Phantom Game (GhostWalkers 18)

Jack gave a fake groan. “I’m still scary, babe.”

Briony rolled her eyes. “It’s kind of hard to be scary when you’re so good at changing diapers and you can quote pages of how-to-be-the-best-at-parenting books.”

When the laughter died down, Marigold stood up very cautiously, as if she was still very weak. She had lost a considerable amount of weight. Both Ken and Briony rose with the intention of helping her, but she shook her head and waved both of them off with a small smile.

“I need to do this on my own.” She walked to the massive fireplace and turned her back on it, leaning against the gray-and-blue rock. Her eyes met Camellia’s.

Camellia’s heart dropped and then began to accelerate. She didn’t want to do this. She preferred to just let the past stay in the past. She would prefer to never know Marigold’s reasoning for betrayal. When Mari had been so close to death, it had occurred to her that the rift between them didn’t matter. Maybe they were never going to be close again like they had been, but seeing her once vital friend so drawn and gray had made Camellia aware of how fragile life was. She didn’t want to live her life with regrets.

She could live with a surface friendship. She didn’t have to be super close to be happy for Marigold. She had Jonas. Possibly Jeff and Kyle. Okay. Definitely Jeff and Kyle. They’d slipped under the radar when she wasn’t looking, and she already cared for them like they were her brothers. She’d never had brothers and kind of liked the idea.

But she didn’t want to do this with Marigold. She nearly leapt up to run. She must have looked panic-stricken because Jonas reached over and took her hand, threading his fingers through hers and tugging her hand until it was snug against his chest, right over his heart.

Right here, honey.

She’s going to talk about that night when Ivy was shot. I know she is.

Deep breath. I’m right here.

“I need to tell you what happened between us, Camellia. It was never fair to you. I hated that. I hated it so much,” Marigold began.

Camellia shook her head. “It really isn’t necessary. It was a long time ago, Mari. I’m happy for you. Happy that you found Ken and your twin. That you have children.” She wanted her to stop. Please let her stop.

She can’t. Clearly, she’s needed to tell you for a long, long time.

Marigold took a deep breath and again waved Ken off. “I know what I did had to feel like betrayal to you. It was betrayal. I loved you like a sister. I still do. That never stopped. We grew up together. We shared everything Whitney threw at us, and most of it was ugly. We survived it because of each other. I survived his madness because of you. That meant Briony did as well. He took her from me, and he told me as long as I did whatever he said, she could live a normal life with a loving family. If I didn’t, he would make her suffer before he had her killed.”

Marigold took a firm grip on the stone mantel. She looked as if she might be trembling, but she refused to sit. She stood facing Camellia, making her confession in front of the others.

“He delighted in showing me photographs and later video of his men pointing sniper rifles at her. Sometimes it would just be a laser on the back of her head. He’d call me into his office or lab or greenhouse and just show me whatever he had and smile that smirky smile. He said if I ever told anyone, you especially, and he found out, he would have her killed.”

Camellia glanced at Briony and saw tears in her eyes. Jack shifted position just enough that he could wrap his arm around her, drawing her into him, partially blocking her face from the others in the room.

“He knew we hatched escape plans often, and he told me if any of us ever escaped, she would be shot. I don’t know how he got wind that someone was planning an escape, but he showed me a video of Briony swimming in a pool. There was a laser fixed on her numerous times. He told me I’d better find out who and report it to the guards or him immediately. If anyone was missing, Briony would be dead.”

For a moment she pressed trembling fingers to her mouth. “I wished a thousand times I had the courage to tell you about her. If it had been my life he threatened, I would have. If he hadn’t been threatening Briony, I would never have given you up. I just was so scared for her. I spent my entire life protecting Briony, and I just kept doing it. Then you were caught because I gave you up, and Whitney had his guards execute Ivy as punishment. I will never forgive myself. What happened to her is my fault and no one else’s.”