Page 17 of Where Darkness Falls

The parlor erupts in applause as Cara and I make our way back upstairs to actually get cleaned up for dinner. The entire affair requires both of us to hold up the dress in order to make it to the landing, so that Cara doesn’t trip and fall to her demise. I follow behind Cara as she struts toward her door since my quarters are directly across the hall. Usually, I can walk beside her on the way to our rooms, but the fuschia dress is so large that it covers the entire width, forcing me to walk behind.

I sigh, reaching for my handle when Cara clears her throat. Turning around, I find Cara looking at the ground as if it’s incredibly intriguing. Yet, knowing Cara, she’s attempting to hide her embarrassment. “I just wanted your birthday to be special,” Cara whispers. “You know that, don’t you?”

I cross the hall, wrapping her in an embrace. “I know this, my beloved sister, and it will be,” I coo, hoping to quell her disappointment. “Truthfully, I’d be happy just to spend time with you and other peers. This will be good for me, just as you’ve said.”

“I hope so. I love you, Maeva,” she mumbles into my shoulder.

“I love you too, Cara,” I answer.

On that note, we release one another and return to our rooms, excited for what the future will bring.

We findour places at the long dining table as Amelia rushes back into the kitchen for the rest of the feast. While we wait, the twins make their entrance, bickering over Celestae-knows-what. Honestly, they remind me of two elders quarreling over which one took the other’s dessert at the community festival. They’re set in their ways and make quite the unstoppable duo—when they can get along, that is.

“Boys,” Rolph’s deep voice warns.

The twins snap their mouths shut, waiting for Amelia to return. They are quite the striking pair. They are tall and handsome, like their father, but they have the hair and eyes of their mother.

Finally, Amelia returns with Deidre in tow, bringing in the final trimmings for dinner. She really outdid herself this evening: roasted hen, yeast dinner rolls, potatoes, beans, gravy, apple popovers, and evenlemon drop cookies. Additionally, she made a sweet punch mixture from various fruits. Amelia is an incredible cook, and she’s passed this talent along to her children as well. One thing is certain: Amelia makes it her mission not to allow anyone under her roof to go hungry. Once the assemblage is laid out to Amelia’s satisfaction, Deidre takes her seat next to Cara.

Deidre, unlike the other Cale children, is a quiet thirteen-year-old girl. She prefers to draw or write in her journal as opposed to playing games. She does not enjoy socializing nor does she have an interest in people outside of her immediate family. Looks wise, Deidre is a carbon copy of Amelia. The rich hair color with her bright eyes and hidden smile. Out of all the siblings, it took Deidre the longest to warm up to me. Now that she has, we usually converse over stories I am reading or what’s inspiring her sketches of the day.

“Everyone! You know the drill, grab hands and say grace for this lovely meal your mama has prepared for us,” Rolph beams, tossing a wink at his beloved wife. Amelia blushes, wiggling her nose back at him. They are a match made in Eternity. After all the years they’ve been together, anyone would think they are still newlyweds from their affectionate quips.

I smile as I admire them.

There is not a single day that goes by that I am not grateful the Cales found me that day on the streets of Aurelius:

I coldly stumble through the dark, crowded streets in my blood-stained dress.

I don’t remember how the blood came to be on my clothes.

Nothing here looks familiar.

Passersby take one look at me, then venture to the opposite side of the street—pretending that they don’t see me altogether.

“Help me,”I croak out.“Please.”

I need somewhere warm to stay for the night, but to my dismay, all the shops are closing.

I hear one of the passersby say that tomorrow is a special holiday, and they needed to hurry home.

After stumbling around for another thirty minutes, I sink against a wall in defeat. Tears spill down my cold cheeks as my only source of warmth. I pull my legs tight into my body.

“Help me… please,” I beg someone—anyone—to hear.

The sound of approaching footsteps forces me to curl deeper into myself.

Suddenly, the crunching steps halt in front of me.

I glance up to see the faces of a gorgeous couple who introduce themselves as Rolph and Amelia Cale.

“Hello,” Amelia coos softly, squatting at eye level with me. “Are you alone?”

I nod.

“Well, not to worry, sweetheart. We can help you find your family,” she says, smiling. “Do you know where your family is staying?”

I pause, thinking.