, Wednesday asked with her eyes wide, "Do you know where my dad is?"

"I'm guessing you found the little monster he locked in his attic?" Esther checked, arching an eyebrow – to which we all nodded slowly. "You've not let her out, have you?"

"Oh my God, no – no way." All of us seemed to say at once, in some way or another.

"Did you know that Alistair cut her tongue out?" Thea rushed out, her anticipation appearing to propel her forwards before she shut her mouth. In the millisecond prior to Esther's reaction, Thea glanced across at me – eyes anxious.

I nodded slightly at her; she asked the question we would've otherwise spent ages tiptoeing around.

"He... he what?" Shrinking into herself, with her face paling even further from her natural tanned olive skin, Esther half-collapsed into a kitchen island bar-type stool behind her. Her hand clutched the cold marble.

"Alistair mutilated Victoria," I rephrased, even though some part of me insisted that Esther had heard Thea, but couldn't believe it or process it mentally.

"I didn't think he'd actually... Oh my God."

"Look, Esther..." Wednesday appeared to be forcing the words out, as she picked absentmindedly at the already-peeling silvery nail polish. "We just need to know– I need to know where my dad is. And then we'll leave."

Esther uttered, "I tried to talk him out of it... But it was like the desolation he felt over losing your mum, Wednesday – like it was overpowered by some dark and vicious anger."