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IT WAS HOURS LATER when Ciara finally gathered herself and walked back to the house.
She didn’t know if anyone would be there. Most had probably gone home or were still at the hospital, waiting to hear about their friends and family.
Ciara hoped they were all just injured. She didn’t want to think about the worst scenario. They had already lost more than enough.
She hadn’t known Eric and Hannah well, but she had met them before. They had been good people who hadn’t deserved to die. They had once had lives—careers, family, and friends.
Even though Ciara could handle Eric’s and Hannah’s deaths, she wasn’t sure what she would do if she lost someone she had known for years. Like Jenna. Or Ray.
She felt sick, thinking about Bill. She hadn’t known him for long, but they had become fast friends. But it wasn’t just that. Bill was different than her past colleagues, because he was also in her team. She felt responsible for his fate.
When Ciara finally made it back to the house, she saw the front door had been left open. Even if no one was home, Ciara could just walk in.
She rushed inside and listened. The house was silent. There wasn’t even odd creaking coming from upstairs.
Ciara’s anxiety kicked in. She had no idea what was going on. The thought of someone having attacked the house crossed her mind, and it made her sick.
Even the thought of blood made her want to vomit.
A thud echoed through the house. It came from upstairs, so Ciara tiptoed there. She didn’t want to make any noise, so she couldn’t run up the creaky steps.
As Ciara got closer, she heard more sounds. All coming from Liam’s room.
Ciara wasn’t ready to face him. She would rather have faced a witch hunter. Please, be a witch hunter.
She was disappointed when she opened the door.
Her eyes scanned the room. It didn’t look like the same room she had been in only a few hours before. Clothing and other items had been thrown around. There was even paper shredded on the floor.
It was a mess.
“Ciara.”
She turned to face Liam hesitantly.
How could he have kept it all a secret? How could he have lied to her through everything? There had been so many chances to tell her. They had talked about Theo. Yet he had never told her the truth.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his shoulders were slumped forward. His hair was all over the place—he tended to pull at it when he was worried or anxious.
He looked nothing like the usual charming Liam.
Or perhaps Ciara couldn’t see him that way anymore. After the numerous lies. She had trusted him blindly, and she knew not to do it again.
“I thought you—”
“What’s going on at the hospital?” That was all Ciara wanted to hear from him. She didn’t want his pity or his excuses, and she didn’t want to hear more lies.
“Jenna’s stable. According to the doctors and healers, she’ll be fine.”
It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off Ciara’s shoulders. The relief was so overwhelming her knees nearly gave in beneath her.
Liam cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice from breaking. “Iris keeps slipping into unconsciousness.”
Ciara hated the jealousy gnawing at her heart. She wanted nothing to do with Liam after what he had done.
“Bill...they don’t know.”
Just like that, the weight of the world came crashing back down onto her. She felt nauseous again, but there was nothing left for her to throw up.
“And Dad...” If he hadn’t done what he had, the heartbreak in his voice would have been enough for her to rush to his arms. “It’s bad.” All colour drained from his face, and he stared into nothingness.
An invisible hand wrapped around Ciara’s throat, strangling her. She felt as if she was running out of air.
“Ciara—”
“Don’t!” she snapped, raising her hand, when Liam tried to step closer. “Don’t.”
“Your bag and your—”
“They’re at home,” Ciara said, staring at Liam blankly.
Why did he have to be the one to do it? Why did he have to break her heart again?
“You know it’s not safe to—”
“I don’t care.” Ciara shook her head. “Anywhere is better than here.” With you.
“Ciara—”
“No.”
“I’d feel much better if you stayed. Just for tonight,” Liam pleaded desperately. He no longer had the right to hug her, and he seemed to realise that. He had to keep his hands clenched at his sides to keep himself from clinging onto her.
“No.”
“Ciara—”
“No!” she exclaimed sharply. Then she could no longer keep the tears at bay. She was so overwhelmed by everything.
Liam went silent, having no idea how he could make things right.
“You had no right.” Ciara shook her head, shuddering. “No right to keep that from me.” She tried to blink her tears away, but it was no use.
“I know. I—”
“Then why did you?” Ciara screamed at him.
“I didn’t want you to be hurt.”
“Does it look like you succeeded?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you!” He looked at her with desperation. She was slipping through his fingers like sand.
“How could you think it wouldn’t hurt me?” Ciara yelled, her voice cracking. “You told everyone. Everyone but me. They all knew!” The tears made Liam just a blurry spot in her vision. Her entire body was shaking, and she had to grip onto the doorframe to stay on her feet.
“You didn’t deserve what he did to you!” Liam yelled at Ciara.
“You were just prolonging the wait,” Ciara spat at Liam. “I don’t even know what for!” She had had enough of him. “For your own fun?”
“Don’t be stupid! You know it’s not like that!”
“I’m done,” Ciara said, her eyes turning cold. “At least Theo had the decency to apologise.”
“You’re kidding me.” Liam was fuming, having been compared to a serial killer.
“It would have been best if we had never started this. I wish we hadn’t,” Ciara said coolly and turned around. It was her time to leave.
“I can’t believe you would think to leave me like this.”
Liam’s voice held so many emotions Ciara couldn’t make out all of them. Sorrow, anger, and more.
“My father might die any minute. Just like Iris...or Bill. And all you can think about is yourself!”
“And maybe none of that would have happened if you hadn’t been lying to me all this time!” Ciara retorted and then snapped her fingers.
The doorframe morphed into air, and the block of flats she lived in came into view. She ran up the stairs, tears blurring her eyes. Unlocking her flat door with a spell—and with the last of her energy—she rushed in, ready to fall onto her own sofa.
Finally, she was alone.
She didn’t make it to her sofa—barely even made it to her living room—and instead let herself fall onto her knees, exhaustion hitting her like a brick wall. She closed her eyes to keep new tears from forming.
It was the worst day of her life, and it couldn’t get any worse.
Or so she thought.
Her eyes snapped open when something sharp and cold was pressed against her neck. “Get up.” Male voice. Familiar.
Her words caught in her throat, her eyes widening. No way. She did as she was told, slowly standing up, with the knife still pressed on her throat.
“Now that your fiancé isn’t here to keep you safe, we have some unfinished business.”
How did he know? Was Theo truly dead?
“Jesse—”
“Let’s talk about my American cousin whom you killed two years ago.” She had never heard his voice sound so cold. “And don’t be so surprised. I told you something would happen soon. Or, very soon.”
Theo hadn’t left the last two notes; Jesse had.