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Lila swallowed hard. Meetings had tied up her father for days. He’d sent her a few messages here and there telling her more about his forced retirement, but none had explained what had gone on between him and the committee.
Perhaps she’d get answers at dinner instead of vague pleasantries.
Footsteps scraped on the stone behind her. Cecily hadn’t bothered to dress for the day. Her tangled hair had been curled into a bun, and she carried a few books in her arms. She stopped several steps away from Lila, peering at her with wide red eyes.
“Nico and Delilah died in this room.”
Lila nodded, not wanting to speak about it. “Have you talked with Camille?”
“Once. I don’t think I’ll talk with her again for a very long time.” She squeezed her books as though they were a stuffed bear, and sat next to Lila on the couch. “She lied about everything. She and Achille just pretended to be my friends. I brought them into this compound. If I hadn’t done that, Nico and Delilah wouldn’t have died.”
“If lots of people had done lots of things differently, Nico and Delilah might not have died. Me included. But if you had done something differently, then this compound wouldn’t even exist. They came to spy. They came to destroy. Then they met you, and their allegiances changed. They protected you, your aunt, and the secrets of the oracles. You did that.”
“It had nothing to do with me.”
“It had everything to do with you, and you know it.”
Cecily licked her lips. “Sometimes I got worried that something was going on between Camille and Achille. Sometimes I suspected that he had cheated on me with her. Sometimes, I’d catch them whispering or talking, and they’d change the subject as soon as I walked into the room. After he left, she seemed to know more than what she said about his disappearance. I thought it was proof. It only made me cry harder.”
“Now you know.”
“Now I know that he didn’t love me at all. Now I know he’s dead. I don’t even know how to feel about that.”
“You don’t have to figure it out today. How you feel is how you feel.”
“I just feel confused.”
“Then let yourself feel confused.”
“My aunt and my mother asked if Camille could stay on the compound. They say she’s important. I think they’re fools. How is anyone supposed to trust her now?”
Lila shifted on the couch, trying to find a more comfortable angle. “I don’t know what to tell you, Cecily. I had a friend who proved false. In the end, she betrayed me and the trust of my family just to get ahead in life. A good man lost everything because of her actions, and she didn’t even care.”
“She sounds awful.”
“The difference between her and Camille is that Camille did everything within her power to keep you and your aunt safe. Maybe she could have made better decisions, but she made the ones she did to help everyone on this compound, not herself. She’d die before she betrayed you and your family, and that kind of loyalty is exceedingly rare.”
“And Achille?”
“He’s more complicated, isn’t he? They both did their best, Cecily. That might not make it better for you, but it is what it is.”
Lila turned at the sound of more footsteps.
Kenna paused at the lobby entrance in her white robe, her eyes skating over the room. “I’ve been looking for you, Lila,” she said, stopping at the end of the couch. “Mòr wanted me to speak with you before dinner.”
Cecily’s eyes traveled back and forth between them. “I should go study.” She gathered up her things, gave a brief nod to Lila, and scooted out into the cold.
Kenna took her daughter’s place on the couch. “It’s the eve of the Winter Solstice. You should come to our cabin tonight with Dixon. We always watch the same two movies and eat ourselves into a sugar coma. It’ll be fun. We’ll sweat too close to a roaring fire—”
“That’s a given if you let Dixon anywhere near it.”
“We would be very honored if you would celebrate with us.”
Lila fiddled with her shamrock bracelet. “On any other night, I’d join you, but my father messaged me a few moments ago. He throws a family dinner party every year for the Winter Solstice. He and I need to talk.”
“Join us after dinner if you’re not too tired.”
“I’ll do that. Is that what your sister wanted to talk to me about?”
