No Solace (The Flames of Retribution - Book 1)

Chapter Forty-One - Bitter Tea

It wasn't satisfying, knowing Darla was dead.

I hadn't wanted her death. No. I wanted her suffering, and I wanted to watch her suffer like a worm on a hook.

Darla dead and in the ground robbed me of that pleasure, and I was a monster for weeks, snapping at Ursula, brooding at school, while going about my own investigation.

And just like always, Ursula was there to give me a punch in the gut.

Literally.

Air wooshed out of me as my solar plexus contracted with pain. I wheezed as I fell over. Ursula was small, but her fists were mighty.

"Get up, Solacet!" Ursula shouted, her voice laced with frustration. "You can't just wallow in self-pity and anger forever. Darla is dead, and we have things to do."

I groaned, clutching my stomach as I struggled to catch my breath. "Easy for you to say," I muttered, glaring up at her. "You didn't have to endure her manipulations and lies."

Ursula crossed her arms, her expression stern. "No, I didn't. But I've seen what this anger is doing to you. It's consuming you, Solace. You're starting to sound like her, to be honest – always harping!"

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and not just because of the physical pain she had just inflicted. Ursula was right. I had let my desire for revenge cloud my judgment and I was in danger of losing any of the gains I'd made.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up from the ground, determined to shake off the darkness that had consumed me. "You're right, Ursula," I admitted, my voice filled with resignation. "I can't keep dwelling on what Darla did."

Ursula's face brightened as she reached out a hand to help me up. "That's the Solace I know," she said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

However, Ursula's attitude adjustment did not last under the sweltering heat of Peony's grief when I came to see her. It was only because I came with Mercury that I was able to last without revealing to Peony that she wasn't alone in the world.

Peony continued to sob. They were loud, gut-wrenching sounds that made me wonder if my stomach would ever survive this day. Once again it was a knotted mess, and my glowering frown was prevalent enough to earn a nudge from Mercury. "Try to look less like you want to send her to her sister's side, and more like you wish to console her."

Chagrined, I bowed my head.

"I just know that you'll find something that proves that Darla wouldn't do this. I just know it. She was strict, but... she always meant it for my good. Robbing my inheritance? I won't believe it. I would have given Darla anything."

As I listened to Peony's desperate pleas, my heart ached for her. I understood her need to hold onto the belief that Darla couldn't have done such a thing. After all, it was the same struggle I had gone through when I first learned that Darla had betrayed me.

But as much as I wanted to comfort Peony, I couldn't bring myself to lie to her. I couldn't give her false hope when the evidence pointed to Darla's guilt. I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before speaking.

"Peony, I understand that this is difficult for you to accept," I began, my voice gentle but firm. "But we have to face the truth. Darla's actions were not out of love for you. She had her own motives, her own desires that led her down this path."

Peony's tear-filled eyes locked with mine, searching for any sign of doubt or hesitation. But I held her gaze, determined to be honest with her. "I know it's hard to believe, but we have evidence that points to Darla's involvement. We can't ignore it."