Chapter 24 #2
"If Daddy bullied you, I'll protect you. I'm a big boy now." He continued.
I looked at his worried, determined little face. My chest tightened.
"No, baby." I tried to make my voice sound normal. "Mommy's just sick. I need to rest for a while."
"Like when I had a fever?" He asked.
"Something like that." I ruffled his hair.
"Then Mommy needs to drink lots of water and sleep a lot." He said seriously.
I couldn't help but smile. "Okay. I'll do what you say."
Olei contentedly buried his face in my neck and didn't say anything more. I kissed the top of his head, a fierce emotion surging through me.
For this child, I couldn't break. No matter what, I had to get out of here.
The sky outside went completely dark. The servants took Olei back to his own room. I leaned against the headboard, waiting quietly.
I knew he would come.
Sure enough, before long, the door opened. Silas walked in holding a glass of warm milk. He set the milk on the nightstand, then sat in the chair by the bed.
"Drink something." He said quietly. "Dr. Reed said you need nutrition."
In the dim light, his face looked even more haggard than during the day.
"Let me go, Silas." My voice was calm.
His deep gray eyes held emotions I couldn't read.
"I don't want to talk about this right now," he said, starting to stand. "I'll come see you tomorrow."
"Don't want to talk about it?" I laughed coldly. "You lock me in here, make breathing painful, and you tell me you don't want to talk about it?"
His body dropped back into the chair. He looked at me. "You're just sick. Take your medicine, and you'll get better."
"I won't get better. I can't stand this anymore!" I said through gritted teeth. "Are you letting me go or not?"
"I told you. Over my dead body." His voice was so low it seemed to come from deep in his chest. "I will never let you go."
I wasn't surprised by his answer, but when those words actually left his mouth, I still felt like I was suffocating. Hatred and despair churned and collided in my chest, finally crystallizing into cold resolve.
"Then die!" I shouted.
Somehow, a shard had appeared in my hand. I lunged from the bed and pressed it against his throat, the sharp edge against his carotid artery. He didn't dodge.
"Let me go." My voice shook. "Or I'll kill you."
I pressed slightly harder. The shard broke his skin, and a thin line of blood seeped from the wound. He still didn't move. Didn't change his answer.
"Do it." He said. "If it sets you free."
I pressed down hard. The shard sank deep into the side of his neck. Blood sprayed out, coating my hand. His body went limp. He slumped in the chair, hand over the wound.
I froze for only a second. Then I jumped from the bed and ran barefoot toward the door.
I'd just pulled it open when I ran straight into two guards.
I fought desperately to get between them, but they each grabbed one of my arms. No matter how hard I kicked, it was useless. It was over. I couldn't escape.
Then a weak voice came from behind me.
"Let her go."
It was Silas. After speaking, he collapsed on the floor, his breathing stopped, but his deep gray eyes still stared straight at me.
The guards heard the order and immediately released me.
I didn't stay another second. I ran out. Through the hallway, through the great hall, through that door I'd stared at for countless days. Fresh air hit my face. My bare feet slapped the stone path as I ran, ran as hard as I could—
"Anthea." A voice sounded behind me. "Stop trying to leave."
I stopped abruptly. That was Silas's voice. But he was clearly already...
I turned around and found myself still sitting on the bed. Silas sat by the bed. There was no wound on his neck.
Everything just now had been a fantasy. From beginning to end, it was all just in my head. I hadn't done anything.
"...I understand." My voice came out numb and exhausted. "I'm tired. I need to sleep."
Silas exhaled in relief and nodded. Then he stood and walked to the door. It closed softly behind him.
I waited a few minutes, making sure he was gone, before reaching under my pillow. The shard was still there.
I pulled it out. I knew I couldn't kill Silas. No matter what terrible things he'd done, no matter how much I hated him, I couldn't actually take his life. But I could force him another way.
I held the shard and slowly brought it toward my wrist. I knew he was watching. With his methods, this room definitely had cameras. Sure enough, just as the shard was about to touch my wrist, the door burst open.
Silas rushed in, terror on his face. He crossed the distance in two strides and snatched the shard away.
"Are you insane?" He grabbed my wrist with one hand, his voice shaking. "Anthea, are you fucking insane?"
I looked at him calmly. I could feel his fingers trembling where they gripped my wrist, the pressure so hard it felt like he'd crush my bones.
Silence spread between us.
"Give me two days." He finally spoke, his voice rough like it was being dragged from the depths of his throat. "Two days. I'll make a decision."
"Fine," I said, watching the pain, fear, and struggle in his eyes.
What would he choose? Would he keep me prisoner, or finally learn to let go?