Alejandra was shivering. It was comfortably warm in this room, but she still shook, tears spilling down her cheeks. She was a mess. She hadn’t stopped trembling since those hooded figures pulled her in from the ceiling. There were no windows, no furniture. The door was locked, even though she tried it every other minute just to be sure. She had to get out. She had to get to Nick.

  Nick. Akshi hurt him, and one of his gray marks came to life. The deadline of the apocalypse was sooner, and Nick’s scream still haunted her memory. He was in pain. Those marks were no longer scratches. They were deep. Deadly deep. Was he okay?

  She tried the knob again at the door, wanting to kick it in frustration. Nick was hurt, and she was somewhere. True, there were a lot more people around Nick, and he might be fine, but she wasn’t one of them.

  Not only that, but she was placed in a locked room that only Akshi knew about. She couldn’t remain here. She went over to the door, starting to kick it. While Akshi had placed her over his shoulders, she could feel his mage hand feeling over her body, no doubt trying to find her phone and tossed it to one side once he found it. She had no way of contacting anyone. She knew she needed to teleport Hraktar here, but she also needed to make sure there had been plenty of time for someone to give him a phone. Hraktar might have made quick work with this door, but if no one else knew where Hraktar ended up, then it would be pointless. Akshi could have a whole army outside the door, and Hraktar would be killed.

  She tried the knob again before bracing herself against it, trying not to cry. She couldn’t let Hraktar be killed. Hraktar meant so much to her. The gentle giant with a heart of gold. But she couldn’t stay here, either. Nick was hurt. She needed to make sure someone got to him.

  She slapped the door. She couldn’t let Akshi do this. That snake was capable of torturing someone to the point where they ended up shells of their former self, and she refused to let that become her. She closed her eyes, connecting with Hraktar.

  Nothing happened.

  ***

  Rafael remained on his knees, his soul screaming at him to stand back up and ram his body against the door. Hazel was in trouble. Why couldn’t he stand up and throw himself against the door? He remained on his knees, staring at the door, trying not to feel the overwhelming guilt.

  “Rafael?” Evelyn asked.

  She had the tone in her voice where it seemed like she had been trying to talk to him for ten minutes. He was breaking out of the brain fog, though he still stared at the door.

  “S’all my fault,” Rafael said.

  “How,” Evelyn asked.

  “I knew we shouldn’t have split the party,” Rafael said. He closed his eyes, resting his head against the door, trying once again to summon Ezekiel. Nothing happened.

  “And done what, exactly? Gotten everyone in the group to the bathroom before Hazel vomited?” Evelyn asked.

  “Yes,” Rafael said.

  “Those hooded people would have still been there,” Evelyn said.

  “We could have taken them.”

  “It would have been chaos,” Evelyn said.

  “Hazel would have been alright,” Rafael said. “I can’t… I can’t…”

  If another girl he cared about got hurt because of what he did… what he failed to do….

  Rafael placed his head against the door, trying to keep in a sob. He needed to stand up and ram against the door again. Throw everything he had to this. But his body felt like it weighed a ton, and his soul was screaming under the weight.

  “Rafael,” Evelyn said quietly.

  He shook his head, his forehead still against the door. He couldn’t look at her. “I’m sorry,” Rafael said.

  “For what?” Evelyn asked.

  “Everything,” Rafael said, the sob threatening to take over. In his guilt for not doing enough now, he needed to apologize for something he’d been procrastinating on. Perhaps it would ease the screaming in his soul. “I’m sorry we’re stuck in here. I’m sorry I couldn’t break down the door.”

  Rafael ventured a glance at her. She was sitting on the ground in her ballgown. It was a soft blue color, with little snowflake rhinestones sprinkled throughout. It was fit for a princess. Evelyn placed her head against the wall, closing her eyes.

  “I’m sorry for showing up drunk.” He placed his palm on the door. “For assaulting you.”

  There was a silence before Evelyn brought her legs up and hugged them tightly. “I… know.”

  He figured that’d be the end of the conversation. Rafael kept his forehead against the door, feeling the tears spill over again. He hoped the silence out there meant Derek, Nick, and Alejandra were working hard to get Hazel.

  “So, um… what would you have said?” Evelyn asked.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Rafael opened his eyes, glancing at Evelyn. “Huh?”

  “If you…” She tightened her grip over her legs, the fabric spilling over and keeping her covered. “If you didn’t show up drunk, what would you have said?”

  Rafael stared at her, then glanced away. It hadn’t necessarily been something he thought about. Just berated himself for drinking in the first place. “I guess…” Rafael stared at the crack in the door. “I guess I…” he closed his eyes. “I don’t know.”

  “Then pretend. Pretend you’re fourteen-year-old Rafael, showing up that night, and you’re sober,” Evelyn whispered. “What would you have said?”

  Rafael furrowed his brow. “Probably explain how hard it had been since my parent’s divorce.”

  Evelyn nodded. “I remember you mentioning that.” Rafael flinched. He hadn’t remembered much about what he said. Just what he did. “I’m ruining the illusion, aren’t I. Keep going, Rafael. What else would you have said to me?”

  Rafael rubbed his arms. “It was hard. I was still… scared. Scared dad would return and kill us all in our sleep.” Rafael stared at his hands. “There were talks of sending us to foster care. My mom couldn’t take care of us. She was too drunk. CPS was called a few times. There was a week I started… packing my bags. I was so certain we’d be leaving for foster care. That Alejandra and I would go separate ways.”

  “And… you kept all this hidden from us. Until you couldn’t handle it anymore,” Evelyn said.

  “I couldn’t handle it then,” Rafael said. “It’s why I showed up drunk. I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your friendship. How easier it was to smile when I was near you. I was addicted to you. And… I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry. I ruined everything.”

  Evelyn stared at him, shocked. “Oh my god, Rafael. I… forgive you.”

  Rafael’s brows furrowed. It was such a surprise, that he wasn’t sure how to react, though he was aware the monster inside him was starting to growl again.

  “No,” Rafael said.

  Evelyn blinked. “No?”

  “Not you too. Don’t forgive me. I don’t deserve it.”

  Evelyn’s face softened. “Nobody deserves forgiveness. It’s what makes it such a gift in the first place.”

  Rafael shook his head, even as Evelyn relaxed her legs and rested them on the ground. “You don’t think I haven’t noticed that you haven’t had a boyfriend yet?”

  “Oh god, Rafael. Not you too,” Evelyn said.

  “I hurt you. Probably forever. It’s all my fault.”

  She folded her arms, rolling her eyes. “You hurt me, yes. Not forever, though. God, Rafael, there’s a point of self-loathing that boarders on the selfish. I appreciate your apology, but you are not that strong to permanently disfigure who I am.”

  Rafael blinked, but he didn’t know what else to say. She was kind of… right.

  “I refuse to start dating someone just so you feel better about yourself. That’s not how this works. I forgave you, because I understand that you were in a dark place, and you were scared. You made decisions you wouldn’t otherwise do, and both of us will take the necessary steps to never let it happen again.”

  “I can’t when everyone keeps brushing it off,” Rafael said.

  “Is that what you think forgiveness is?” Evelyn asked. Rafael didn’t answer, because he’d never been questioned like that. Evelyn kept her arms folded, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not brushing it off. If anything, I won’t be afraid to call you out on that shit. I know you can be a better person. And have been a better person.”

  Evelyn sighed, then stood up, brushing herself off carefully. “We both made mistakes. Yes, you made way bigger mistakes than I did. We both agree on that. But I should have reported you right after it happened. If I had, you wouldn’t have wallowed in self-pity for three years. I wouldn’t have wallowed in fear and hatred for three years, either. We would have had three years of healing instead of three months. Our friend group might have splintered sooner, true. Nick might have still hit you. But all of that might have happened three years ago. It was going to come out eventually.”

  Evelyn walked over to the door, and Rafael stood up, moving away. Evelyn touched the door. “You do have a tendency to run headfirst into a problem and end up breaking things.” Evelyn tried the knob, but it held fast. “Twelve-year-old me didn’t know what to do, so she swept the broken bits under the rug and pretended things were fine.” Evelyn glanced around, trying to find something before she grabbed a mop. “But I’ve forgiven twelve-year-old me for not knowing that the best thing to do is ask for help.” Evelyn put on some of the plastic gloves before shoving the mop strands under the door. “You are free to take that advice too, you know.”

  “I’m trying,” Rafael said, still backing into a corner. “But you all trust me too much.”

  “Probably because you’re too scared to try anything, because you’re afraid to make a mistake.” Evelyn glanced up at him, grabbing the mop handle and moving it back and forth. “Believe me, Rafael. I am not going to let you hurt anyone again. I will not hesitate to report anything wrong you do. I learned that lesson from this entire experience. And seriously. Stop hating yourself so much. It’s kind of pathetic how special you think you are.” Evelyn said that with a slight smile. It was a glimpse of an eleven-year-old Evelyn during one of their CCNC sessions. Evelyn kept moving the mop back and forth.

  Rafael felt a small smile cross his face. “Seriously, Evie?”

  Evelyn snorted, checking the mop again. “Seriously, Rafael. Do you know how easy it was to replace you? Nick took over Ezekiel, and no one skipped a beat.”

  Rafael chuckled. If Evelyn hadn’t said that with a mischievous sparkle in her eye, he might of took it to heart. But in a way, Evelyn was right. In less than three months, Nick trusted him with his life again. Derek was at his side. Hazel never left. Evelyn went off to work on herself before assuring him that he wasn’t nearly as strong as he thought. He didn’t realize why it took him until now to realize that he could not break Evelyn Larsen. Of course he never wanted to. But here was the proof. Evelyn was in a small closet with him, anti-magic and silence field, and she was not afraid of him. There was nothing Rafael could do to her to make her cower in fear. She was just as badass as Princess Clarissa.

  Not that he ever wanted to try anything on her. Those feelings were long gone. For both of them.

  The doorhandle jiggled, and Evelyn glanced up at it, excitement. “Hello?” Evelyn called out.

  Rafael walked closer to the door. True, it may be help, but it also might be those hooded people who dragged them here in the first place. Evelyn stood, waiting, as the door jiggled some more before it came open.

  Hazel was there, eyes wide as she searched the closet. Her shoulders relaxed as tears sprang to her eyes.

  “Hazel!” Rafael said. He ran past Evelyn, grabbing his girlfriend in a hug. “Oh god, Hazel,” he whispered.

  “I thought you were dead. I was so afraid. I thought-” Hazel said.

  “I’m here. It’s me. I’m alive,” Rafael said.

  “Derek!” Evelyn said.

  “Thank god you two are alright,” Derek said.

  Evelyn hugged Derek as Tyler ran up beside them.

  “Are you two alright?” Tyler asked.

  “Yes,” Evelyn said, breaking away from Derek. “Yes, we’re alright.”

  “Can you start healing?” Tyler asked, staring right at Rafael.

  He frowned, but then time froze, and a d20 appeared in front of him. Rafael’s heart sank but he rolled it. It landed on a twelve.

  Fail.

  Rafael blinked. There were no modifiers, no nothing. Just the phrase that said it failed. Rafael stared at Tyler, a sickening thought forming in his mind. “Who is Ezekiel healing?”

  Tyler looked at Rafael, but his gaze dropped. Evelyn glanced around, feeling sick as Se?ora Florez caught up with them. “Where’s Nick and Alejandra?” Evelyn asked.