Page 58 of Blood Vows
Something… familiar. Making me question once more whether it had been the witch, as I had previously thought.
Eventually, unable to stand still, I slipped into the adjoining bathroom. The air inside was cool and faintly scented with the mellow soaps he had provided. I turned the tap, and steam began to curl from the stream of water, fogging the mirror until I couldn’t see the bruised exhaustion in my own reflection anymore.
The shower washed away the chill clinging to my skin, but not the thoughts clawing through my mind. I tilted my head beneath the water and whispered to myself,
“Why her?” The laugh. That sound. I had heard it before.
The day the witch had attacked me. The same sickening melody of madness that had haunted my dreams, that had made my blood run cold every time I remembered the way she smiled as she hurt me.
And now I was certain of it.
The witch. The one who had convinced me of the curse. Who had tried to play me from the beginning and who had been working for Vas this whole time.
But why had she been in his bed?
I turned off the water abruptly, my heart thudding against my ribs. I stood there dripping, breathless, trying to make senseof it all. Why would she be here? Why would Vas have her in his home?
Unless… there was more to their relationship than he was willing to say?
Could she be his lover?
No. I couldn’t believe that.
Not after what we had shared.
I dried off quickly and slipped into a fresh pair of nightclothes I’d found folded neatly with the others in the dresser. The material was soft against my skin and, like all the others, was void of personality, being a pale grey colour.
I ran my hands through my damp hair and glanced toward the door again, still listening. Still waiting. The clock on the mantel ticked steadily, cruel in its rhythm, marking the minutes of his absence like a heartbeat.
Then…finally it came.
A knock.
Sharp, sudden, and far too loud against the quiet.
I jumped, my breath catching in my throat, my pulse skittering wildly. For a moment, I simply stood there, frozen, staring at the door as if it might shatter beneath the sound.
Another knock followed, slower this time.
“Vas?” I called softly, my voice trembling.
No answer.
The air seemed to thicken, pressing in on me. My feet moved before I could think, carrying me closer. The silence stretched on the other side, heavy and waiting.
“Open the door, Nessa.” The sigh of relief was weighty as I rushed the rest of the way to unlock it. He had barely stepped inside when I was throwing my arms around him. The sound he made was one of surprise, but instinct took over, and his arms wrapped around me before I could even breathe.
“You were worried for me, little rabbit?” I nodded before looking up at him. Our eyes met, and that was all the permission he needed before his lips claimed mine, as though he could wait no longer. I didn’t know how long it was before he was lifting me easily off my feet, making his intentions known. Especially as he kicked the door shut before he made his way over to the bed. Though I knew that if we got there, then I wouldn’t get the answers I needed.
“Wait…I need to…”
“I need you.”He finished, and I sighed into him, before my voice became beseeching,
“Please, Vas, I need to know… who was that woman in your bed?” he faltered in his step and slowly put me down before repeating,
“My bed?”
“Yes,” I replied softly, hating how vulnerable I sounded.
