Page 264 of Conquered

“Should we rescue Ash?” Loki murmurs in my ear, his long fingers pushing back the hair from my neck and sending electricity skittering across my skin.

I look over and chuckle to see Ash being hounded by some older couple, apparently some long distance relatives.

“Nah, I need a piss,” I tell him, heaving myself to my feet and grateful that I took my heels off some hours ago, replacing them with simple ballet pumps.

“I love it when you talk dirty, baby,” Loki groans, laughing when I whack his rainbow covered bicep.

We make our way to the exit of the marquee, posh portaloos having been set up outside and to one side, nestled in the trees and a path lit by strings of bare bulbs in rainbow colours. As we approach the doorway, someone steps up to Loki, and I see that it’s his father, Chad.

“A word, son,” he says, voice cold, and ignoring me completely.

“Just give me a minute,” Loki replies, his voice just as devoid of warmth as his father’s.

“Now, boy,” Chad hisses, grabbing Loki’s arm and halting his steps. Loki glares, his gaze scathing.

“It’s okay, Loki. I’ll just be a moment,” I assure him, unable to wait any longer as the urge to empty my bladder becomes desperate. I hurry off, not able to wait for a reply, and rush to the loos, making it just in the nick of time.

After taking care of business, I wash up and head back outside to find a man, partly in shadow, waiting for me.

“Adrian?” I ask, squinting, then straightening up as the moon emerges from behind a cloud, highlighting his features. His grey suit is tailored to perfection, his black hair littered with more grey than when I saw him back in England.

“Lilly, congratulations,” he replies, his voice smooth, and a little detached, his dark eyes locked onto mine. I mean, it has taken him all night to approach me, to congratulate me properly, and a fissure of anger runs through me at how this man, my only blood family, cares less than my chosen family.

“Thank you,” I respond tightly, stepping to one side to pass him and head back to the party. He steps with me, and the anger that had been coiling in my stomach turns cold.

“I hate to do this here, today of all days, Lilly. But I’ve had news. About your mom,” he tells me, stopping me dead as ice travels down my spine.

“About mum?” I repeat, taking a step closer to him. My heart races, and my palms sweat as his words sink in. “Have they found who did it?”

Before he answers, something sharp stings my neck, and my hand flies to the spot to bat the bug away. Only my hand doesn’t make it all the way there, suddenly feeling too heavy to lift as my knees go weak.

“What the…” I trail off, my lips unable to form the rest of the sentence as my tongue grows heavy in my mouth.

My legs give out, and I hit the forest floor with a thud, unfeeling of the twigs and stones that poke my body. A dark shape leans down, a soft touch brushing my hair from my face, as words caress my ears.

“Enjoy your honeymoon.”

I vaguely recall someone else tonight saying those exact words to me, but my brain is sluggish, and I can’t seem to make the connection. The sounds of the music from the party fade, the bright lights of the marquee dimming, before everything goes black.