Page 97 of Glass and Bone
“Please, please get me out of here.” I beg anyone who might be listening. “Laris! Tano!” I scream over and over again, hoping they are within earshot. My throat is rough, my body weak, as I exert all the energy I have. “Please.” I cry before dropping onto my side. I lay in my dried blood, tears steadily dripping off my nose, for what seems like hours.
The door eventually opens, and Tobias walks in with a tray of food. He’s wearing his normal black tunic and trousers, his sparkling clean boots slapping loudly on the marble floor. I don’t bother sitting up, I just track him with my eyes.
“Good afternoon, my love!” He exclaims as he sets the tray down on the nightstand. I instantly smell the coffee with sweetened cream and my stomach rumbles. I sit up and reach for it, but my hand falls short.
There was something about coffee that I wanted to remember. Something telling me not to drink it. I drop my hand back on the bed and lay down, ignoring the pastries piled on the silver plate. Tobias frowns and puts his hands on his hips. “I brought you your favorite, are you not hungry?” I shake my head. “What’s wrong, Ela?” His voice is soft, worried. He sounds so much like the man I married, but he’s not.
“What happened last night?” I murmur, my throat rough.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t remember consenting to being branded.” He chuckles darkly and I take a slow deep breath to keep from freaking out.
“You must have had way too much to drink, Elaenor. You kept telling me how much you loved me and wanted a part of me to be with you forever. Before I could stop you, you carved a T into your stomach. I could hardly believe it!” He throws his hands up in the air with bewilderment. “I had to rush and get you some salve, so you didn’t bleed out.
“I don’t remember anything.” I don’t. I can’t even remember how I got into bed, much less what happened.
“If it makes you feel better, it was after a veryverygood fucking.” He purrs as he climbs onto the bed. I roll away from him, but he grabs my arm to hold me still. “Look at me, Ela. What can I do to make this better?”
“Where is Scarlett?”
“She’s gone, my love. You know that. We talked about it yesterday.” I shake my head.
“You killed her.”
“No, one of the guards did. He was aiming for you, so her death is actually your fault.”
“Why?” I look up at him with tears pooling in my eyes.
“You wanted to kill me, they were protecting their king.” I close my eyes and shake my head again. “Once you get better, we can talk about letting you go. A lot of people are calling for your head, but I told them you were unwell. Apollo has given me some medicine that will make you feel better, help clear you of whatever mind sickness you have. Then you’ll be my Ela again.”
“No, please.” I whimper as I try to pull away from him.
“Oh, Ela, this is for your own good.” I don’t even see someone walk up to us before a needle is jabbed into my thigh. I cry out in pain as fire spreads through my veins. “Hold still, Ela, if you fight it will hurt more.” Don’t fight back. That’s what Enzo had said.
But where is Enzo now?
I grow weak and before I can fight it, I fall back asleep.
*****
I feel my body jostling, but my mind won’t awaken enough to open my eyes. Something is hitting me. Not hitting me, pounding into me. I can hear his grunting, his ragged breathing before he stills. Cold hands wipe hair from my face before lips take their place.
“Good girl.”
*****
My skin is burning, my blood is boiling. Everything hurts and then it doesn’t. Ice spreads through my veins, getting rid of any residual flames taking my sanity with it. The pounding happens again. I don’t even try to listen. My body moves with his and then I am asleep again.
*****
I’m screaming, my throat raw as I feel the dagger slicing through my skin over and over again. I can feel him inside of me, grunting as he thrusts over and over, digging the dagger in deeper each time.
“Fuck yes.” He mutters. He’s touching me, that little bundle of nerves he knows I love so much. I hate it. I hate the way my body is responding to it. I can feel the fire, but it’s spreading throughout my whole body.
“Yes, Ela.Oh gods.” He yells as I erupt. I scream and scream and scream as I come undone. And then I am falling back into the pit of darkness.
*****
