cuddlepool

Sarah was staring a hole through her phone screen when her dad came home again that night. She knew that today was going to suck, but it didn’t help her at all knowing that in advance. All her schoolwork and tests were done in a daze, and her afterschool practice was abysmal. She felt like a drunk missing all the receives and shots she took. No doubt her friends were talking behind her back; despite the fact they told her to go home early if she wasn’t feeling well.How you doing, Sare-Bear?” Her dad asked tentatively.

Alexis finally turned to him. “I know. Cyrilo told me every time we had to move the damn things. That big spinning X-shaped one with the restraints was such a pain for me and Lucius to carry up and down the stairs. Cyrilo never seemed satisfied with where we put those things. “No, maybe over there,” she’d kept saying. “Hmmm, maybe we should put it in Lisa’s room.” It was awful.”

Sophia clutched her hands tightly. “But I did know. I knew she had that venom because I helped her transfer its abilities to a vial of Abernathy’s Ichor. I warned her what would happen, how dangerous it was to keep that bottle, and implored her to destroy it. She didn’t listen and told me to keep it a secret. To my shame, I did, and now I have the king’s blood, and the blood of countless knights and soldiers on my hands. Cyrilo said she would take responsibility for anything that happened, but all she’s done is go with the flow, hiding behind lies. Every time I try to talk to her about it, about us facing our sins, she silences me. She did it today, which is why I came to you. I must admit, I’ve lost a great deal of respect for her.