Page 53 of Glass and Bone
I roll over, onto my stomach, and I can feel his fingers untying my corset. When it’s free he slides it off of me and throws it onto the floor. I feel his weight shift as he gets off the bed. He tugs on my skirt and slides it off of me.
“What is this?” His voice is stern, confused. I glance up, rolling onto my back, to see my dagger on my thigh. He raises an eyebrow before he slips it off of me. “What is this, Elaenor?”
“It’s mine.” I whisper. That’s all I can think to say.
“I see that. Where did you get it?” He sounds angry, defensive, as his fingers brush the black leather wrapped around the hilt.
“Chatis. I got it in Chatis.” That’s technically not a lie, but I can’t bring myself to tell him the truth. I bite my lip as I stare up at him. He stares at me for a second before putting the dagger on the bedside table. I exhale in relief, silently, before resting my head back on the bed. I hear him step away for a second and then his footsteps return.
“Sit up.” He commands. “Elaenor, sit up.” I groan and force myself to lift my limp body off the bed. With my eyes still closed, I feel him slip a shirt over my head and gently tug the crown out of my hair. “You’re no help at all.” He laughs before he kisses my nose. His fingers brush my shoulder and I wince. A perfect circular bite has left a welt on my skin. A brand. My face finds his as he effortlessly lifts me up and then plops me back down onto the bed, pulling the blanket over me. He leans down and kisses my temple before walking away.
“Where are you going?” I ask, sitting back up.What could he possibly be doing right now?He turns back towards me when he reaches the door.
“I have some business to attend to. Go to sleep.” His voice is soft, sleepy.
“Tobias, it’s the middle of the night.”
“I’m going to check on Theo.” He admits, his eyes refuse to meet mine and I know he’s ashamed. He turns away again and leaves, closing the door behind him. I plop back down onto the pillow and exhale loudly. I know he’s leaving to deal with his brother, but all I feel is abandoned. We just had sex for the first time, my first time, if I don’t count Aleksander, and he leaves.
I can’t possibly sleep now.
My eyes find the leather wrapped dagger on my bedside table. I quickly slip it under the mattress, hidden away for if I need it. I have a feeling Tobias would take it away if he knew I was fearful of him, of this place. I slide off the bed and walk towards the bathing room, grabbing a glass of that sweet pink wine on the way. Nothing sounds better than a hot bath right now.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I scream out in pain and fear. My blood joining theirs as the glass slices through my naked feet. The smoke fills my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath, suffocating. Everything is dark and gray. The thick clouds overhead threaten rain. The only color is that of flames and the bright bioluminescent green of the trees behind the palace, the only thing untouched from the destruction. I can’t breathe, the pressure is too much. I scream and scream, hoping someone can help me, but no one comes. No one is going to save me.
I gasp as my face breaks through the water with the assistance of a strong grip.
“Elaenor! What are you doing?” Tobias yells as I force myself to cough to get the burning liquid out of my lungs. He pulls me further out of the water, and I drape myself over the edge of the tub as I try to inhale as much oxygen as I can.
My dreams have changed since I have come to Noterra. As if I am no longer replaying a small portion of the scene but seeing the rest of it. But it's not anit, it’s Chatis.
The place in my dreams has always been Chatis.
I’m lifted out of the water and a warm towel is wrapped around me. My body is shaking, either from the cold or my dreams. My eyes are fixated on the tub as Tobias is speaking to me. I can’t make out the words as my mind is stuck in Chatis. The burning buildings, the smell of blood and burnt flesh filling my nose. This dream used to be just that, a nightmare, but now I can’t help but feel it is a premonition of something that is yet to come.
“Elaenor, are you listening to me?” A rough shake pulls my mind back into awareness and I turn my face towards his. He looks confused and scared.
“What?” I croak as my throat protests.
“What were you doing?”
“I fell asleep.” I whisper, holding his gaze. His eyes look tired, hollow. I’ve never seen him as fearful as he is right now.
“How much of the wine did you drink before?” He’s pointing at the empty wine glass sitting next to the tub.
“Just one.” I shake my arms, forcing him to release his grip. “I’m alright.” I say before walking out of the bathroom and down the hall to our bedroom in nothing but a towel, ignoring the door that leads straight to our room. A new set of guards stand outside the door, and they give me a quick nod before averting their gaze. Maybe Laris and Tano do sleep sometimes.
I loudly close the door behind me and make my way over to the privacy screen so I can change. I can hear the door open and close quickly as I slip on a fresh nightgown.
“Elaenor! You can’t walk around dressed like that.” He yells just as I step out from behind the screen. I walk right past him, headed for the bed, but his hand grabs ahold of my arm to stop me. I look down at his grip before slowly making my way up to meet his gaze, glaring.
“Unhandme, Tobias.” I firmly say, not breaking eye contact. A flash of surprise crosses his face before he releases me. I walk over to the bed and slip under the covers, wanting this day to end, but also wanting to slip back into my dreams to learn more about what is happening.
“Elaenor, you could have died. What were you doing?” I sigh, loudly as my head hits the pillows, my sopping wet hair soaking into the linens.
“I fell asleep, Tobias. It’s not a big deal.” I say dismissively, knowing that isn’t true.
