Page 83 of Her Dark Promise

We sat in silence. No one cared to say anything. I wasn’t even paying attention to where I was as my mind wandered, moving my spoon absentmindedly around the bowl, not taking a single bite.

“Why aren’t you eating? Do you not like porridge?”

“What?”

He pointed with his spoon. “You haven’t touched your breakfast.”

“I guess I am not very hungry this morning.”

He went back to eating, but his eyes kept looming, wondering. He was thinking—about what, I couldn’t say. Silence filled the space once again until I heard yelling on the other side of the doors.

Here we go.

The doors burst open as I heard Callum calling out, “Get back here! Sober up before you go and see her!”

“Ah! Get off me!”

Bastian stumbled through the doors, shouting, “Your grace! Apologies for my tardiness. Uh–oh. I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”

“And what would you be in trouble for exactly? Besides not doing the one job that I gave you, forcing Emilia to pick up your slack. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?”

He lifted his hands up in the air, irritated. “All you do is nag. You know that?”

He was halfway to the table when my nose scrunched up. He reeked of alcohol. I narrowed my eyes. This was incredibly vexing. I could understand his need for release, but this was starting to become a nuisance for everyone involved. However, I knew that adapting to change took time. As long as he wasn’t completely harming himself, then I would allow him this small reprieve.

“And you need to take a shower. Save all of us from your musk. I can smell you all the way over here.”

Soren rubbed a hand down his face, cursing under his breath. He got up and walked over to help his brother out of the room, but Bastian pushed him away.

They were speaking in hushed tones that I couldn’t quite make out until Bastian grabbed Soren by the collar and asked, words slurred, “What do you want from me? I came down didn—” Bastian had turned around to make his way to the table when he cut himself off by tripping over his feet, landing hard on his face. He laid there, not moving, but groaned as Soren rolled his eyes and bent down to check on him.

Could I have stopped him from slamming that perfectly chiseled face into the solid flooring? Yes.

But did I? No, because the consequences of his actions were of his own making. And possibly because of that comment he made about me nagging him.

“Damn it, Bast.”

Soren’s hand lifted, and because it was covered in blood, he proceeded to faint at the sight. I walked over and saw that Bastian’s nose was broken. Blood gushed down his clothes onto the floor. Teeth stained red as he spit more of the blood onto the ground at my feet.

Both brothers were still on the ground, Bastian fully unaware of what just happened to Soren. I didn’t say a word as Soren’s eyes fluttered open, disoriented. I stood there waiting for him to come to his senses when Soren sat up and looked at me, complexion pale.

He tried not to pay attention to the blood and said, “I think we both need to lie down. May I please have assistance in taking him to his room?”

Bastian laughed and winced from the movement.

“Now you’re reasoning with the beast? Are you fucking her now, as well?”

He had already asked Soren that a few days ago. I wondered why he was so curious if we had or not.

“Enough, Bast!”

“Little brother, don’t try to speak to thatthingas if it were still human. Didn’t you hear her? Oh wait, you were unconscious,” He spat. “She reminded me that we are supposed to be grateful that she hasn’t killed us—be grateful for thishell.”

“I don’t think that I put it in those words exactly.” I bent down to him as he tried to back away and grabbed hold of his nose before he had a chance to escape. I slid his nose back in place. He screamed out in pain.

“Can’t let that pretty face of yours get disfigured; what good will you be then? Scholar, take your brother and sober him up.”

Soren and Callum wrapped Bastian’s arms around their shoulders and half carried him out of the dining hall. Bastian must have been heavy if it took both of them.

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