her head and screamed her displeasure to the ceiling, making the
room ring with the force of her emotions.
Adrian rushed in from the kitchen. Diandra had been so
silent that he hadn't known she was home. She had simply shouted for him to
watch RaeLynn as she and Lizbeth left. He stood in doorway, gripping the door
they had neglected to shut in their haste, and watched as Dia scooped Lizzie up
in her arms and flew off into the night. Now Dia was back, but Lizzie was
nowhere to be found.
Taking Diandra's arm gently, he stilled her anguished
movements. "What happened?" he asked gently, and she sank to the
floor and sobbed her heartache into his shoulder. He held her tight, whispering
soothing, nonsensical words until the flood cut off as abruptly as it began.
Pulling back from his comfort, she wiped her eyes and told him what had
happened.
Adrian sat silently for a moment, his mind working furiously
as he put all the pieces together and tried to figure out what they might mean.
Sandra would continue to stay with them, as she would need help. Diandra didn’t
want this interloper living among them, and Lizbeth… well, who knew what Lizzie
wanted?
Finally he spoke. “Dia, honey, you know Lizbeth didn’t make
this decision to hurt you, right? It may not have been the best choice, or the
smartest, but it was the only one she could live with. Carson wanted Sandra
dead to stop her from writing a story about his true nature, but his main
motivation was to punish Lizbeth. She’s been a thorn in his side, hurting him
at every turn- financially, physically, however she could. He wanted Sandra to
die just to see Lizbeth suffer, and if he’d succeeded in one, he’d succeed in
both. She would never forgive herself for Sandra’s death, so she did what she
could to make sure that didn’t happen.” He laid a gentle hand on her arm.
“Really, can you blame her? Would you let Sandra die for sins not of her own
making?”
Diandra shook her head and sniffled. “No, I suppose not,”
she said reluctantly. “But damnit, Adrian, now she’ll stand a better chance at
coming between Lizzie and I. Lizbeth will feel responsible for her, and that
gives her a foot in the door.”
Adrian grinned at her. “Well then, I suppose you may have to
cut that foot off then, huh?” And with that, he threw his head back and roared
with laughter. After a moment of stunned silence, Diandra joined him.
*****
A short while later, Lizbeth turned the car into the
driveway. In Dia’s anger, she’d flown home rather than drive, and Lizzie was
grateful for that as she could not yet fly herself. She’d lifted Sandra, still
groggy, into the back seat, laid her down gently and covered her with the spare
blanket. Eamon had rolled his eyes at her before climbing into the passenger
seat and ignoring her the short distance home. As soon as they pulled into the
drive, he climbed out and promptly shifted back to his feline form. Turning his
back on Lizzie, he flicked his tail in agitation and returned to his usual spot
under the lilac bush.
Shaking her head, Lizbeth helped Sandy out of the car and
into the house. “We’re back,” she yelled before leading Sandra up the stairs to
the guest room. She helped Sandy sit down on the bed and ran her a bath,
knowing from past experience that the first thing she’d want would be to get
clean. “Are you able to get yourself undressed and into the tub safely?” Lizzie
asked, and Sandy nodded without speaking. She had yet to say anything since
she’d come around, but Lizbeth didn’t take it personally. She knew that
sometimes it was easier that way, staying quiet, trying to make life make sense
once more. She’d been the same, after all. “All right, I’ll be downstairs when
you’re ready to talk.” Lizbeth shut the guest room door behind her and headed,
resigned, downstairs to face the music.
She found Dia and Adrian in the parlor, as she expected.
Adrian was playing with RaeLynn in between bites of her
room ring with the force of her emotions.
Adrian rushed in from the kitchen. Diandra had been so
silent that he hadn't known she was home. She had simply shouted for him to
watch RaeLynn as she and Lizbeth left. He stood in doorway, gripping the door
they had neglected to shut in their haste, and watched as Dia scooped Lizzie up
in her arms and flew off into the night. Now Dia was back, but Lizzie was
nowhere to be found.
Taking Diandra's arm gently, he stilled her anguished
movements. "What happened?" he asked gently, and she sank to the
floor and sobbed her heartache into his shoulder. He held her tight, whispering
soothing, nonsensical words until the flood cut off as abruptly as it began.
Pulling back from his comfort, she wiped her eyes and told him what had
happened.
Adrian sat silently for a moment, his mind working furiously
as he put all the pieces together and tried to figure out what they might mean.
Sandra would continue to stay with them, as she would need help. Diandra didn’t
want this interloper living among them, and Lizbeth… well, who knew what Lizzie
wanted?
Finally he spoke. “Dia, honey, you know Lizbeth didn’t make
this decision to hurt you, right? It may not have been the best choice, or the
smartest, but it was the only one she could live with. Carson wanted Sandra
dead to stop her from writing a story about his true nature, but his main
motivation was to punish Lizbeth. She’s been a thorn in his side, hurting him
at every turn- financially, physically, however she could. He wanted Sandra to
die just to see Lizbeth suffer, and if he’d succeeded in one, he’d succeed in
both. She would never forgive herself for Sandra’s death, so she did what she
could to make sure that didn’t happen.” He laid a gentle hand on her arm.
“Really, can you blame her? Would you let Sandra die for sins not of her own
making?”
Diandra shook her head and sniffled. “No, I suppose not,”
she said reluctantly. “But damnit, Adrian, now she’ll stand a better chance at
coming between Lizzie and I. Lizbeth will feel responsible for her, and that
gives her a foot in the door.”
Adrian grinned at her. “Well then, I suppose you may have to
cut that foot off then, huh?” And with that, he threw his head back and roared
with laughter. After a moment of stunned silence, Diandra joined him.
*****
A short while later, Lizbeth turned the car into the
driveway. In Dia’s anger, she’d flown home rather than drive, and Lizzie was
grateful for that as she could not yet fly herself. She’d lifted Sandra, still
groggy, into the back seat, laid her down gently and covered her with the spare
blanket. Eamon had rolled his eyes at her before climbing into the passenger
seat and ignoring her the short distance home. As soon as they pulled into the
drive, he climbed out and promptly shifted back to his feline form. Turning his
back on Lizzie, he flicked his tail in agitation and returned to his usual spot
under the lilac bush.
Shaking her head, Lizbeth helped Sandy out of the car and
into the house. “We’re back,” she yelled before leading Sandra up the stairs to
the guest room. She helped Sandy sit down on the bed and ran her a bath,
knowing from past experience that the first thing she’d want would be to get
clean. “Are you able to get yourself undressed and into the tub safely?” Lizzie
asked, and Sandy nodded without speaking. She had yet to say anything since
she’d come around, but Lizbeth didn’t take it personally. She knew that
sometimes it was easier that way, staying quiet, trying to make life make sense
once more. She’d been the same, after all. “All right, I’ll be downstairs when
you’re ready to talk.” Lizbeth shut the guest room door behind her and headed,
resigned, downstairs to face the music.
She found Dia and Adrian in the parlor, as she expected.
Adrian was playing with RaeLynn in between bites of her
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