Passion and Despair

Chapter 20- Home Again

The Witches, banshees, werewolves, and Vampires all traveled closely around Westhaven to the old estate that Darcy and Penny had grown up in. The very estate that Thomas had met Darcy for the first time. 

Over the few days after White Lotus was attacked, Darcy was healing just fine. Except she could not speak. Lila spoke the truth that the damage was done. The venom from this mysterious vampire had damaged her ability to speak or wail. However, Darcy was able to still communicate through telepathy. 

Darcy dreaded going back after what happened, but she knew it was their only chance at survival. The only place they could hold all the supernatural safely. She didn't have a choice. She had to work through the guilt of killing Thomas or this estate will kill her.

She walked hand and hand with Thomas until the estate was in sight. She let go and her eyes seemed to look at the ground rather than ahead. Regret of what she'd done when she lost control had taken over her mind. "What's wrong?" Thomas asked Darcy not long after she'd let go of his hand. She didn't say anything telepathically as he had learned to expect when she really wanted to speak. She didn't say anything and that concerned him more.

"Darcy?" He frowned at her dejected look. He looked back at the estate and sighed after seeing the hole in the side of the ballroom. He then knew what was wrong. "Is it about what happened?" He asked, "When you almost killed me?"

She shook her head, but he knew she was lying. He sighed, "You've nothing to worry about." It's not that. It's just...it's just- I could've lost you forever in there if mother hadn't shown up, Darcy explained, How can you possibly forgive me? "Because it wasn't you," He said stopping and taking her hands in his. She looked up at him with saddened eyes. "It wasn't you, My love," He repeated. But it was, Darcy replied. "You were hurting. In pain!" Thomas tried to reason but soon realized he couldn't, "There's nothing I can say that will change your mind about this. All I can say is: 'I forgive you' and 'I love you'. Nothing you could ever do will change that."

It will be difficult to figure out a way to forgive myself, but I will try, Darcy replied as Penny paced up to them with Roman. Darcy tensed up and stepped closer to Thomas. "So, it's already been worked out that you two will take Darcy's old room," Penny said. She frowned at her sister's reaction to the two being near her. "Is something wrong?" Penny asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing that something was up.

Darcy had been avoiding them the past few days. Roman never really recovered from Darcy's reaction to him when he went to check on her. It hurt him to see the woman who would normally trust him with her life be afraid of him. He didn't even know what he did wrong. It couldn't just be a vampire? Could it?

He and Penny would argue about it several times as Penny didn't want to believe that Darcy was afraid of him. She didn't want to understand why until she saw Darcy cling to Thomas when they were near or avoid go out of her way to avoid Roman. She knew something was wrong, but didn't want to confront Darcy while she couldn't speak.

"She was just expressing some anxieties after what happened the last time we were here," Thomas explained to throw Penny off what Darcy's real problem is. "Oh, okay," Penny replied. She knew that Thomas was telling only a half- truth, but let it go, "Well why don't you two head on up and get some rest. Darcy especially needs it after everything that's happened. The rest." "Thank you," Thomas nodded and began to walk away with his arm wrapped around Darcy.

I hate to say it, but I don't think she fully bought that, Darcy's voice chimed in his head, She's going to ask what's up eventually. We have to tell them. He looked at her and noticed she was pale. "We will have to deal with it later. You're not looking so good," He replied. I'm not? She frowned, "I feel fine." "You're really pale. You weren't that way earlier," He explained, "You need to lie down."