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We get in the car with Leroy. The drive to Oakes Estate is torturous. Every second of it, I spent staring out the window, looking for a familiar shadow or a sign. But there's nothing. Night is starting to descend on Eden Falls, bringing its secrets with it.
"Do we have a plan?" I finally ask Dexter once we pull into the Estate's driveway.
"You and Emilian will wait close by while I meet with her," he explains. "I'll be talking to her, since she only contacted me."
We get out of the car and walk up to the entrance where Emilian's already waiting.
The events of the last few years have made him seem smaller, more fragile. I regard him with cool indifference, but offer a curt nod in acknowledgement. He does the same with me and my husband.
Together, we set up camp in the family dining room. The house seems empty and sad now that Father is the only one who lives here. I can't help but notice how lonely it seems here.
"There's already been a sighting," Dex fills the silence. "A woman of her age, similar features, in town. At first they thought she was homeless. An addict."
"Why?" I ask, furrowing my brows.
"She was painfully thin," Dex shrugs. "But do you remember the Meyers? The doctor she killed... It was his son who saw her in town. He's positive it was her."
"We'll have to be careful tonight," Emilian cuts in. "Our priority is Lily Anna."
"No," I interrupt him icily. "Our priority is Reign."
"You don't even know if she has him," Father snarls.
"I don't give a shit," I spit back. "I want him back. I don't care about her. She's better off dead if you ask me, because if I get my hands on her, I'll kill her myself."
"Likewise," Dex growls.
Father stares at us, shaking his head as he laughs. "I'm not letting you hurt her."
"Of course not," Dex mutters. "She's the last person around that you can hurt, isn't she? You've gotten rid of Pandora's mother. Of Bryony. Brazen and Tianna are gone. You have nothing left. No one."
Emilian looks so shocked about Dex's words I almost start to feel guilty. For a moment, I'm convinced his facade will break. He'll show his vulnerability and let us see how hard the past six years have really been on h
im. But a moment later, his mask is back in place, the turmoil forgotten. He won't break. He can't let himself do that, not even now.
"That's beside the point," he hisses after a long pause. "You two worry about your son, and I'll take care of the girl."
"Fine," we grunt in unison.
The rest of the evening, we set up watch around the cliffs. Father and Dexter pace the outer perimeter, hoping to get to Lily Anna before the meeting. I wait in an old boathouse, hidden behind a broken wooden canu. It gives me just enough shelter so Lily Anna will think I'm part of the shadows, while providing a good view of the cliffs.
And it's why I see her first.
Lily Anna climbs over the edge of the cliff. It's her - definitely her, with the same defiant upturned chin and beautiful doll-like face. But she's painfully thin. Emaciated.
My fingers tighten on the canu so much I'm afraid I'll break the wood, and I retreat further in the shadows as Lily Anna inspects the empty cliff.
It's five minutes to midnight. Dexter will be here soon enough to wait for her. None of us anticipated she'd get here this way - we thought she'd come from the surrounding forest, not from the water and rocks at the bottom of the cliff.
I'm still trying to figure out how she managed to climb up here when I see Dexter approaching. His steps are heavy as they hit the ground, and he doesn't betray me - he keeps his eyes focused on Lily Anna, so she won't suspect anyone else is here.
The former lovers face off. The tension in the air is palpable.
"Where's Reign?" Dex asks calmly.
"Dexter," Lily Anna breathes, completely overhearing his question. "I'm so glad you're here. You have to help me."
"Where's Reign, you bitch?" Dex hisses now, making her take a step back.
