Chapter 138

**Seven Years Ago**

Two weeks.

I had gone two weeks without speaking to Dante.

In the first few days, I needed to. The relentless image in my mind of what had happened stole my sleep. I could barely face my parents when I caught them at home or muster a sweet smile for Kayleen when she said something funny.

The nights had become terrifying. I imagined all those dead people coming to take me with them because I had been vile enough not to run to the police and report the crime.

Crime.

It was impossible. Dante wasn’t dangerous. He wasn’t a criminal. The entire town was wrong. I knew him. I had seen parts of him that touched my soul without needing hands.

That thought lodged itself in my mind, and the second week without seeing him turned into shame. I wanted to see him again and tell him I accepted him. I wouldn’t mind embracing everything he carried.

But how would I be?

Who would I become?

"Emilia, what are these drawings? Are you okay?"

Kayleen appeared in front of me.

The curfew had already sounded, but my butt remained glued to the chair.

I glanced at my sketchbook. My pencil had created morbid drawings. The photograph of the five boys in front of me, the six piled-up bodies, and the malnourished man begging for help.

"I’m fine."

"What’s going on, girl? You look pale. I’ve noticed it for a few days now. Is it your parents?"

I raised my eyes and got lost in Kayleen’s blue gaze.

I wanted to tell my best friend what was going on, but I couldn’t. I trusted her, but not enough to protect Dante. No one would, except me.

Just as I opened my mouth to deny the situation and move on, Cole and Jaxon passed by my classroom, the two of them walking together down the busy hallway.

I stood up suddenly, chasing after them to the school yard. I called out both their names, and they looked me up and down, their expressions full of judgment and disgust.

"What do you want?" Cole spat, anger seeping into his gestures.

"I wanted to ask you about the bodies."

Both raised their eyebrows in confusion.

"What are you talking about, Emilia?" Jaxon asked, his face also shifting into a puzzled expression.

"The bodies in the basement. What are you going to do with them to avoid being discovered? I have some ideas so we don’t get caught," I said, relieved to finally voice my thoughts.

I was determined to get them out of this mess. Whoever was threatening them, I would try to resolve it. They were covering for someone, and I was going to find out who it was.

A sudden pain struck my chest, and all my ribs collided with the wall. Cole had cornered me, his hand gripping my arm with such fury that blood stopped flowing through the limb.

I clenched my teeth, nearly biting my tongue to avoid crying out in pain.

"Shut your ridiculous mouth, damn it!" he hissed through gritted teeth. His voice had turned rough. "There’s no ‘us.’ You’re not included. I have no idea what Dante put in your head, but stay away. Keep your mess out of ours and go live your happy life."

Cole’s voice dripped with hatred in every word. His fingers marked my skin like a tattoo. It was a pain that started in my neck and spread to the tips of my fingers.

"Stop it, Van Doren. It’s not worth it," Jaxon intervened, glancing between us. "Dante will handle this."

"He won’t."

His fingers dug deeper into my skin.

I was bleeding.

"You’re hurting me," I whispered, barely able to speak.

"And I’ll hurt you more if you keep acting like an idiot, you little—"

"Hey, you! Get your hands off her!"

At that moment, something struck Cole’s head, forcing him to let go of me and step back, giving me air to breathe.

I looked around and saw my best friend running toward me.

She had thrown a tennis ball at his head.

And clearly, the sports team was in shock at her audacity to steal their ball.

"Are you okay, Lia?" she asked, caressing my curls and squeezing my cheeks.

"Who the hell are you?!" Cole Van Doren bellowed, his hand rubbing the spot where the ball had hit him.

"Someone you don’t want to see angry!"

Kayleen turned, her black hair whipping in the wind and her divine scent soothing my lungs.

Cole straightened up, taking steps to confront Kay, but Jaxon stopped him.

"Let’s go, Van," he urged.

Van Doren fumed, glancing at the crowd that had already formed a circle to watch the scene unfold. The whispers of the spectators grew louder, and it was easy to guess what people were saying.

The kidnapped boys are fighting with the girls.

They’re violent.

Demons.

Ugh, misogynists. Hitting girls.

I wanted to tell everyone to shut up. They were cruel, feeding on problems. They didn’t know what was really happening, so they shouldn’t comment.

"Let’s go too," Kayleen ordered, her furious eyes still locked on Cole. He fumed like an animal but obediently followed Jaxon away.

"You didn’t have to protect me," I announced, rubbing the sore spot on my arm.

"What do you mean? He was hurting you! Those idiots! I’ve told you not to go near them," she snapped as we walked, weaving through the crowd that had gathered. "What’s gotten into you?"

I remained silent.

"Lia, I’ve already told you—forget Dante Faulkner and the rest of them. They’re dangerous. I don’t know if the rumors are true, but just to be safe, it’s better to keep your distance, right?" she said gently as we reached the infirmary. "Besides, Daniel told me Dante is leaving the orphanage and will probably enroll in our school, so it’s best to erase this infatuat—"

"What?!" My shout was loud enough to make the birds outside fly away. "What do you mean he’s leaving the orphanage and enrolling in our school?"

My neurons processed the information rapidly, generating scattered thoughts. These were details I hadn’t been told, and they were definitely important to know.