“I won’t let you get lost, Lily.”
“But you’re on the other side of the flames,” Lily cried out then watched as Rachel walked through the flames without them touching her.
“How did you do that without getting burned?”
“They’re not my memories, Lily. They can’t hurt me, only you.”
“I want to get out of here.” She whimpered, “Can you help me?”
“Yes, but you have to lead the way, Lily. I don’t know where we are.”
“Then we’re both lost. I want to go home.” Lily started crying again.
“Listen to me. There is only one path home and that’s through the flames. You have to be brave enough to take those steps, Lily.”
“I can’t go through there!” Lily screamed.
“Then you’re going to stay lost. You can do this, Lily.”
“No, I can’t!”
“Lily, your memories have broken free. There is no locking them away anymore. The only way to avoid it is to stay lost. You have to go through the flames.”
“They’ll hurt me again!”
“No one is ever going to hurt you again. Didn’t The Last Riders save you tonight? They’re not going to let anyone hurt you again. You know that deep in your heart.” Rachel turned her to face the flames.
“I can’t,” Lily sobbed.
“Not alone, but together we can. I’m beside you. I won’t let you go. Shade is here and so are Beth and Razer.” As Rachael spoke the words, Lily felt Shade standing behind her, and Beth and Razer each taking a hand, holding tight. “We’re all here for you, Lily. Lead us home.”
Lily cried, taking a hesitant step forward, one after the other, each of them holding her, not letting go.
Lily’s tortured scream filled the dark-filled silence as she stepped into the flames, the pain consuming her.
“The pain will lessen as you go through the flames. You’ll leave the pain behind, Lily, because they can’t hurt you anymore. Keep walking.”
Rachel was right. The flames were reuniting her with long-lost memories. The pain was there, but it wasn’t devouring; stinging but not burning.
Lily walked through the hell she had barely survived once, enduring it now for a second time to find her only way home. She emerged on the other side, unscathed and free at last of the monsters she had been hiding from for so very long.
“You can open your eyes now, Lily. You’re home.”
Chapter 24
Lily opened her eyes. She was lying on a soft bed in another strange room. She turned her head on the plush pillow at a slight sound to discover Beth sitting on a chair by the window. Shade’s room didn’t have a window, so they must be in one of the bedrooms upstairs.
“You’re awake.”
“How long was I out for this time?” Her voice was hoarse and her throat felt raw.
“Just a few hours, actually,” Beth said, getting up from the chair and coming to sit next to her on the mattress, taking her hand in hers.
“There was a fire last night.” Lily looked down at herself and saw she was wearing a white nightgown.
“Yes. Thank God for Viper’s security system. If not…” Beth broke down crying, laying her head down on Lily’s chest. Her hand reached out to smooth down her sister’s silky hair as she wept.
“I remember, Beth,” Lily said softly. Beth raised her head, looking into her eyes. “I remember,” Lily whispered, turning her face away from her sister’s searching gaze.
“Did you know?” Lily asked.
“During your worst panic attacks, you would let a few things slip past your guard. Over the years, I pieced together what happened.”
Lily turned back to her sister. “Did you…” Lily licked her dry lips. “Did you tell Razer?”
“No, Lily. I swear I didn’t tell anyone. No one.” Lily saw the truth in her eyes. “But Razer and Shade have both been around you a couple of times during your panic attacks and I think they’ve guessed some, if not all, of it.”
Lily squeezed her eyes tightly closed to prevent herself from crying. She refused to cry anymore. Tears were useless and weak like she had been.
She sat up in bed, leaning back against the headboard.
“I laid some clothes out for you. Yours all smell like smoke.”
“How bad is the basement?”
“The front part is gutted, but because we live so far out of town, Viper had several water hoses and the factory had fire extinguishers. If they hadn’t been so prepared, you and Shade would have been trapped.”
“That’s twice I’ve almost died in a fire,” Lily said softly.
“Do you want to talk about it? Your doctor came out and checked on you last night and I called your therapist. I can take you to her today if you want,” Beth offered.
“No.”
“Okay.” Beth stared back at her.
“Beth, I want you to know I couldn’t have asked for a better sister. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” The sisters hugged, thankful they were able to do so. The night before could have easily separated them forever.