Moira

43.

"Home sweet home," Arley muttered under his breath as he unlocked their door carefully, an amused huff escaping his lips just seconds after. He gestured for us to squeeze past him, the four of us shuffling through their corridor and into the living room as he closed the door behind him.

"Your mother is sleeping in the guest room," The blond informed in a whisper, and my head cocked in his direction, lips slightly parted in disbelief; my brows furrowed.

"You're telling me you had a guest room all along? Why have I been breaking my back on that couch?" An apologetic smile formed on Arley's lips at my words, his teeth showing as his brows raised.

A singular laugh escaped Esmond's lips at the same time, and with a glare, my eyes landed on him. "Weren't you the one who said you didn't mind it?" He asked, clearly amused by the situation.

"Yeah, well, I was being polite." My head shook lightly, eyes rolling before they took in the familiar, sage green living room. I huffed a "Maybe you should try it," under my breath— loud enough to make sure he'd hear.

Though, the entirety of the conversation fled my mind when my gaze fell on the topic of conversation. The couch not empty but rather hosting two silhouettes sitting huddled together, one's head resting on the other's shoulder, while the other's head rested on that.

I stopped in my track's, brows furrowing as I tried to identify the outline of them in the darkness the room was shrouded in. Though, Arley opted for an easier way as he turned the lights on with the flick of a switch.

With a groan, both heads shot up simultaneously, turning over their shoulders with wide eyes before they darted back towards the other. Audelle was the first to break their eye contact again, her breath audibly hitching as she looked back towards us.

Her already wide eyes widened more, darting over the group before they got stuck on me. In a matter of seconds, she jumped over the back of the couch, rushed over to us and wrapped her hands around me in a tight embrace— leaving Ellis sat on the sofa all by herself.

With a content sigh, I buried my head in her short hair, her strawberry shampoo making me feel like I was right back at home with her and mom.

"Are you—?" She asked, her voice hesitant as she brought distance between us with her hands still lingering on my shoulders.

"—I'm okay. I'm fine, yeah." The words sounded strange coming out of my mouth, and everyone else thought so, too; I could tell by the looks on their faces.

A silence hovered over us. One that was neither comfortable nor insightful, and so I was glad when Aiden broke it by muttering a few low sounds in Eniola's ear none of us could understand.

Though, by the way he was aiding her down the steps into the pit just moments after, I assumed it had something to do with that. We followed their lead, all sprawled out on the large couch of theirs just minutes later.

My sister to my right, Arley to my left, followed by Ellis, Aiden and then Eniola. Esmond sat on the chair opposite all of us with his ankle resting on his knee as he leaned back into his seat, arms crossed behind his head. He stretched.

"Now what?"

It was Eniola asking; the first words she's said since we left. And for a while, the silence persisted. Esmond broke it once more.

"Monroe won't send any of those people out here," He shrugged, head turned to his left as he spoke. "It's too risky letting them outside of the range."

They must've explained everything to Aiden and Audelle while Eniola and I were gone because neither of them seemed confused by his statement. Eniola was too out of it to really listen in the first place.