Myopia (Young Adult Zombie Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria Series) (22 page)

Bruno gripped her shoulder and attempted to force her out.

“I can move on my own.” She shrugged him away.

Clutching her forearm, the Captain dragged her through the corridor.

Without thinking, she jabbed his upper arm with her fist, causing him to flinch and loosen his grip enough for her to break free and run. “Sir Charles, you will hear me.” She sprinted back to the Mayor’s office.

“Bloody hell,” Bruno yelled, running after her.

She kept moving until she crashed into Didan, who was descending the stairs.

Getting off the dazed Famila, she ran back, but felt a sharp blow on her neck that sent her tumbling to the hard floor. “Ahh,” she cried. As she tried to get up, someone stepped down on her neck.

“You ready to leave now, girl?” Bruno seethed, forcing his heel onto her skin.

“Ohh!” She tried to get up. “Stop.”

“Get off her, Bruno,” Charles said casually.

“Are you going to leave now?” Bruno asked her. “Answer me!”

“Yes, yes,” she cried out. “I’ll go. Just get off me, please.”

Bruno stepped back.

Getting up, she raced out, head down, avoiding the judgmental stares of the crowd who had gathered to watch her debacle. “You’re going to regret this.”

“She’s just being hysterical because of her mother,” Bruno commented. “You know how emotional women can be.”

“Give her a break, her stepfather walked out on the family,” a woman at the entrance remarked.

“Can you blame him?” Bruno chuckled.

Standing by the main doors, Alba and Benet watched while wearing emotionless expressions, as she raced by.

Humiliated and furious, Wisteria had heard all their remarks.
When she reached the farmhouse, she saw Bach waiting in her hallway. It was strange that he was there so soon.

“Hey.” She was relieved to see an ally. “What’s wrong? Why are you here?”

“What were you thinking?” He marched up to her. “Why did you go to Charles Davenport?”

She froze.
Of course, he was mad.
She hadn’t considered how he’d react, knowing she’d seen Charles after he more or less asked her not to.
But I don’t need his permission to do what’s best for my people.
He couldn’t expect her to do nothing now that Didan had effectively sealed them on the Isle of Smythe. “I wanted to find out why the patrols were stopped,” she answered frankly.

“And you told him about the Family, did you not?”

“Bach.”

“You expect him to challenge Didan or something? Didan is a
lead empiric
. If Charles asked too many questions, he would just kill him!” he exclaimed as he stood close to her. “And all you have done is put your Mayor’s life at risk and if Didan saw you or knows you are asking any kind of questions, he might figure something out.”

“What was I supposed to do? You effectively let him shut us down.”

“I told you Alba and I had this handled.” His hot breath seemed to burn her skin. “You have got to trust us.”

“Trust you.” Wisteria turned to the direction of her mother’s room. Sure, the Family wasn’t a group of magical little creatures, but why did this Sleeping Fever strike now? “When were you going to tell me that your people brought this here?” She guessed at this, hoping Bach would prove her wrong. “They used the Sleeping Fever to get in and earn the trust of everyone here.”

“I did not know they did that until after they arrived. There was nothing I could do to stop it,” he responded.

“But you knew eventually.” Covering her mouth, she stopped herself from screaming. “You knew they did this to my mother and you didn’t say anything?”

“I—”

“He did not know until a few hours ago.” Alba appeared from one of the rooms. “I did not want to interrupt, but I could hear everything from in there.”

“What are you doing here?” She glared at the Famila girl.

“He told to me wait in there.” She seemed sincere, but Wisteria knew deep down she was two-faced.

 
“I can wait outside if that is better,” Alba offered, but didn’t move.

“No, I am going too. Wisteria, wait and keep out of sight. Alba will take care of everything. Please?”

Biting her lip, she shook her head. “I have to go to school, Bach. Otherwise, Town Hall will cut my rations.”

“Do not worry. The schools and most workplaces are closed. That way people have more time at home to recover,” Alba continued.

“This was Didan’s idea,” Wisteria muttered.

“This is what we need. You can stay with Lara and you will not be disturbed. It is perfect,” he said enthusiastically.

“So, the factory’s not reopening?” Wisteria sought clarification.

“It will soon,” Alba assured her.

“But when the merchants come to trade with us, we may not have enough to give them.” While she was grateful having more time with her mother without the pressure of making it to school, there was less than two months before the cold of winter would really set in.

The residents had only a short window to trade for fuel and supplies from the sea merchants, as they didn’t sail much in the winter months. There was also work to do in order to get the last of the harvest in or they’d barely have enough food this winter.

“We have that sorted out,” Alba continued. “Just worry about your mother and your family here. Let us deal with the major issues.”

“We should let the Family run our lives?” Wisteria accused.

“Wisteria, why do you not understand this?” he demanded sternly.

“You know it’s funny that you’re here fighting me, when Bruno attacked me,” she protested as she pointed to her neck. “I thought you’d be wondering how I was after that.”

“Who attacked you?” He peered closely at her.

“Bruno Morel.” As she was still wearing her thick coat and scarf, he couldn’t see if she was bruised or not.

“Can I see?” He moved toward her.

“He did not attack you. You fell,” Alba countered. “I saw you when you tripped, trying to get away from him.”

“What?” Wisteria glared at the girl.

“When the man asked you to stop, you kept running,” Alba continued. “I might have been wrong. Anything’s possible.”

“Is that what happened?” he asked her.

Wisteria glanced at him. “You even have to ask?”

“No it—” Bach attempted explain.

But she’d had enough. “How did you two even get in here? And why did you think that was okay?” Waving her hands, she said, “I don’t want to know, just go.”

Bach looked over at Alba. “Can you leave us to talk alone?”

Alba nodded subtly and left the house.

“I assumed you would not mind, because your brother asked us to wait until you came back,” he said. “He went out. Where did he hurt you?”

“Forget it. I don’t need to prove anything to you or anyone.” She couldn’t believe he thought she was making it up.

“Let me see.” He slipped the green scarf from around her neck and it dropped to the floor. Gently, he tried to tilt her head back. “I do not see anything.”

“So you don’t believe me?” Pulling his hands from her skin, she stepped back. “You think I’m inventing this? Bruno might have been renewed, so he’ll do whatever those monsters want.”

“No, you were wearing a coat and scarf, so that probably helped stop you from bruising,” he replied coldly.

“But you really don’t believe me?”

“No, that is not it. I just find this frustrating.” He picked up her scarf.

“Oh.” Her getting hurt was a frustration now?

“If you had left with me like I wanted, none of this would have happened.”

“It’s my fault I got hurt because I didn’t abandon my mother to die?” Snatching her scarf away from him, she marched to the door. “While you’re here hanging out with
her
.”

“Alba?” He groaned and rubbed his temples.

“Listen, thanks for helping watch my mum. I’ll keep a lower profile going forward.” She tried to sound upbeat, so he wouldn’t think she was upset. “I’ll see you later.”

“Wait, wait, you are still jealous of her?”

“No, I’m not, but you two spend a lot of time together. You seem so close and it’s weird for me.”

“Weird?” Bach exclaimed. “Didan and the others expect me to help them and if I disappear, they will ask questions and those questions
will
eventually lead to you. So, would you rather I spend time with Didan or any of the other Famila? The actual ones who would tear you apart if they found out half of what Alba knows? Wisteria, understand this: if they do find you, you will be lucky if they just kill you. I cannot let that happen to you.”

Backing away, she felt like a six-year-old reacting the way she had. He was trying to protect her, but she hated feeling helpless, and reacted childishly. There was nothing she could do to stop the empirics. Maybe that was why she was overreacting. Wisteria wondered now if maybe Alba had just made a genuine mistake.
Well, I want to believe that.

“We have a Mosroc, so you will always be closer to me than anyone. Nothing could ever happen between me and Alba, just like I know you and Steven will never…” Pausing, he seethed at the mention of his assumed rival. “I hate that boy.”

“And I don’t trust that girl with my life or yours.”

“Why? Has she done or said anything to make you feel that way?”

Telling him that the girl had compared her to a bonobo seemed overly petty and something Wisteria was ashamed to bring up again. “I don’t think she likes me. She pretends she does when you’re here. If you want me to trust you, you have to stay away from Alba.”

“That is not trust. Either you trust me or you do not.”

“I don’t trust
her
.”

“If she was going to betray us, she could have killed you in my den in Forrester or told Didan before he got here.”

“And maybe she has or still might.”

“Didan has no tolerance for humans and Family
communing.
If he knew, he would have acted long ago.”

“Unless, he’s also planning something?”

“Planning what?” Looking out through the window at Alba as she talked with Amanda, he smiled. “She is a good friend and her brother is my closest friend.”

“Felip was your friend too, and look what he did.”

“She is nothing like Felip.”

“And maybe if it was your mother’s life that was on the line you’d feel differently.”

“My mother
.” He squinted angrily. “You would bring my mother into this because of a girl?”

“No—I—” she stuttered, sensing he was upset.

“You have said enough.” In seconds, he was at the door.

“Listen, Bach, I—”

“Just keep your mother safe and do not let any Thayns in.” Opening the door, he stopped and turned. “A Thayn cannot say their old name because it is burned from their minds. Anyone who cannot tell you their full name could be one. Do you understand?”