Page 44 of House of Darkness (The Fallen Star #1)

ESTRELLA

Istared into the vanity mirror, and a stranger stared back.

Weak and battered. My lip was split where Codran had hurled me against the cell bars, and my skin bore a patchwork of green and yellow bruises.

A haunted glaze lingered in my eyes that I just couldn’t shake.

The worst mark was the bite Codran left, a black ring spidering out into dark veins, a constant reminder of his venom.

In my hand, I clutched a simple cotton neck cuff. I hesitated. Would putting it on mean hiding the bite in shame, or would not wearing it draw unwanted attention? Maybe I was overthinking it; maybe it didn’t matter at all. Nothing seemed to these days.

Roman stood a few steps behind me, his hands tucked into his pockets. “Do you want me to help you?”

I laughed—a harsh, broken sound. The last time he helped me with a neck cuff, it was to cover that he had respected my wishes.

Now it would only conceal the truth that someone else hadn’t.

Back then, my biggest problems had been my feelings for Roman and my quest for freedom.

My entire world had flipped upside down, yet here we were, as if nothing had changed.

The irony would have been funny if it weren’t so tragic.

“No. There’s no point.” I dropped the cuff onto the vanity. Everyone in the castle had already seen the bite anyway.

It had been nearly a week since I woke up, and we’d spent most of that time holed up in my bedroom.

I couldn’t bear to face anyone, and he couldn’t stand to leave my side.

None of his exhaustion from my awakening remained; a few nights of sleep had restored him.

I could only wish for such a quick recovery.

“Let’s go.” I stood, shaking out the thick cotton skirts of my dress. I had avoided visiting the girls for a week, unable to confront their brokenness and my own failures. Roman had assured me it was okay, but I knew it was cowardly. Guilt had finally pulled me from bed.

Roman walked with me across the hall to where Charlotte and Solaris stayed. They had been offered their own rooms but had understandably chosen to stay together. At the threshold, Roman gave me a reassuring nod. “You saved them. Remember that.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I muttered.

He sighed, but he didn’t argue. I was grateful—arguing was beyond my energy. “I’m just one floor up, okay? If you need anything, just think it. I’ll hear you—”

“I’ll be okay.” I forced a smile we both knew was fake. “Quit worrying, mother hen.”

He sighed and reached for my cheek, then hesitated, dropping his hand. “If I’m not back when you’re done, you can come find me if you’d like.”

Then he left, leaving me alone. I took a shaky breath. If I thought about it too long, I’d find a reason to flee. Instead, I gripped the handle and shoved the door open before I could think twice.

I nearly collided with Catina on the other side.

Her short hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, her eyes ringed with exhaustion.

We stood frozen for what felt like an eternity.

I wanted to lash out, to hurt her with my venomous hatred.

But that hatred wasn’t meant for her, she was just here.

Instead, I held my chin high. “I wanted to see them.”

Catina nodded, stepping aside. The room resembled mine, adorned in soft sages and browns, with a wall of arched windows. A four-poster bed had been pushed against one wall, and another crammed beside it. In the center stood a tea table, haphazardly set with four chairs.

Isabella sat with Charlotte and Solaris.

In front of them was a platter of picked-over food.

I stepped to my sister’s side, resisting the urge to cringe.

Solaris had always been remarkably beautiful, but now her light was extinguished.

She looked skeletal. Her once-vibrant eyes were dead and flat.

Someone had braided her hair, but its luster had vanished.

Her skin was pale, marred with bruises, bite marks, and cuts.

Charlotte didn’t look any better. It was as if their life forces had been siphoned away through bloodthirsty fangs.

Solaris smiled at me as I sat, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “We’re free now, like you said.”

I willed my lips to curve. It felt unnatural, but I had to try. “I told you. You’re safe now.”

“Safe,” she echoed, staring beyond me at the windows. “It’s so bright here.”

My vision blurred, tears threatening to spill. “It is. There are windows throughout the castle. You’ll never be kept in darkness again.”

She nodded, distracted. Charlotte spoke next. “What are we supposed to do now?”

Even now, I was surprised by her clarity. Charlotte, with her tone and mannerisms of a highly intelligent woman, had suffered too. Small curls were already escaping the confines of her braid. Her dark skin concealed some of her bruises, but I could tell she was just as badly beaten as Solaris.

I looked to Isabella for answers I knew she didn’t have. She merely shrugged, defeated. I turned back to Charlotte, not bothering to feign a smile. There was no happiness here. “Whatever you want to do.”

Charlotte studied the backs of her hands, placed neatly on the table. “I lived with Codran for eight years. That’s all I know. I don’t even know where my children are.”

Before I could respond, her chocolate eyes locked onto mine, burning with enough intensity to leave mere embers in my gut. “It’s interesting how we endured so much, and now we’re safe and expected to move on as if it never happened. What would you do?”

I felt so incredibly small. She had endured that basement for eight years; I had barely managed a week. “I don’t know,” I admitted.

Catina placed her hand on the back of Solaris’ chair, throwing my sister a brief glance before locking eyes with Charlotte. “I’d find my children and take them back. I’d destroy every person who knew of my suffering and did nothing. Then I’d become as powerful as I could just to spite them.”

“That’s an interesting thought,” Charlotte replied.

I stared at Catina for a few moments, my eyes wide, then turned back to Charlotte. “Whatever you want to do, I will help you in any way I can.”

I meant it. My horrors were just a drop in the bucket compared to the countless girls who had suffered. Their cries for help had fallen on deaf ears for centuries. No more. A fire raged behind my eyes, drying my unshed tears. There would be no more crying—only fury.

I stood. There was work to be done.

I closed the door, only to hear it click open once more. I spun around to find Catina leaning against the frame. My venomous words spilled out with little resistance. “If you hurt my sister, I’ll make it my life’s mission to end you.”

Catina looked taken aback. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not an idiot. I saw how you were looking at her. What happened to acolytes not being worth a damn? Why do you even care?”

Her eyes narrowed, and my heart skipped. I hated that she could sense my fear. “I never said that.”

“Pretty sure that’s what you insinuated when you decided to knock me down a few pegs before you even knew me.”

“If you think that, then you clearly weren’t listening,” she snarled, stepping closer. She was only a few inches taller than me, but she made me feel small.

“Oh, I was listening. ‘Acolytes are made for one purpose and one purpose only’—that’s what you said.”

She gestured to the closed door behind us. “Are they not? Look at what happened to those girls. This whole fucked-up system is designed to take innocent girls like Solaris and force them into slavery. I was trying to protect you, just like I wish I could’ve protected them!”

She took a steadying breath. “I sympathize with you because I’ve endured it.

I was a human, betrothed, only to be assaulted by that same man and left in the street to die.

All I wanted was a happy life with a husband and children, but now I’m here because a man decided what he could and couldn’t do with my body.

I didn’t want that to happen to you. I’m sorry if that makes me a bitch, but I’m not going to change. ”

I stared at her in silence. My first instinct was to apologize for all she had endured, but she didn’t want that. Hell, I hadn’t wanted that. Every time someone said it, it felt like a blow to the gut. I looked at the floor. “Thanks for helping them.”

Catina glanced longingly at the door behind her. “It’s not enough. It never is.”

“What do you think would be enough?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d do anything to help them, but it’s more than just safety. It’s like they need to relearn how to be people.”

Just like I had when I moved in. Every experience had felt like that of a child discovering the world for the first time. Having skills had been my saving grace, alongside my new family’s support. My goals had given me something to hold onto.

“What if I opened a craft shop? It could teach rescued acolytes skills, build community, and provide a safe space for them to earn money.”

“That’s not a bad idea. Isabella works with volunteer groups that do something similar… I could help you. Together we could do it,” Catina said thoughtfully.

It was like I was seeing her for the first time. Her eyes were wide with earnest. She wanted to help these girls as much as I did. “Thank you, Catina.”