Page 60 of A Silence So Divine

“We’ve been waiting for an opportunity, right? With Eden, we have one. It will take a few months of training, but I can keep them off our trail until then. We have the firepower, and there’s more of us than ever.” I’m begging, but I can’t find it in myself to care.

She tilts her head back and looks into my eyes, the wrinkles of her forehead deepening.

“You know it’s not up to me. We’ll have to ask the others.”

I do know that, but I grimace at the thought. Not everyone at the Refuge is a fan of me, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to convince them their life is worth risking to save my brother’s. And Eden’s.

“Okay.” The word is bitter in my mouth.

Veda pats my cheek affectionately just as the door swings open and a feminine voice calls out her name. As if this day couldn’t get any more difficult.

My jaw tenses, and I reluctantly turn my gaze toward our guest.

Sylvie’s eyes meet mine, and a huge smile overtakes her face. She unceremoniously drops bundled grocery bags to the floor and starts towards me. Her eyes fall on the couch for a moment, and she does a double take before stopping in her tracks. Confusion furrows her dark brows, and she looks between Veda and me.

“Who’s that?” She asks, the smile slowly slipping from her face. I gnaw at my cheek, looking to Veda for help. She throws her hands up and turns back toward the fridge.

Fuck.

“We should go outside,” I say, stepping in front of her to block the two of them from her view. Her eyes narrow in accusation, and without a word, she whips around and swings the door back open.

Lord be with me.

Twenty Five

Eden

The rhythmic chopping of vegetables draws my attention to the kitchen for only a second before I’m back to peering out the window. Side by side on the couch, Creed’s leg bounces next to mine. It takes everything in me not to dig my nails into his knee so he’ll be still.

It’s a miracle I’ve kept my composure this long, but with Cecil out of reach, I feel the walls closing in on me.

The older woman steps into my vision and I draw my eyes up to meet hers. A soft smile plays at her lips, but the large knife in her hand has me pressing further into the cushions. She tsks, steps back into the kitchen, and returns with empty hands.

“Do you like soup?”She asks us.

I shrug.

Creed, on the other hand, shoots up straight.“You know sign language?”

The woman smirks. “I think.”

The two begin signing back and forth, but I zone out and lean to the side, attempting to watch the pair outside.

A shout from outside draws Veda’s attention, too. Creed follows our gaze until all three of us gawk out the window. They’re far enough that I can’t make out words, but there’s no missing the sharp smack delivered to Cecil’s cheek. Without thinking, I jump from my seat, but the woman is quick to place a hand on my shoulder. She coaxes me back onto the couch, waving her hand dismissively.

“If they’re not kissing, they’re fighting. It’s nothing new, I promise.”

Creed snorts, elbowing me with a look of amusement. It’s funny to him, the idea of his brother being involved with a woman, but all the air has been sucked from my lungs. I attempt to focus on something else, but my eyes keep wandering back towards the window. Creed is oblivious, grabbing a photo album from the coffee table and rummaging through it.

The woman Cecil is speaking with is very beautiful, and that somehow makes this suffocating feeling all the worse. Her skin is a rich gold, the likes of which I’ve only ever read about. Ebony hair grazes her shoulders, accentuating the sharp line of her jaw. Even her clothing is unlike anything I’ve seen: tight pants, a leather jacket, black boots. Meanwhile, the sweatshirt I wear is massive, and my pants are cinched with doubled over yarn.

She is undeniably gorgeous, and I have never felt more plain.

By the time the pair return, the three of us have already eaten our early lunch. I’m busy picking at a loose thread on the couch while Creed and Veda discuss Mediterranean cuisine.

Cecil clears his throat, and I struggle to meet his gaze. Instead, I stare at the angry welt on his cheek. The sting of my teeth digging into my tongue is a necessary distraction. I’m angry that she hit him, and painfully curious as to what caused such a reaction.

Even worse, the girl doesn’t look ashamed. Her brow is raised, pinning Cecil with an expectant glare. Though she only reaches his jaw, it’s as though she’s looking down at him.