Page 126 of Shattered By the Currents

“Have tea with me.” He sat before she could respond. “Please. I need to apologize.”

She frowned and lowered back into her seat, taking the tea from his outstretched hand. “Apologize?”

“I scared you the other day. Maybe both days. I’m sorry.”

The mug warmed Raven’s hands. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not. You asked me to leave and I didn’t. I also grabbed you.” He shook his head, genuine remorse on his face. “You don’t need to accept my apology, but it’s there.”

“There’s no apology needed.” She sipped the tea. Argh. She was not a tea person. Like, at all. And this just confirmed it. It tasted like she was drinking a sugary flower. “Chamomile?”

He nodded. “It was Lila’s favorite. I used to make it for her before bed. With a generous heaping of honey, of course.”

Oh, she absolutely tasted the honey. “What was she like?”

“Strong. Independent. She was a journalist, and she came down here to chase this big Lotus story.” He sighed. “Maybe that was her problem, she wastooambitious. I wish I’d helped her more.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t always help the people we love. They have towantto be helped.”

“While I agree, I also think when you love someone, you go to any lengths to save them.”

She sipped the tea again, nose wrinkling. There was something off about it. An almost bitter, chemical aftertaste.

“I shouldn’t have let her leave me to come here,” Herbert continued. “I should have kept her home where it was safe, shielded her from all the ugly in this world.”

Everything began to sway.

She glanced at the tea again before looking back at Herbert, a sick feeling starting to churn in her belly. “What did you do?”

This time when he looked at her, there was nothing confused or unsure in his gaze. There was just unwavering determination. “What had to be done to save you, Lila.”

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The cup dropped from her trembling fingers, the shattering mug echoing in her ears. She pushed to her feet, but again the world moved and swayed, and this time she swayed with it.

But she didn’t fall. Because Herbert was there to wrap an arm around her waist. To shoulder a lot of her weight. “Come on, honey, let’s get out of here.”

She shook her head and tried to dig her heels into the ground, but her body wouldn’t listen. Herbert pulled her forward, and it was like she’d lost all bodily autonomy. She just stumbled in the direction he led her.

She blinked, trying to focus on the gate. The gate that Briar had locked. He wouldn’t be able to get them out.

Hope began to weave through her chest.

He pulled open the gate easily.

What the hell? She’dseenBriar lock it.

But…she actually hadn’t. She’d just seen Briar stop there and had assumed the other woman was locking the gate.

She tried to grab onto the gate as he pulled her through, but it felt like trying to grasp water with her fingers…impossible.

“Herbert…please. I’m not Lila. I’m Raven.” She stumbled as her heavy feet hit a tree root.

Herbert kept her upright. “No, darling. You’re not. You’re my daughter. My baby. I even showed photos to Briar, and she agreed. Youaremy child.”

Briar had bought into this?

Confusion made the fog in her head thicken.