Page 51 of Fall Before Her Throne

Without power, there was no safety.

“And how far are you willing to go to achieve that power?” he asked. “Will you sacrifice her for it?”

“Never.” I stood to meet him face to face. “This is all for her.”

“This is for you. Because you’re too afraid to live in a world that you can’t control.”

“You know nothing about me, Volpe.” I crowded him, forcing him to take a step back.

His eyes were as hard as steel. “Then what is it you actually want?”

“I want everything Greco has because that is the only way we all survive,” I answered.

“You’re lying to yourself if you⁠—”

The door creaking open cut him off. Both our heads whipped toward it.

“Obi?” Her voice was quiet, with a tremor in it. She stood by the threshold, one hand braced against it, while she watched us with a frown. I recognized Caspian’s shirt hanging over her frame, her thighs peeking out from under it.

“What’s wrong, nke’m?” Her eyes flicked to Max and then back to me, but her lips pressed together. The paleness of her cheeks clued me in. “Nightmares?”

She nodded tightly.

“You have nightmares?” Volpe asked, voice tight.

She ignored him and looked at me. “It’s late. Sleep with me?”

“Of course.” I walked to her so I could thread my hand through her hair. “My room or yours?”

“Yours,” she said. “I just want to lie down.”

I glanced over my shoulder. “Go to your room, Volpe, and stay there.”

He glared, but he didn’t argue. With one soft look to Leona, which she ignored, he sat back down and braced his head in his hands.

I wrapped my arm around her, and together we left.

15

WYNN

The next morning, when the light peeked through the windows and shone over Ciel’s fluffy brown hair, I woke up to warmth and comfort.

It was contentment in the way I’d never believed I could ever feel before. Before I found them. Before they helped me see that I could let go of the pain of my past and move forward.

Ciel had shifted throughout the night, and he was now curled up in the bed facing me, while on his other side, Cas had cuddled even closer. Leona was missing, but she had woken up with a start in the middle of the night. When I tried to ask if everything was okay, she kissed me softly and then eased her way out of the bed—probably to find Obi.

Ciel’s breaths were shallow, but even. His eyelashes brushed against the skin of his cheek. Gently, I smoothed my finger over his cheekbone, but he didn’t move.

Everyone was exhausted from the last few days. They needed to rest, but my body was restless. It needed to move.

Reluctantly, I disentangled myself and left Cas and Ciel still sleeping. I threw on some clothes and then made my way out of the room Ciel and I had claimed. We were still getting used to this house, but the more I saw signs of our life, the more like home it felt.

It didn’t matter where we lived. The people inside it made it feel that way. Home. Everytime I thought about how lucky I was, my chest went tight and it became hard to breathe.

In the kitchen, I filled a glass with water. My eyes were drawn to the back patio. I’d worked out there a few mornings already. My body practically screamed with need.

The backyard was huge. Trees closed us in on all sides, acting like a fence or barrier from the outside world. I couldn’t believe Obi found this house, let alone bought it. It seemed perfect for us. There was plenty of space, it was private and closed-off, and it was still close to the city. The air outside was crisp, but it wasn’t bad, especially not when I got moving.