Played For A Fool

Secrets and Lies

"Wow," Iko said for the tenth time, her face slightly glazed over.

Kai nodded. "I know." He said. It was a crazy story, but it was the only one that made sense. All of the pieces had suddenly some together to form Cinder's past, and it made Kai sick just thinking about what she must have been going through.

Cinder had lost her family in a car 'accident'. She was an orphan with scars both visible and hidden. She had suffered more than Kai had ever known one to suffer, and yet she had never told anyone. Cinder had lived with this secret for five years, waiting for this mystery killer to come back and end her.

Kai had just relayed his entire theory on Cinder's past to Iko, and she had had a harder time taking it in then he had, though she had known Cinder longer.

"Someone hurt Cinder," Iko said, "but who is it?"

That was the one piece that didn't make any sense. The only one that Kai had not been able to figure out. It was the unsolved mystery that needed to be cleared up before they could move forward.

Suddenly, Kai wanted to rush back to The Rampion, and make sure that Cinder was okay. What if the person had found her? What if they were about to attack Cinder? What if they already had?

"Are you okay, Kai?" Iko asked, seeing the distraught look on Kai's face. Kai nodded his head, though he felt the opposite of okay. He wanted to leave, to abandon their current mission of talking to Winter, but he knew that he was just being paranoid. Cinder was a strong girl, she could protect herself.

Besides, who said the mystery murderer even found her? They could still be searching, they could be anywhere in the world. They could even be dead for all that Kai knew.

"We're here." Kai said, startling even himself as he spoke. They were in front of a small house, though it reminisced of a cottage in the woods. Its light blue paint was nearly covered in ivy, and flowers grew in abundance from flower boxes and pots. There were glass gnomes scattered throughout the dandelions and soft grass on either side of the cobblestone path.

The house looked as though it were from a fairytale. It seemed more of a home rather than a house, a sanctuary from all the crap the world had to offer. It was peaceful, and Kai almost wanted to stay in this place forever, surrounded by flowers and butterflies and promises of safety and happiness.

They sat there for a few moments, simply drinking in the beauty of the cottage, before Iko spoke up. "Are we gonna sit here all day, or talk to Cinder's cousin?" Iko asked, though it was more of a command for Kai to get moving.

"Yeah, I just- I'm gonna call Cinder first and make sure she's okay." Kai said rather sheepishly, earning an eyeroll from Iko, though she nodded her head and turned away.

Kai pulled out his phone and tapped on the only icon under priority contacts. Cinder's number lit up the screen as he called her, and he listened to six rings, before his call went to an automated voicemail.

A frown pulled at Kai's features, and he dialed again, though to no avail. Worry clouded Kai's thoughts, and he almost started the car again to drive to The Rampion, but then looked at Iko and withered. She was glaring at him as though he were an idiot, and maybe he was.

"I get that you're a lovestruck fool," Iko glared, "but Cinder's going to be fine. She's the toughest person I know. Let it go, Kai."

Slightly ashamed, Kai slunk down, but still did not get out of the car.

Iko softened, "I'm worried about her too, but we need to talk to Winter. We absolutely have to know who's trying to hurt Cinder if we want to solve the problem."