Page 58 of A Kiss From Death
“Not the theatrics I was looking for, but death is death, I suppose. I’m quite famished as well,” the Empress pouts.
My stomach threatens to unleash itself, a panic attack looming over me. I turn to look away, bending at the waist to put my head between my knees. I take long, deep breaths, trying to regulate my breathing before it takes off in an untamable beast I’ve grown toofamiliar with. I feel a warm hand drag up and down my back and realize it’s Aeron standing next to me.
Calming myself, I manage to keep my breakfast down as Aeron pulls me back to my feet. Linking arms with him, the Empress dismisses us back to our rooms for the remainder of the day, and Aeron pulls me towards the exit. We pass the two lifeless bodies on the ground, and I force my eyes to look away, shaking slightly.
Just as we reach the edge of the Bubble, I feel the soft, familiar tickle at the edge of my ear. “Do you trust me?” a faint, desperate whisper speaks into my ear.
I could recognize that magic in my sleep at this point. The voice sends a shiver down my spine like a caress. I hesitate for only a second, but my answer shocks me. I do, without a doubt, trust this man. I can’t explain it, but something in my body tells me that not everything is as it seems.
I nod at something Aeron spouts next to me, but this nod is not meant for him. It’s for the man across the other side of the Bubble who I know is watching as I leave. “That is all I could hope for,” he whispers, and then I feel the small shadow nestled on the edge of my ear slither away, taking a sliver of me with it.
Hade has been ignoring me. How pathetic am I to be bothered by a man who literally killed two innocent people right before my eyes? Apparently, this girl.
He meets me at the library each night as promised to let me in. He doesn’t say a single word; he just sits in his chair, reading about Empress knows what. I tried to make small talk at first, uncomfortable sitting in silence, but I gave up after he so clearly did not want to speak to me.
He’s been different, off. No snarky or sassy comments. No taunts or threats. Just eerie silence. I’m honestly fed up with it. All this time, I’ve pushed him away, but as soon as he stopped talking to me, it felt wrong, and I yearn to have his attention back.
For the third night in a row, I search the shelves for answers as Hade reads quietly while slouched in his chair. I peek over, finding him lost in his book. It’s like the world around him is dead. I take this rare opportunity to study him.
His unruly curls are disheveled from running his hands thoroughly through his hair. It looks perfectly imperfect, like everything else about him. His two beautiful opposite eyes that should scare me off have the opposite effect, captivating me in the dimly lit room. They bring a side of mystery, making me want to know how they came to be. I’m realizing I don’t know much about Hade, but I want to, and that is a scary thought.
While he’s distracted, I quickly switch out the journal I smuggled for a new one, sliding the old one in its place. I haven’t found any leads to the answer for the riddle, but I’ve still learned some interesting information. I just know the answer has to be somewhere in one of these journals, so I’ll keep reading them until I find it.
I’m still clueless as to whose journals these are, but I’m hopingeventually, a name will be dropped in one of the entries. Looking back over at Hade, I decide to ask him a question that’s been nagging me.
Nonchalantly, I ask, “Do you believe in love?”
He looks up from his book, and I’m shocked he’s even paying me an ounce of attention. His face is blank when he responds, “I think love is fickle and demanding. I think the word can mean a million things, or it can mean nothing at all. I think love likes to take and take until it can leave a person hollow. One can believe in love but not endorse it. I stand in the middle. Love can change a person, and not always for the best.”
I nod in understanding—who am I to disagree? Love has gotten me nothing but a scrap of memories to float inside my aching heart for the rest of eternity. It has left me fractured and alone. Love made me give a part of my heart away to another who was then ripped from my grasp. Love can be kind and warm, but it can also feel like a knife to the heart, a killing blow. Love is a gamble on all ends, a game of risk and vulnerability. But if risked on the right person, no matter how short lived, love can be worth it.
“Do you think there is something stronger than love?” I try to sound unbothered, like it’s just a random thought. I slowly walk over to his chair, holding eye contact with him. He looks like he isn’t going to answer, so I continue past him, accepting this small win of having at least one conversation with him again.
“Why are you asking?” I feel my arm tugged back, and I jump in surprise with a soft gasp.
His face turns down, looking disappointed as his jaw ticks. I realize then he must think I’m scared of him after what I saw him do for the Empress. That must be why he’s kept his distance. He’s trying not to scare me off. The silly thing is, I’m not scared of him at all. I was just shocked by his bold touch after days of distance.
“Sorry,” he mutters, quickly pulling his hand back.
I shine him a soft smile, attempting to show he doesn’t scare me. “It’s fine. You just surprised me.” He nods back, but it’s devoid of any emotion, as if he doesn’t believe me.
“Just forget I asked,” I rush out, not wanting him to implore further about why I’m asking.
“Nyxi,” he says in a strained voice, but I’m already halfway across the room.
“I’m quite tired, Hade. I think it’s time for me to retire to my room. Will you escort me?”
He nods and approaches my side, leaving his book sitting on his chair. Sliding my arm in his, we walk in silence back to my room. I reach for my door, exhausted and ready to slip into bed, when Hade stops me.
He searches my eyes again. For what, I have no idea, but I feel laid bare before him with the intensity his gaze holds. A million emotions run across his taut features, looking confused and frustrated. Unsatisfied and out of words, he lets out a deep, long breath.
“I would like to hope there is something out there stronger than love, but not all of us are deserving of it.”He rushes away without another word, leaving me confused and out of breath, standing alone with nothing but my jumbled thoughts.
Tired from a long day, I’m ready to slip into bed and peacefully drift off into thoughtless bliss. My entire body aches from pushing it to its limits. I slip off my shoes and make my way over to my bed.
Suddenly, my window shatters, glass spraying everywhere, and I jump back in surprise. A loud shriek draws blood from my ears as I attempt to cover them. The giant, rotting corpse that flies in through my window stares me down from the center of my room, wailing at the top of its lungs. Its pungent smell fills the room, making me gag.
Necroshriek.
