Into the depths of shadows

Chapter 14 - The calm before the storm

The room had fallen into silence. It was so quiet that Finley could hear her own heartbeat like a drum in her chest. The steady rhythmic pattern was eerily hypnotic when she focused on it. The sharp intake of breath from Kade reminded her that she wasn't alone. Kade was standing in the middle of the room looking at her in disbelief. His green eyes were wide, his brows furrowed and his stance was rigid. She could tell that he was confused and shocked.

He hadn't said a word since she had told him that she had met Arlin. But the second the words had left her lips he had practically launched himself off the bed and to the centre of his room. He began to pace across the room, his head bent down in concentration. She wondered what was going through his mind. She fiddled with the edge of the sleeve of the jumper that she was wearing. She was anxious about what he was going to say. Was he mad at her?

He stopped abruptly on the spot like he had suddenly thought of something. His gaze fell upon her and she tensed up slightly. He moved across the room and sat back down beside her, running a hand through his dark hair. "Did he hurt you?" He asked softly.

Finley relaxed sighing before shaking his head, "No he didn't."
Kade's eyes searched her face before nodding. "Okay," he said, "How did you find Arlin?"

Finley nodded before launching into the story of how she had found him. Kade listened patiently as she spoke but she could tell that something was bothering him. "He told me what happened to my family," she finished.

Kade's eyes softened and he grabbed her hand gently. "Did you get the answers you were looking for?"

She nodded, "Yeah, he told me everything." She was silent for a moment her thoughts going back to her parents and her brother. "I expected to feel satisfied but I just feel angry. I thought that if I found out what happened to them I could finally get over it. But it only makes me want to kill Arlin more. He took my entire family from me for no reason. He made them suffer for no reason. And now he gets to live his life and I'm left with no one. How is that fair?"

"It's not fair Finn," Kade answered, "It was never going to be fair. Arlin takes what he wants because he has power. Everyone who has power thinks that they can do whatever they want without consequences. It's not right but we can't do anything to chance that."

"I could kill him," she said bitterly, "That would change it."
He squeezed her hand reassuringly, "No it wouldn't change it. If you killed Arlin maybe it would stop some bad things from happening for a while but someone else would just take his spot. The cycle is never ending Finn. There are always going to be good and bad people. No matter what we do we can't change that. I'm not saying that Arlin doesn't deserve it because he does. But at the end of the day his death wouldn't bring your family back."

She knew he was right but it didn't help the burning rage that was inside of her. She knew she couldn't kill Arlin because he would kill everyone she cared about but she still wanted to. "I asked him something else Kade," she started. His eyes met hers so full of love and faith that she hesitated slightly. But she knew she had to tell him the truth. "I asked him about your mother."

Her eyes drifted to the photograph that was sitting on his desk. It was of Kade as a child with his mother, both smiling happily at the camera. She took a deep breath and met his hopeful eyes. "She's still alive Kade. Arlin said that she works for him now as a maid. But I think he did something to her because he said she doesn't know that she has a son. "

She saw his hope shatter into a million pieces and it pained her. She could see that sadness written across his face. She touched his cheek gently, "I'm sorry Kade."

He was silent for a few moments. "But she's alive?" He questioned. Finley nodded in confirmation. Kade's eyes brightened slightly, "Then we can get her back."