Drowning with Fire #3 ✔

Chapter 20 - Theo

The next morning, we walked to the Milburns' house. Halia stayed behind to make sure Victoria didn't escape – but I doubted leaving her there alone, so I suggested that Ryder run back and keep on an eye on things. So he did.

No one even batted an eye at how my suggestions were instantly approved of and followed without hesitation. It felt... natural, in a way.

Last night, in order to avoid me 'whipping my claws out', as Ryder suggested, we agreed that we needed to visit Esther Milburn at first light. Yet exhaustion coursed through my veins and made my brain slow.

Overnight, I'd driven myself into a lucid state of induced insomnia. I couldn't stop thinking about Ember; about how incapable and useless I was when she needed me most – when Killian killed her.

Even as I tried to focus on Edgar Allan Poe's short stories (which there were a lot of in Wednesday's house), the scene replayed on a loop. Flickering through the words on the page in front of me, pulsating behind my eyes incessantly.

As Thea, Wednesday, Al and I neared Ember's house, my dulled senses seemed to reawaken. Beside me, a bush rustled and I snapped my head to it rapidly as I stopped in my tracks – instantaneously shifting to my wolf's eyes.

"It's just a bird," Al dismissed without a second thought.

Sure enough, a small garden bird hopped into view, tilted its head at me in momentary wonder, then carried on about its business. I let my eyes return to normal – at least I still have control. I let loose the breath I didn't realise I was holding.

For as long as I can remember, I've been used to nature – finding more comfort in the wild than amongst hordes of other people... But why had that bird made me so uneasy?

Because Killian's presence corrupts everything, the dark part of my mind contributed.

"You alright?" Thea stopped walking as Wednesday and Al went on.

"Just..." I looked away from the bushes and forced myself to look at her. "Didn't really get much sleep last night."

"It's okay, Theo." Her concern remained, though reassurance now tinged it. "We're all tense. We need to be at the moment..."

"Thea..." I bit my lip as I raised my gaze to meet hers. "When Killian... When she died, there was nothing I could do to help her."

I probably looked like the picture of desolation; I stood with my arms hanging limply at my sides, my face ashen thanks to lack of true rest.

"I won't tell you what Ember would or wouldn't want you to feel if she was here, 'cos she's not. But you can't beat yourself up over it." Drawing a little closer to me, Thea's hazel eyes softened with sisterly attention as she looked me over. "She'll come back to us tonight, and we'll figure this Killian chaos out together and we'll help Kaden."

With a small smile making its way onto my face, I admitted, "You remind me of Mom so much."

"That's 'cos families support one another." Thea smiled back, opening her arms to me.

Finding comfort in her embrace, I told her <Thank you> silently, without even realising I was transmitting it telepathically.

"You two coming or what?" Al yelled back to us impatiently. Even from a slight distance, I could see her dark brows arched downwards.

Thea and I rolled our eyes in sync, and I felt a strong surge of gratitude well up within me.

Gratitude to my twin sister for being with me; gratitude to my dad for reuniting us; gratitude to my mom – my entire family, really. With my mom's Phoenix having passed to Thea after the house fire, it felt like Mom's spirit lived on in Thea.