Chapter 13
Arax
Icouldn’t believe it had been almost a full week.
Looking at myself in the mirror the next day, I noticed how much better I looked.
The bruising was nearly gone from my face and body, and the scrapes had pretty much healed.
The only evidence of their existence was a myriad of faint red marks, which I knew would disappear over time as well.
I had also put on some weight, and my hair was shinier.
My cheeks were a little fuller, and the rest of my figure had filled out some.
It was amazing, but I was still surprised at the speed with which my injuries were healing.
Even the stitches on my stomach looked like they were ready to be pulled out.
When my breakfast was dropped off, I was informed that I’d be escorted to the hospital for my final checkup and to be ready in an hour.
I quickly ate and took a shower. I had found a blow dryer in the vanity and dried my hair, leaving it loose.
I figured the doctor would want to examine my head, and wet, tied-up hair would get in the way.
I had barely finished getting dressed when there was a knock. Expecting it to be Drake, I opened the door.
“Hey, Dra—oh hi!”
It wasn’t Drake but Konstantine. I hadn’t seen or heard from him all week and seeing him after this long was disconcerting. He looked surprised for a moment to see me, as though he was expecting someone else, but he quickly collected himself.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes, sure,” I said timidly.
We took a private elevator down, and I discovered I had been put up in a bedroom on the sixth floor.
It was a short but silent and awkward descent.
I was much more rigid around Konstantine than I was around Drake, yet I had this overwhelming desire to try to take the piss out of him.
I didn’t know how I’d go about messing with him, but it would be fun to watch him lose it.
He seemed like the kind of guy whose sense of humor had never properly developed—or was lacking entirely.
However, I rethought it and decided to toe the line.
No point in poking the beast when I was living in his house and eating his food, not to mention receiving medical treatment without having seen an invoice.
With my luck, I’d end up annoying him enough that he’d stick me with a fat hospital and hospitality bill as I was leaving.
Though, come to think of it, that would be quite hilarious.
I’d most definitely skip out on it, but not before giving him some brownie points for a joke well served.
Once on the ground floor, I didn’t hold out hope for conversation.
I was having a tough time keeping up with Konstantine’s long strides while trying to take in the interior of the castle.
It was enormous. There was no beginning or end.
My father was an architect, and I’d seen plenty of his creations, but this place was in another stratosphere.
Halls of unusual size that spanned lengths and widths that could accommodate whole battalions marching through.
From one room to the next, I noted perfectly spaced wrought-iron chandeliers along ceilings uneven in height in some places, glazed like it was sealed rather brightened with a coat of paint.
I could not place the style whatsoever. Medieval meets ancient meets gothic.
I had never seen a more gorgeous home. The design was timeless and elegant, and I expected nothing less, judging by my accommodations.
Outside, I was again greeted with fresh air and sunshine.
I looked around and discovered the grounds were meticulously kept and had what I assumed were gardens on either side of the property.
I’d had a view from above, through the window in my room, and I’d seen houses and what looked to be a large town in the center of this—well, whatever this place could be called.
However, from my lower perspective, all that was visible in the distance was the nature that surrounded everything.
I decided I had to see what the castle looked like from the exterior.
Turning around to walk backward, I realized Nurse Annalee had been correct.
It truly was magnificent. I couldn’t decide which was more beautiful, the interior or this.
The architecture was astounding. A castle built directly into the mountains…
It was colossal and imposing yet not garish or rough.
Whoever had built it had had an appreciation for nature and had worked to maintain the harmony between it and art.
Outside, every level looked disconnected and separate, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows bordered with artisanal woodworking that broke up the monotony of black and grey.
I was sure the various passageways and hallways joined everything together from the inside.
The stonework was advanced and intricate. It reminded me of a beautiful fortress.
It reminded me of Konstantine.
I was still walking backward and so blown away with the sight before me that I was startled when I ran into Konstantine’s outstretched hand.
He must have seen what I was doing and had stopped to let me admire his home.
A feeling of warmth spread all over me again, and I lingered over his touch a moment longer than I’d intended.
“Sorry,” I said. “I was distracted.”
He kept quiet, and we continued walking.
We got to the hospital, which wasn’t terribly close but still walking distance to the castle. A nurse showed us to the examination room and gave me a gown to change into, then left to inform the doctor. Konstantine stayed in the hall, taking a seat in one the overstuffed armchairs.
I drew the curtains and went into the restroom to change. When I came out, I crawled into the bed and waited.
There was a knock, and Dr. Distefano and Nurse Annalee walked in a moment later.
“Hi, Doctor. Hi, Annalee,” I said.
“Arax, hello!” Annalee exclaimed. I’d missed her sunny personality. “Sweetie, you look so much healthier!”
“Hello, Arax. I agree. It’s good to see how well you seem to be doing.” Dr. Distefano nodded, looking pleased with my recovery. “I’m going to check your head and the rest of you, if I may?”
“Please, go ahead,” I said.
Nurse Annalee stayed in the room while the doctor checked my eyes and my head, testing my reflexes and range of motion. Then he assessed the healing on my body.
“You have mended quite well, much better than I anticipated, given the nature of your injuries. You’re fortunate, and the rate at which you’ve recovered has been exceptional. I see no reason to keep you here further.” The doctor gave me a small smile. “You can finally go home, Arax.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Whatever you and your staff did, it worked,” I said in gratitude.
“I’m not sure if it was just us,” he replied cryptically. “Anyway, please go ahead and change, and I’ll inform Konstantine he’s allowed back in.” He chuckled to himself.
When I came out, Konstantine was in the room, speaking to the doctor. They appeared to be in deep conversation, and I was catching the tail end.
“I’m signing off on her paperwork,” the doctor told him, then turned toward me. “I’m not sure if I’ll be seeing you again, Arax, but it’s been a pleasure.”
“Likewise, Doctor. Annalee.”
“Take care of yourself, sweetie,” she said warmly.
I nodded at them both, and Konstantine and I walked back toward the castle.
Despite being given a clean bill of health, I wasn’t as overjoyed as I’d thought I’d be.
I didn’t understand why. I had wanted to go home from the beginning, and now that I was allowed to do so, that stressed, anxious feeling was back.
Konstantine also seemed to be in a sour mood.
Everything about him was more sullen than ever.
His scowl was embedded deeper into his face.
He was clenching his teeth hard, causing the veins on his temples to stand out.
He walked with his hands shoved into his pockets, his posture stiff.
Konstantine saw me all the way back to my room in silence, but as I went to open the door, he spoke.
“Drake will drive you back tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” I replied.
“Be ready by eleven a.m.,” he said.
“Okay.”
With that, he turned around and took his leave.
I didn’t go into my room right away. Instead, I stood there, watching Konstantine walk down the hall.
Chewing my lip, I tried to ignore what I was feeling.
I couldn’t put a finger on what it was, but it was there.
It had been there when he’d dropped me off in my room earlier in the week.
I hadn’t paid it any mind at the time, thinking it was just nerves.
However, now that I’d had the chance to recuperate, I knew better.
It was brief, coming and going so fast, it should have hardly been detectable.
Emptiness, the split-second difference between having someone there and the hollowness they left behind when they were gone.
Akin to a loss, but not the kind I was used to experiencing, it was temporary yet stronger.
It surged over me, then faded before I could fully grasp its meaning.
I wondered if he felt the same. Then I wondered why I cared. It didn’t matter either way. I’d be gone tomorrow, and my departure would bring this entire ordeal to a close. It was a blip on the radar and nothing more.
I looked down the hallway. Konstantine was long gone.
I stepped into the space he had just occupied; the ghostly memory of him was there, making his absence so much more pronounced, yet still so fleeting.
By the time I turned the doorknob and entered my room, the feeling was gone.
Though if I’d listened more closely, I would have heard the remnants of its whispers echoing deep within the walls.