Chapter Thirty-Five #2
Her face is peaceful, calm. Her breath fans around me, bathing me in the scent of vanilla and something floral.
Sweet and warm. Her pale skin is flawless, aside from a small sprinkling of light freckles on her nose and cheekbones.
Her lips are a deep pink, plush and full.
Her eyelashes are dark and long, fanning across her cheeks.
But her pale skin is gray, and the bruises under her eyes are deep.
She’s beautiful, but she’s suffering. I brush an icy lock off her forehead, and it falls over the crown in a silky wave.
Her eyebrows furrow as if she is dreaming, and I take a deep breath.
What are you doing, Nithe?
“Don’t cut her hair.” I order as he begins to part the colorless strands, exposing thick, black stitches wrapped around the metal and into her scalp.
My mouth dries, dinner turning sour in my stomach as I stare at his handiwork.
Her husband did this to her. He sewed a crown to her head as if she were a toy to play with.
Kassius leaves the room, giving me a sympathetic glance on the way out.
The minutes are long and silent, the only noise being the sound of thread being sliced by a scalpel.
I watch the black threads pull out of her skin and fall to the bed.
I watch as Lenus’s face pales as he tries to concentrate on the task.
What had to be thousands of stitches later, the crown slips free from her head.
Blood stains the pale locks as the holes left behind are opened.
Gauze is pressed to her head, soaking up the blood before it can stain her hair.
Lenus puts a thick cream over the wounds and lets her hair fall back over them.
“The bleeding should stop quickly, Your Grace.”
“You may go.” I order as I watch her nostrils flare with each breath.
“There are syringes in the bag already prepped for her height and weight. Should she wake before I return, she will need them to fall back asleep. I will return in the morning.” He explains, but I ignore him. There is no way I was going to be complicit in drugging her.
“ Go .” I repeat. He bows deeply before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
I can’t help the tears pooling in my eyes as I think about all she endured. As I picture him hurting her. I shake my head and slide off the bed, setting her down. I can’t get attached. I can’t allow myself to care for her.
Whimpering pulls me out of my sleep, and I crack my eyes. Her thin body is wrapped in a sheet, sweat beading on her forehead. Her hands are clenched into fists, her brows furrowed.
“No.” She whispers and then her eyes fly open. “Tobias?” She whispers again before she sits up. A grimace crosses her face, and her hands find her stomach. She looks down and around the room before her eyes land on me.
“How are you feeling?” I ask as I stretch, leaning forward with my forearms on my knees.It’s been two days of her being asleep. Two days of me counting her breaths for the fear she’ll stop.
“Who are you?” Her voice is sharp, clear, as she stares at me. Her eyes are wide, assessing, as if she’s deciding whether to fight or run.
“My name is Nithe.” Her mouth parts and I can see her eyes wash over me, confused.
“Where is Tobias?” I sigh.
“Back in Noterra.” I respond calmly.
“He’s going to kill you. He’s going to kill you for touching me.” She’s shaking her head, a laugh bubbling in her mouth.
“I didn’t touch you, little witch.” I sigh and she just laughs again.
“He’s going to kill you. He’s going to find me.” She’s fully giggling, and I lean back, arching a brow.
“Elaenor, Tobias isn’t a good man. He isn’t going to protect you.” I say slowly.
“He’s going to come for me. You can’t keep me forever.” I rise and her eyes snap to me. “He will come for me.” Something flashes in her eyes and for a moment it looks as if the veins under her eyes have turned black, spreading out to her cheeks. But it’s gone a second later.
“I hope he does.” I respond, clearing my throat.
“Take me home. It’s not too late.” She pleads, her voice wavering.
“Elaenor, we rescued you. You were going to die there.” She shakes her head. “Tobias isn’t a good guy, little witch.” I reach for her, and she recoils.
“I want to go home!” The door opens and I turn to see Enzo stride in. His clothing is disheveled, as if he just woke.
“Elaenor.” He says softly and her lips part.
“You?” He walks up to the bed, sitting on the edge. “Enzo?” He nods.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“I don’t understand.” She reaches forward, her fingers lightly brush his cheek as if she’s checking if he’s real.
“This isn’t real. You aren’t real.” She snatches her hand back, her body shaking.
“Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.” She covers her eyes, repeating the same thing over and over again.
I rise and come over to her side, gripping her wrists and she screams.
Her screams echo around the room, sharp and shrill. She screams as if she’s fighting for her life. She shakes the blankets free and kicks at Enzo, who has to grab her legs before she hits him in the face.
“Fuck. Calm down!” He yells at her. Someone barrels into the room and I hear digging around in the medical kit. A tan arm reaches between me and Enzo, and I see the syringe as it slams into Elaenor’s leg. Her eyes widen, fixed on mine, before she goes limp.
“What the fuck, Scarlett!” Enzo yells and I slowly lower Elaenor back on the bed. Her eyes are still open, but she’s out. I close her eyes gently and brush a lock of hair from her face.
“She was losing her mind. She needs sleep, she needs to rest. We all do. None of us have slept in days.” He pushes past her, stalking out of the room. “ Enzo .” She calls, racing after him out of the room.
I look away from them, and brush more of Elaenor’s hair off her face and neck. She’s breathing slowly, deep in sleep. But she’s not peaceful. She feels the opposite of peace.