Page 13 of A God of Death & Rest

He shakes his head and that’s all I fucking get.

Okay, screw the nice talk. “Are you fucking serious?” I shout up to his face. I’m up on my tiptoes now and he flashes his teeth at me in response. I roll my sleeves up. He wants to hash it out here? Fine by me.

“Elodie, for gods’ sakes, he can’t speak.” Arulius emerges from the hallway to his manor. He looks me up and down and frowns at my rolled sleeves.

My eyes widen and I instantly feel like an asshole.

He can’t talk?

My cold heart has been wearing on me more than I thought, I guess. I glance back to Rune. He’s still baring his teeth in rage and his brows are furrowed. It’s the first sign of emotion he’s shown and it’s better than his empty expression, I guess.

I sigh and let my shoulders slump, pushing back my hair and de-ruffling my feathers with a swift stroke of my hands.

“Where have you been?” I snap at the golden Eostrix. He’s dressed in his Nesbrim armor, which is unusual. I haven’t seen his golden bone brackets since…thatday.

Arulius raises a brow, but his features tell me something’s wrong. “Things have been… adjusted, love. You have your own room within the High Court now. You will no longer be staying with me.”

My heart clenches at his words.

I’d be lying if I said the thought of not sleeping in bed with him each night didn’t hurt a little. Because it fucking does. I’ll never forgive him, but a part of my heart has always been his. Still is, in a sad pitiful way… He’s been the constant in all my misery, always at my side. Having him taken away like this…No. I clear my thoughts.

I refuse the feelings that my broken organ is trying to push through me.

“That’s fine. No—it’s better. I prefer it this way.”

Arulius’s eyes betray him and the tug on the bond sears a heavy, sorrowful weight through me. I grit my teeth to keep myself steady, biting back the tears that beg to fall.

“Rune, please show her to her new room,” he orders the Dreadius and he gives me one last glance before heading to the war room just down the corridor. I watch him walk away for only a few seconds before forcing myself to look away.

I’m met with Rune’s red eyes watching me closely. I’m guessing he doesn’t miss the tension between me and Arulius, because his eyes flick to the golden warrior before landing back on me. I’m curious whether he knows our history.

“I’m tired,” I mumble, hoping he’ll understand. Thank the gods, he does. He blinks as he nods once and starts walking toward the west wing.

I’ve only been to the west wing a few times. Once was when I tried to break out and failed miserably, and the other time was with Arulius to fetch some extra blankets. The walls and hallways change from elegant and luxurious to common. Vines have long since broken through the cracks in the walls on this side of the castle and they grow on the ceilings and surround the windows.

I take a deep breath, taking in the earthy scent of old bricks and plants. It almost feels like I’m outside on a cold spring morning. But as I pass the window I see it’s snowing. I pause at the window and notice a small handprint left behind on the pane.

I’m taken back to my shed, the night my parents pressed their hands cryptically against my window and watched me sleep, waiting for me to leave the safety of the shed to murder me.

I shudder and resume following Rune, clutching my arms tightly. Ever since regaining my memories of that night, my dreams of blood and cries evolved into running through the forest while my parents hunt me down, stabbing me each night until I wake up crying. My heart always remembersthatthrob, the same throb that it elicited when mother pressed the cold blade into me.

WhenAruliuspushed it into me.

I clutch my arms tighter. I’m so fucking cold and I don’t think anything can warm me ever again.

Oof. I walk headfirst into Rune’s back.

“Oh, sorry.” I step to the side and peer in front of him as he looks down at me from over his shoulder.

There’s an old wooden door, curved at the top like Wren’s cottage door back in Caziel. I smile at the memory. I step in front of Rune and open the splintery door. The room has one single window, and it’s not very big. This room in general isn’t very spacious, but the light that beams from the sole window enters my soul. My smile widens and I step into the room, spreading my arms out and spinning thrice before landing on my back against the soft sheets of the bed.

Rune leans against the doorway and watches me. I don’t care. He’s quiet and it’s not like he can make fun of me or tell anyone what I do anyway, so I’ll just… be myself.

Joke’s on you, Violet. I love this room.I laugh and rise to look out my new window.

Setting my palms against the window frame, I eagerly search the view that waits just beyond the pane.

Vines wrap the corners of the dusty frame, but the city below is crisp with white snow. Every rooftop, road, and cart is glowing with winter life. Creatures of all sorts walk below and I can hear them talking from here. I’m only three stories up, but in Arulius’s room there was always silence. Here, I can hear the life of the world around me—I can feel it. I reach my hand up to my heart and clasp it. I can’t let anyone know how happy I am that she moved me here. I won’t let her take this from me.

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