The Golden Key by Cass Geller

Author:Cass Geller [Geller, Cass]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Aurelia

The spell was completed with the utmost speed, no one in our group wanted to prolong the situation we’d currently found ourselves in. Eva took in the inside of the house in fascination, something I’d done myself not long ago. Mads stayed silent, sticking close to my side wherever I went, acting as my shadow. I was grateful he wasn’t making a bigger fuss, letting his youngest brother take on the role of intimidator.

Xav, the ever present host, had made us a tray of tea and biscuits while Bea sat in her favourite armchair, glowering at our new guest. It was clear no one was overly excited Eva had come knocking. I was restless with anticipation of what she had to tell us.

We waited for Xav to pour the tea, which no one touched, before settling down in the seat across from Eva, readying himself to play the questioner. His body language was open in an attempt to draw out a semblance of safety for Eva. I knew the posture well, having been on the receiving end of it so many times since I arrived.

“Eva let’s start from the beginning. Can you tell us a little more about what happened before Aurelia escaped?”

Escaped. Not left. Xav knew the reason I fled was the result of things inflicted on me, not by my own choices.

Eva fidgeted, looking for a position to give her the confidence to begin. She took a long, slow breath before answering, “Aurelia and I have never been close. Even before Archer disappeared. It was always Archer and Aurelia. I was happy for them. I had always been the apple of my parent’s eyes. I was the pretty one. The perfect one. Well, perfect for the lives they strived to live.”

Her tone didn’t indicate those judgements brought her happiness, rather they were spat from her mouth in disgust.

“And what life was that?”

Eva’s eyes locked on Xav, she said. “A life of power. Influence. One where they would never be the order takers, instead, the order givers.”

“It wasn’t for a lack of trying, Aurelia and I. There were some points in our childhood where I thought we could build a relationship. Be more than sisters. Maybe even friends.”

I shifted, a move Mads recognised. Sensing my discomfort, he shuffled slightly to get closer to me on the couch. His body heat, coupled with the surrounding cedar dancing across my nose, brought me a slight reprieve. I knew he wouldn’t offer direct touch, wanting me to face these incidents and memories without physical support.

“Then Archer disappeared,” Eva continued, a hint of sadness echoing her words. “Our worlds were turned upside down. I thought our parents would be wrecked over the loss of Archer. All it really did was fuel their fire for more power. The loss meant my father wouldn’t have a male heir and ultimately no one to try and overtake him. Mother began living her life even more lavishly. At first, I thought it was a coping mechanism to losing her only son.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.