To Capture a Thorn (The Society 2)

“The day of the fire?” I asked.

I hated bringing up the fire. The memory was one of the worst ones she had.

“Yeah, that day.”

“I wished I had been there,” he said.

“Me too. We don’t know who did this.” She lifted a lock of her hair. “There is so much we don’t know.”

“We know it wasn’t The Society,” I said. “That has to mean something.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know anything anymore. I’m tired of hunting for answers that are only giving me more riddles.” She got to her feet and moved toward me. I spread my legs as she stepped between them and put her hands on my shoulders. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask me anything you’d like,” I said.

“Do you like me?”

“What?”

She pulled away. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a stupid question.”

She went to leave, and I grabbed her hands, tugging her back toward me. “Don’t go.” I didn’t want to let her go.

Putting my hands on the base of her back, I held her tight against me, but her gaze was on my chest, nowhere near my eyes.

“Sian, look at me.” I wanted her to see me, to know that I more than liked her. With my dad’s words ringing in my head, I had to make her see this was more than just some rules.

She turned her head, and I stared into her brown eyes.

“Of course, I like you. I don’t know why you’d think I didn’t.”

“Gideon, I know … I wasn’t a choice with you. None of this was a choice for me. I guess I don’t know what I’m guessing right now. I’m so tired. I’m going to look into going to college,” she said. “I know they can accept late admissions. Do you think your dad will help me?”

“My dad will help you with everything you want. You know that. What about your mom?”

“I don’t have the resources to find her. I … I don’t know her, Gideon. My dad took who she was away from me.”

“And it has stopped you wanting to find her?” he asked.

“No, it hasn’t stopped that. I can’t … I need to do something other than sitting around here all day. I’m going to get the laptop from Heather’s family and then I’m going to try and move on with my life.”

I held her a little tighter. “Are you pulling away from us?”

“No.” She cupped my face. “I only hope you see what’s going on here. What we need to do.” She kissed me. “I’m going to go to bed.”

I watched her go, hating the sight of her walking away. I didn’t want her to leave.

Gritting my teeth, I knew there was nothing I could do. No magical potion that could bring her back to me.

Sitting at the kitchen counter, I tried to think of solutions to our problem.

When I came up blank, I had no choice but to go and round up the boys, to let them know what was at stake. They were all asleep, and all of them hated me for waking them up, but I was more than happy for them to curse me out as I shook them awake.

We had important business to attend to.

****

William

I found Sian out in the garden, a cup of coffee in her hand. She wore a pair of jeans and one of my shirts. I recognized the tartan. Beneath the shirt, she wore a white crop top. On her feet were a pair of sneakers.

After Gideon’s warning last night, staring at her now, I wanted her. I needed her to know that not only was she liked but she was loved as well.

Our coming together wasn’t easy. It wasn’t even willing, but staying together, that was everything to me.

“Morning,” I said, taking a seat beside her. I balanced my own cup of coffee in my hand as I looked out over the garden. Gideon always had a nice place to grow up. I had vague memories of us as boys, running around this patch of grass while our fathers conspired.

Sipping at the hot coffee, I enjoyed the burn of it down my throat.

“This is the life,” I said.

She chuckled. “You had a good sleep.”

“I was dreaming lots of happy thoughts until Gideon woke me up, freaking out like a little girl.”

Sian’s smile slipped. “He told you?”

“There wasn’t much to not tell, if you know what I mean. We tell each other everything.”

“I guess you do.”

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” I said.

“Do you mean with Dante or the fact I want to live my life?”

“Both. Don’t get me wrong, I’m jealous. Wish it had been me rather than Dante.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear. I was glad she didn’t say it meant nothing.

“Are you going to ask me to not go?”

“I thought about it. It would be so easy to tell you I don’t want you to leave, and I’m not lying. I don’t want you to leave. How could I? I like you, Sian. This isn’t just about the initiation anymore. It’s about so much more than that.”