Vows he doesn't remember

hey Tried

LL

up felt

supposed

. Not li

her voice tearing a ho

r

er before

y name like a prayer

my eyes

I'd been screaming inside my own head for days. My

y managed to focu

r

itself. Her hair was a mess, her face pale and bruised with exhaus

d out, voice cracki

ed to

ng ca

from my forehead like she used to-like s

mories slammed into me

fi

cl

e said before eve

real mother, Callu

tightened

pulling my hand a

across her face, but she

explain," s

ind a twisted wreckag

's f

recke

hine'

against her chest-something that

" I said hoarsel

rantically. "Not abou

eve her. God hel

my mind told a

word a jagged stone I had to throw at her.

s, but she didn't look

hey told me-Lenora told me-you would be de

bitter and broken. "A

ornly. "I believed I

, every movement sending pa

dn't

you take from m

ned her

ita

nce was

else," I said col

shut. For a second, I t

red, so soft I

have

orld

d at he

voice was b

streaming down her cheeks

ckward like sh

my child

a-she said if I told you, they'd take him.

ould hear was the blo

so

didn't kn

s supposed

before I even k

or bur

f breath, holding a cru

," he panted, shoving

it with sha

n't a

n't bl

as a

mother

sappeared after her

e thing, over

ct Ca

one at Th

even

IS

as thicker than the rain

awn inward like he was bracing for a hit. Maybe he

e said finally, voice low. "Why

Because I didn't know who I was talking to anymore. Becaus

not an

only one

hard. "You let me walk around this hous

I trusted. And you-" My voice cracked. "Yo

mine. "So you made t

made it for

landed lik

l mother's will. "She's been playing you from the start. She used Seraphine, me, everyone. She

ter without touching it.

ow. "My real mother. She used to hum when

ed everything she

he same kind of silence. It was one filled

because I don't believe you. But becaus

derst

the door, and paus

e

you and I have a lot t

r it, C

osed behind him, I

t of everything

nora wasn'

had started