Cruel Kings by Skye Knight

43

Camilla

I struggled against the heavy black veil pressing onto me, preventing me from opening my eyes. Soft moans escaped me as I did my best to blink.

Sharp rays of light seeped through my closed eyelids, sending a shooting pain through my head. I groaned, trying to shift.

“It looks like she’s waking up,” a strange male voice from nearby.

“She is?” A haggard male voice answered. There was something familiar about it though...

Fighting against the pain in my head, I forced my eyes open. At once, I was blinded by the intense light coming from all around me.

It took a few seconds of blinking to get used to the lighting. Slowly, I became aware of the strange room I was in. A man in blue scrubs stood close by while a familiar figure leaned against the bed rail to stare at me.

“Where am I?” I asked through a parched throat.

A sob escaped the man by the bed rail.

“Brian?” I whispered in a scratchy voice. “What—what’s wrong?”

My stepfather was weeping like a child. “I’m s—so—sorry, Milla.” He brought his forearm to his face and covered his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

The momentary relief I felt upon seeing him vanished. What could make a grown man like him cry and sob that way?

I realized I was in a hospital room. My hand automatically went to the back of my head. My fingers brushed against the rough fabric of thick bandages.

“What exactly happened?” I asked.

“Your brother said you hit your head against the wall,” said the man in scrubs. “I’ll get the doctor to check in on you now. Just stay calm, okay?”

Slowly, the memory of my fight with Noah came back to me. At one point, I’d torn off a part of his sleeve and he’d pushed me in retaliation.

“Brian,” I said gently. “There’s no need to feel so awful about this. It hurts a little but I’m sure I’ll be okay in a few days. There’s no concussion. At least, I don’t feel like I have one.”

Brian’s body sagged to the floor.

A closer look showed me his unkempt hair and untidy clothes. The sleeves of his crinkled shirt were rolled up to his elbows. I’d never seen him look so lost and exhausted.

I climbed off the bed cautiously, making sure the ache in my head wouldn’t mess with my balance. Feeling steady on my feet, I approached him and kneeled down next to him.

“Look,” I said, laying a hand on his hunched shoulder. “I can walk. I’m fine.”

Brian raised his head, staring at me with tear-filled eyes.

Why was he being so emotional about this? There was no need for him to feel guilty about what his son did. I was sure even Noah didn’t mean to hurt me like this. It was an accident.

“Stop feeling so upset,” I said with a smile. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you. Was your flight delayed? I couldn’t get in touch with you and Mom. Glad you guys are here though.”

“She’s no longer here,” said Brian in a hollow voice.

“Good,” I said. “You guys had a long flight. It’s best she rests at home now. Besides, I’m better already. They’ll probably let me go home today.”

Brian’s grief-stricken expression didn’t change. Something about the pain in his eyes gave me pause. Why was he so upset?

“Eva...your mother...” he gulped hard as if something was choking his throat tightly. “She’s no longer here. She’s gone.”

“I know. You just said so—”

I fell silent as Brian shook his head. “She’s dead.”

I simply stared at him. For a moment, I wondered if I heard correctly. A second later, I willed myself to wake up. This had to be a nightmare.

Brian broke down, sobbing softly.

“What are you talking about?” I said in a high-pitched voice. “Tell me you’re making some kind of sick joke.”

He stayed silent.

I shook his shoulder hard. “Brian! She can’t be! She was supposed to come home with you today.”

“She got ill on the flight,” he said in a choked voice. “I got her here as soon as the plane landed.”

“You brought her here? This hospital?”

He nodded.

“She’s here? Where? Which room.”

“She’s next door,” he said in a broken voice. “But she’s gone. Gone forever.”

I was up on my feet immediately. There was no way she could be gone. Brian was probably mistaken. He had to be!

I rushed out of the room. My bare feet padded over the cold tiles, reaching the suite adjacent to mine.

My mom lay on the bed, looking like she was asleep. Noah kneeled by the bed while Corey and Caleb stood in the corner. Their grim expressions sent a chill through me.

“Mom,” I whispered in a shaky voice.

Noah turned his head toward me. Fear swirled in his silvery eyes as he met my gaze.

“Milla, you’re awake,” he said in a low voice. Getting to his feet, he moved toward me.

“Get away from me,” I shouted before he could touch me.

Walking past him, I reached my mom’s bedside. She’s just asleep, I told myself. Brian made a mistake. She’s just sleeping.

“Mom,” I called loudly. “Mom, wake up.”

She didn’t even stir. I called out again, shaking her by the shoulder. “Wake up, Mom. Don’t scare me. Even these guys think you’re dead. Get up now.”

“She’s gone,” said Noah.

“Shut up,” I snapped. “She’ll wake up.” Turning my attention back on Mom, I shook her hard. “Get up. Get up right now.”

Corey and Caleb stood like silent specters as I shouted and screamed for my mother to wake up. Noah tried to get me off her but I threw him off.

There was no way Mom could be gone. Not like this. We didn’t even get to see each other, didn’t even get to say goodbye. She was supposed to be at my graduation. She couldn’t be gone.

“Milla, sweetheart,” Brian’s gentle voice called from behind me.

I turned around, tears pouring down my face. “She’s not gone,” I shouted.

His sorrowful expression made the pain in my chest feel worse. He shook his head and looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I don’t want your apology,” I screamed. Stomping toward him, I grabbed his collar. “How can this be real? She was so happy. How could she die like this?”

“Milla, stop.” Noah’s hands were on my shoulders, pulling me away from his father.

“Don’t touch me,” I spat, throwing his hands off. Rage and pure hatred flowed through me as I turned to look at him. “I hate you. I hate fucking hate you, Noah Amhurst. It’s all your fault!”

“I know,” he said, looking sorry. It was the first time I saw such an expression on his icy, handsome face.

“You could’ve told me where they were,” I shouted, jabbing a finger into his chest, wishing the fleshy thing could turn into a knife so I could stab him instead. “I just wanted to know why they were being late. Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you have to hurt me so badly I’d be passed out for so long? You wanted this to happen, didn’t you? You’ll never be satisfied until you see us both dead! Well, Mom is gone now. Are you happy? You must be!”

All logical thought seemed to have left me. I was letting my mindless rage take over.

“How could you be so cruel?” I screeched, feeling like my throat would tear if I kept shouting this way. “Are you even human?”

“Milla, I—”

“Shut up! Shut the fuck up! There’s nothing you can say to me.”

“Please, everyone!” a stranger’s voice spoke out. “You can’t be so loud in here. This is an intensive care unit. There are other patients here!”

I glanced at a male nurse who’d come in to berate me. What did he know? He hadn’t just missed the chance to say his last goodbye to his mom.

The reality of what happened crashed over me. I wanted to shout and scream, break everything around me.

I didn’t know what I was doing as I rushed out of the room and ran down the hallway like a lunatic. My only intention was to get as far away from the person who caused me the biggest loss in my life, because if I didn’t, I’d kill him right this minute.