The truth

The truth
Aribella POV

“Aribella,” Emrys’s lips were pulled in a tight-lipped smile, his blue eyes giving nothing away, but he didn’t have to utter another word for me to understand what he meant. Ice flooded my veins, making me feel cold all the way down to the bone.

“Yes of course,” I uttered, heading towards the massive staircase.

This was it.

The truth was finally going to come to light, and I wasn’t sure what might happen next. Would Emrys and Rhory be angry at me for keeping this massive of a secret? Would they turn me over to Devin?

Kaelar wouldn’t accept that, but was he strong enough alone to endure whatever Mikko and his clan threw at him?

A dull ache thudded against my temples, and every inhale hurt more than the one before it.

The walk to Rhory’s office was thick with tension, and the air around us felt stagnant. I wanted to run as far away from this place as I could, but it was too late for that. I knew walking into this that the possibility that my secret got out was high, but I never expected it to come out like this.

Stephan waltzing back into my life like a dark cloud never even crossed my mind, and with every second that passes, fear injects itself into my bloodstream, making me feel physically ill.

My lungs felt tighter with every breath as the door to Rhory’s office grew nearer. Nausea rolled around in my gut at the same time that a phantom pain sliced across my neck. With shaky fingers, I reached up, feeling the smooth, uncut skin on my throat, but the memory of what happened began replaying in my head.

The sound of the knife tearing through my skin. The fear followed by emptiness that I felt that day making me choke and gasp.

I bolted for the door, rushing inside to empty the contents of my stomach into the garbage can.

Kaelar wasted no time rushing to my side, pulling back the hair that tumbled around the vomit filled bin.

“I’m sorry,” I choked out the words through a scratchy throat.

“Does anyone have something to tie back her hair?”

Rhory rummaged through a drawer on his desk, tossing a rubber band to Kaelar, who, with careful hands, pulled my hair into a bun at the top of my head.

“I suppose I don’t need to ask if what I saw back there was a confirmation of the truth,” Emrys sighed.

The seconds felt like hours as I waited for more vomit to come. A soft knock sounded at the door before Rhys and Reo stepped in. Rhys carried a glass of water and Reo held a damp rag in his hand.

Tears burned my eyes as I sipped on the water. Kaelar took the rag, pressing it to my forehead.

“What he said was true,” I whispered.

“That’s not possible,” Rhory muttered, shaking his head.

Kaelar’s eyes lifted slowly to meet Rhory’s, the muscles in his jaw tense. A look passed between the two of them, and Rhory’s eyes widened, “You’ve known for weeks….”

“It wasn’t my place,” Kaelar grit out.

“Your place is to keep this castle safe, and it sounds to me as though you have chosen to put Sacaris in danger,” Rhory snarled, his anger palpable. It was one of the few times I’d seen him truly angry, and guilt flooded my already tumultuous stomach.

“I’m sorry, but what are we talking about?” Emrys glanced between the two men.

I offered a grateful smile to Kaelar, moving to stand, but before I could speak, Emrys pinched the bridge of his nose, “Do we need more privacy?”

My head shook softly, “I trust them,” my voice was hoarse. “When we fell from that cliff, the truth was that Kaelar almost died,” I whispered. “After I fell from the cliff with Kaelar’s sword, I found Gideon standing over him,” a shudder rolled through my body remembering the unfiltered fear I felt at that moment. “He almost died after Rhory and I dragged him into that cave. Without blood, he wouldn’t have made it, so I forced him to feed from me.”

My cheeks flushed and I looked towards the ground with shame.

Emrys held his hand up before clenching his fist and turning towards Rhory. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally releasing a heavy breath, “I understand you not explaining what happened during the incident report, but you’ve been sitting on that information for weeks, and you did not once consider that you should have told me as your partner?”

Rhory looked about as ashamed as I did. Both of us were guilty of keeping secrets that jeopardized the kingdom.

“Wait a moment,” Rhys finally interjected, “Did you just say partner? As in, the two of you,” his finger bounced between Rhory and Emrys, “Are together?”  

“Yes,” Emrys snapped. “Since it’s clear that we’re spilling our guts here in this room, Rhory and I are romantically involved.”

“Holy cannoli,” Rhys stumbled backwards, his eyes blinking rapidly, “And here I thought I knew all the secrets in this castle. I feel quite humbled right now.”

Normally, I would have laughed at his comment, but I couldn’t bring myself to even crack a smile.

“Are there any other secrets that we need to get out of the way before continuing what really matters?” Emrys glanced between the five of us.

“Reo bit Aribella during the annual gathering,” Rhys muttered, earning a hard elbow from Reo.

Rhory and Emrys both stared at me with wide eyes, and my cheeks heated, “He was drugged by whatever was put in the wine,” I shrugged.

“You do understand that if my father got wind of that, Reo would be put to death…” Rhory swallowed thickly.

“That’s precisely why it wasn’t spoken about,” I glared at Rhys, who mouthed a silent apology.

Emrys dropped into the chaise, scrubbing a hand over his face, “I can’t tell if it’s you that’s been dropped into our universe, or if we’ve all been transported into some sick circus.”

“What Devin spoke of was true,” I whispered, bringing my hand to my throat once again. When I blinked, I could see the angry look in Stephan’s eyes when I stabbed him. “I knew him as Stephan, and he was my abusive partner. This world that I woke up in….” I chewed on my bottom lip, my stomach twisting in knots as I looked around the room at all of the faces I’d grown to love. “Was a storybook I read growing up.”