The events of that weekend were definitely beyond the scope. And worst of all. She had lied about having a disease such as breast cancer!
I looked over at Mum, who had just pulled over, her face glowing red from the traffic light.
I wanted to yell at her, but I wasn’t like that. Instead, I punished her with my stares.
Who in the world was this woman in the driver’s seat? Did I even know her?
Mum just looked at the road and pretended I didn’t exist. She was really good at suppressing problems, although she seemed to run from one to the next.
Until now, I had known her as the structured scientist, as a caring mother, almost like my best friend, if there had not been Larissa.
Shit.
I hadn’t responded at all to her Where are you all? Or to her Send me your address and just as little to her What’s going on?
I really wasn’t a great friend, even though Larissa was the only one I could still trust around here.
The last time I had seen her was a few days ago, before I had – in her eyes probably – disappeared from campus without a trace.
Mum turned into a so-called Blair Street, and something told me that it wasn’t far to wherever.
The darkness didn’t really allow me to recognize anything, except for isolated silhouettes of large houses that clearly had to belong to Blairville’s more well-heeled residents.
At the end of the street, Mum slowed down, and I recognized a locked iron access gate in front of me, which rose very majestically and was connected to a continuing iron fence, behind it a high hedge.
But my view was not blocked for long because the door opened automatically – as usual in these noble districts – so that we could pass.
Very inviting.
The driveway led us to a paved courtyard where several cars were parked, including one very familiar to me. Vivienna’s.
A few memories of Friday morning came back, when she had used her bare hands to move Emely and the guys. Of course, she also belonged to this cult. In fact, I would have believed her the most – such a witch as she was.
In the center of the courtyard was a fountain that also seemed to be active at night. A stone woman, whose aesthetic body was covered by a sheet, let the water speckle from her upstretched hands in the form of two bending fountains. All that was missing was for her knees to buckle, and she would have easily passed for a bar dancer.
A second later, I discovered the fish scales on her legs.
But it was not the beautifully decorated fountain that aroused my interest and, at the same time, made my heart race. In front of me rose a gigantic lantern-lit mansion in the Victorian architectural style with round-arched windows, a brick-built first floor and terraces typical of the architectural style as well as tower roofs.
Above the massive main entrance was a huge window, with a pointed tower above it bearing an iron sun with a crest with a raven in the center.
Whoever lived here was filthy rich, and somehow, I was sure it didn’t look any worse from the inside.
And, of course, those dangerous bird beasts were circling around again.
Mum had parked, but she didn’t get out. And if she didn’t, I certainly wouldn’t either.
Her nervousness seemed to be transferring to me. My hands were already shaking again.
“I’m sorry I brought you here. If I had the chance to undo it, I would.”
Wow. She had had countless opportunities to get in that car and just leave town.
“You lied to me, multiple times, and faked an illness that killed other people because you knew I would do anything for you if you weren’t well.”
Mum was silent. And that made me even angrier.
“Why did you put us in danger like that?”
“I’m sorry, Bay...”
“If you’re sorry, then come home with me now.”
I couldn’t accept her apology because words were just words. Her actions were what mattered.
Mum took a deep breath.
“You have to get through this.”
Of course, her words were worth nothing. Didn’t she care that much about me?
Mum continued to ignore me.
“No matter what happens now, don’t speak unless you’re told to. Do as you’re told, and don’t be afraid, especially of Amara. If you get nauseous, don’t stop, or it will get worse. And if they ask weird questions, let me answer for you, okay?”
If she had wanted to calm me down with that, she had achieved exactly the opposite.
Why the hell would I get nauseous? What was waiting for me there? Did I even want to know?
