Page 36 of Lunar Diamonds (Celestial Magic #1)

RILEY

E rin took serious umbrage over our actions.

She turned a furious shade of purple as she spoke. “You did not plan properly. You were reckless and could have died. There are steps to be taken, potions to be drunk.”

“We drank Rubberskin,” Isaac snapped back.

“We wanted to help those people,” I said with a calmer tone.

I didn’t want this to spiral.

“At the expense of yourselves?” she retorted. “If we lose you, this all ends. And now I have to deal with the clean-up. How are we supposed to explain those corpses on the beach?”

What was wrong with her face? It seemed to be more lined, as if she’d aged overnight.

She continued. “Do you not understand how precious you are? If you’d died out there, then?—”

“Then nothing!” Isaac yelled. “Stop banging on about it.”

“Not until you understand,” she clapped back.

“What? That we’re prisoners here, doing fuck all to make a difference?” He huffed, folding his arms tightly. “What’s the point? Let this house stay fallen. We’re clearly not cut out for this. Down a brother, his diamonds are nowhere to be found,” he jutted a thumb at me, “and one of mine is fucked.”

Erin wasn’t happy, the purple of her face intensifying. “How dare you! This house is sacred. You are sacred, blessed by Hecate to fight in her name. To rise up against the threat of?—”

Isaac cut her off. “We couldn’t stop a small ritual on the beach. How are we supposed to save the world?”

I wouldn’t have called it small.

Erin threw up her hands. “I’m done talking to you.” She left the room.

My brother dumped himself on the sofa. “Fuck her. She wasn’t out there. She’s…” He didn’t finish. “I’m getting out of here.”

My stomach dropped. “What? You can’t!”

“Watch me.” He pulled out his phone, making a call.

“Isaac please.”

He held his palm in my face. “Hello? Yes. I need picked up. The Aurora Mansion. Yep, still here. I told you to shove your questions. Send a car. Now. Do what I pay you to do.” He hung up with an angry tap of his screen.

I wouldn’t want to be part of his staff.

I implored him to stay. “You can’t leave me here.”

“Honey, I don’t know you well enough to care.”

Wow. That hurt. “But what about…us?”

He gave me a sympathetic look as he got to his feet. “Look, I like you. We can stay in touch. But not like this. Give me a call. I’ll fly you out to New York, Paris, Milan, wherever. We’ll have fun.”

“But—”

“I’m done.” He strode toward the main door, the siblings standing either side of it this whole time in silence, their berating probably coming next.

“I’ll call you with a location to send my stuff to,” he told them.

“Yes, sir,” April answered.

I couldn’t stand this. “You’re just letting him go?”

“It’s up to him, sir,” Aaron said.

“But… But we can’t give up now. We just can’t.” Defeat weighed me down. “Isaac…”

At least he had the decency to appear sad. “I’m sorry, little brother.”

Drake came up beside me. “Riley…”

I turned on him. “Leave me alone!”

He stepped back. “I?—”

“I’m not interested in anything you have to say.”

He dipped his head.

“Yeah. Carry on with the silent treatment.”

“You just said?—”

“Whatever!” I screamed like a petulant child.

Isaac left the mansion without another word. I watched the lights of his car vanish into the night with tears streaming down my face.

Drake lurked in the corner, a silent sentinel.

“Maybe I should do the same” I said, sniffling.

But I can’t do it without you, I thought.

Done with this night, the tears in full flow, I returned to my room, Drake forced into his.

Damn this mansion.

Damn this whole thing.

I threw myself onto the bed, breaking down into agonizing sobs, wishing for a time machine to take me back to Friday morning. Before the attack at work. Before my world changed.

Please…

Please let me go back…