30. The Confrontation #3
"Now we come to instigator number two. Tentacle-boy!" I adopt a peppy tone, pivoting to Ifrinn who chokes on air. There's sweat trickling down his face but I want him reduced to tears and snot.
"What are you choking on, Ifrinn?" I let out a dry chuckle. Making a show of looking to his left then right I add with a fake-ass concern. "I don't see any tentacles gagging you."
He holds out his hands in front of him, as if I'm an evil spirit he needs to ward off. And that makes me smile. But it must seem off as he starts trembling. "Al-l-eiraah, p-please listen to me."
"Did you?" I cock my head slightly.
"P-please give me a chance to explain!" He pleads, reeking of desperation.
"Why?" I deadpan.
"B-because, I love you! I was angry. I-I'm sorry! So, so sorry, Aleiraah!"
"That's it?" My stony voice makes him even more nervous and stumble on his words.
"No! No! I-I can't think! Please, I-I—" He violently tugs at his hair with both hands. His onyx horns that usually curl away from his temples are missing. But his eyebrow and nose piercings are still there, glinting in the light from the numerous scones lighting the hallway.
"I know...I know how thoughtless you can be. Don't put so much pressure on your little brain, demon. It will explode." I make a ka-boom gesture with my hands that draws chuckles from Anubis and Bastet. I think Osiris snickers too.
Ifrinn stares at me like I've cut him off at his knees. My heart hurts, guilt assailing me as I play on his biggest insecurity. But there's a darker side inside that savors this victory.
"Please reconsider what you're saying, Aleiraah, you—" Alistair tries his pacifistic bullshit in a soft voice but I bark at him—"Shut up, boytoy! Wait for your turn." He appears stricken, stunned speechless.
Good.
"What makes you think I'd like to come back to any of you?" I let the question hang. Their silence is heavy with contrition, fear, and things they should have realized sooner.
"So, Ifrinn,"––he flinches slightly—"been to any hell-side orgies lately?" His caramel complexion turns almost gray. He rubs at his arms agitatedly, as if he’d be sick any moment.
Odd.
"You're such a good storyteller. Reeling everyone into your devious plans. Yet you're unable to explain your actions. I wonder why." I tap my chin thoughtfully. He looks down at his feet, head bowed in what I hope is eternal shame.
Needling him further, I ask. "Have you taken any concubines yet? After all, who's polishing your junk?"
His gaze snaps up and he starts shaking his head vehemently. "No, Aleiraah! Please..I didn't mean that. I didn't. Believe me, I would never take a concubine. I just...I just wanted to hurt—" He scrunches his eyes shut.
"Me. I know. You made it pretty clear when you held me down against my will. Repeatedly. Giving zero fucks about my safety when Silas’s panther was hell-bent on claiming me!"
Silas whimpers, but his number isn't up yet.
"Let's switch topics, hmm? Try to keep up.” I smirk condescendingly and his eyes turn glassy. “How's the family? You're still being daddy's little bitch? Getting summoned at the drop of a hat?"
"I—I broke his horn the last time, the day after—after the Veilmoon. He won't summon me again." He tries to get the words past his tight throat, swallowing hard.
I fake gasp. "Hell must really have frozen over. Obedient son ghosting father? What will the Hummingbird Surveys say?" I glance at Anubis, who tuts mockingly.
"Why did you get summoned? Let me guess, your bunch of no-good brothers wanted to trash talk some more about our polyamorous situation? Did you bang some demon bitches while you were at it?" My voice rises with each word.
He remains mute, making me shout, "Answer me, you steaming pile of shit!"
He flinches hard. "No. I didn't Aleiraah. I—he called me at a hell-harlot's behest. S––she wanted me to fuck her."
I cackle in disbelief, and he rushes to explain, panic drowning every expression. "I—I—didn't do anything. I swear! I was so pissed that I broke his horn as a warning. I love only you, Flame. Please believe me. Please!" His eyes look wild, breaths coming fast.
"But how can I believe you? Knowing you attend hell orgies behind my back.
Now you got promoted to even servicing hell-harlots.
" I scoff harshly. "I even know you got so drunk on demon brew that you let a harlot blow you.
Why would you do that, Ifrinn?" I feign calm even as my insides roil imagining it.
"I didn't know!" He wails, frantic. "I was feeling down, ok? My brothers were jesting about my learning disability. Then they started taunting me about you. I felt stupid!" Tears roll down his haggard face. "I just wanted to drown my sorrows and I—I—drank too much.” He rakes his hand through his hair and I recognize the tell. He’d generally pull at his horns when feeling anxious. But he didn’t have any now.
“I didn't realize she was b-blowing me. In my drunkenness, I thought it was you. When I came to my senses I broke her neck.” His eyes grow cold momentarily. “But I buried that memory. I had to. I didn't want to think about it. I'm so sorry, Flame."
"So you're okay being violated? Is that why you violated me?" I stare at Ifrinn pointedly who collapses on the floor. Kneeling. Sparing a glance at Alistair, I notice he looks green.
"In the decade that we've known each other, you never once introduced me to your family or even invited me to these wild parties. Maybe you fucked around behind my back. Who knows." I shrug.
"Never! I never truly participated once I was married to you, Flame. I attended to keep Father happy. I didn't take you because I didn’t want to risk your safety, Aleiraah. Didn't want to show you the ugly side of my family." Ifrinn whisper-sobs.
"Oh please! Let’s skip the over-protective theatrics. My allure is irresistible but I'm not without agency! I can cloak myself in glamor. Besides what the fuck does a female have seven husbands for if they can’t keep the crowd away?!"
"Why can't you understand that we don't want to expose you to the ugly side of our life?" Alistair questions hoarsely.
"Because I don't want to, fae queen's fuckboy!" I whine at Alistair, wanting to stab his dick. He stumbles back a step like I've shot him with an arrow.
“Don't be so dramatic. You didn’t think I’d find out she compelled you to fuck her?” I know I’m being brutal but I’m done tying myself up in knots, tiptoeing around his pain. “I’ve been tearing myself apart trying to free you––without shredding your pride.”
"What?" The color ebbs from his sunburned cheeks, leaving behind a pinched, sallow expression.
“Did you ever consider confiding in me? No. You’d rather play protector than trust me with the truth.”
“Because you singlehandedly decided I was too fragile to deal with your problems. Here is something for your dim brain to process. Life isn’t always roses and sunshine. Sometimes it smells like shit. Ugly shit. And I’ve survived every ugly thing thrown at me—without breaking.
“You think I don’t have a past? Trauma?” I scoff. “I live with it. I still deal with it and come out stronger. Every. Fucking. Time.”
The seven stand still like statues, looking miserable. If my words had been actual lashes, they’d be covered in angry welts.
“I kept reaching for you. For all of you.” My voice cracks once, then hardens. “And you never once let me in.”
“I offered you partnership, love, togetherness. You chose secrecy, lies, cruelty. Don’t pretend this was about protecting me.” My hand slashes through the air.
“You didn’t spare me pain.” I meet their tortured gazes. “You just made sure I suffered alone.”
"I’m good enough to fuck, coddle like a pet, but never trust with your burdens."
"How Aleiraah? How do you know all this?" Alistair whispers, shaken, grief-stricken.
"That's your takeaway from all I said?" I retort in revulsion.
"No! No. I…just want to understand. I—I—was ashamed, I felt dirty, unworthy of you." Alistair hiccups, face awash with tears.
"But you were worthy, Alistair.” I insist gently and his expression crumples.
“More than anyone, before the night of the Veilmoon.
When you compared me to that fae bitch, who took away your choice.
Just like all of you took away mine. You, Alistair, preached to me, likened me to that predator.
You implied that I preyed on that pathetic little worm. "