Page 61 of Obsession

“What’s on the agenda for today? Blowing up an orphanage or hospital?” I say, glancing around the spotless kitchen. There isn’t anything on the countertops but a fancy coffee maker that would only frustrate me to try to operate.

I open the fridge, balking at the sight of stocked food. Given the state of the world, the owners wouldn’t have it just to waste it. They wouldn’t have left it behind, either. Not willingly.

My fingers twitch on the door handle as I remember why Aris is doing all of this. The chaos of last night hardly gave me time to reflect, but it strikes me now how strange it is that Aris actually has a reason. I can’t decide whether it comforts me or not. I’d asked him why for so long and received no answer that I finally concluded that “why” was against the nature of Aris; Chaos needs no reason.

And yet, he does. He has had a reason all along: Jaegen.

“Hm, perhaps another time. They are scouring to provide us a new home,” Aris says as I quietly shut the door to the fridge, turning to face him. He’s watching me intently.

“‘They?’ Your followers?”

He drags a finger across a marble countertop, raising it to flick away imaginary dust. “Who else?” he says.

I shrug and comment, “It’s hard to imagine them finding you a lair as perfect as the other one.”

His lips quirk. “Lair?”

“Sure. The twisting halls and spooky paintings. Secret passages. It was like something out of a Dracula flick. All you were missing was a dungeon.”

“I had dungeons,” says Aris with a scoff.

“I figured.”

“I’ll admit, I enjoyed the atmosphere.” He stares at me for a moment, then tilts his head to the side. “You wouldn't happen to know how that fire started, would you?”

My lips purse. He already knows the answer to this question. He could accuse me outright: Jaegen was there, wasn’t he, Mary? And I assume that the two of you spoke…? How absurd; we just had a talk about how naughty Jaegen is!

“Well, you did have a lot of candles,” I reply.

“I forget how obtuse you are sometimes,” he says, not unkindly, just sort of remarking. “I am destruction. Does it make sense to you that I would introduce candles that could burn outside of their intended use?”

I think back to the wicks that never seemed to go down, the way the candelabras didn’t need care or maintenance. I hadn’t ever spotted anyone lighting them.

“Fine,” I say after a moment, watching him. He’s brought his finger back to the countertop, now turning it in spirals. He is not looking at me. “Yes, I know what happened.”

“Hm.” He changes the direction of his finger, making new shapes.

I stare, suspicious. He’s being too calm. Entirely passive. I’m waiting for an explosion—for him to grab me and press me against the wall, his cool breath on my cheek as he demands to hear what Jaegen said, how he’ll lean down, smiling into my skin as I try to stutter my way out of the confrontation.

“Yes, well, I see now,” Aris murmurs, studying the marble with a furrowed brow.

“See… what?”

He doesn’t reply, face almost entirely blank, save his brows pushed together, betraying his confusion. I’ve never seen him like this… except for once before.

Is it happening? Was last night enough, and he’s forgetting himself?

I wasn’t ready for this. I look around, wondering what I’m supposed to do next. Will Jaegen come and give guidance? What if Aris tries to leave before Jaegen arrives? I couldn’t restrain him.

There is a loud crack as Aris finally pushes too hard on the counter, which shudders as a massive fissure tears through it. The noise of shifting marble jolts him, breaking the trance. He blinks a few times and brings his hand back to his side, then looks at me.

A flush of relief. He is still here, still himself.

“You were listening to what I said, about the fire?” I ask slowly.

“Intently,” he replies, still not sounding quite like himself. “And I understand. It was my mistake.”

“Right…”

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