The God & The Shadow

Chapter 67

VERONICA

My back ached from the collision of it against the hard wall of the castle halls. Lore's face looked more relaxed than earlier, but his anger contrasted his calm demeanor.

"What the fuck was that." He growled.

"I told you not to–"

"Bullshit, Elvira. They should be dead for what they did to you." Lore interrupted.

I scoffed. "And I warned you not to hurt them."

"Do you think I care? When someone hurts you, they die. Its only a matter of whether or not it'll be by my hand or yours."

I rolled my eyes and pushed him away with great force. I began walking down the hall, but he gripped my wrist and turned me back towards him. "Where are you going."

"Away from you." I responded as I tried to pry his fingers off me.

The attempt was nothing against him. He pulled, dragging me along with him down the other direction. When I voiced out my protests, he ignored me and continued on until he turned to a familiar hallway. Lore pushed the door open and basically shoved me down the bed.

"Stay here." He ordered before walking away.

"I'm not a dog." I murmured under my breath, but stayed put anyway. It was a comfort to finally take a moment to sit down and rest after hours of walking and fighting.

When I felt my eyes close, Lore emerged from the bathroom and gathered me in his arms. For a man that was just chastising me earlier, he was gentle in holding my body.

"Bathe first, then rest." I heard him whisper.

My eyes fluttered open. "Are you trying to tell me I smell?"

His head moved close to mine. "Is it working?"

I heard him snicker when I scoffed and pushed myself down. Looking at the tub slowly filling with water and foam, I remembered the time when the memory of Lore and I first struck me. That time when he got injured from one of Azura's sisters and I had to help him.

"I'll give you a moment's privacy." He turned away, but my hand latched on to his wrist before I could even listen to reason.

"If you wish for me to bathe," I whispered against his lips. "you have to help me. I'm sore in places that shouldn't be." My lips tilted upwards at the sound of his breath hitching. I'd never heard him do that before.

Taking a step back, I removed the strap of his sheathed sword across my chest, tossing it at him. He caught it without effort of course, which only infuriated me more.

I turned, making sure I was out of the mirror's view and his, and started removing my clothes. To my chagrin, his breathing remained stable as I stripped. Not even a change of speed or a pause. Nothing. Just a normal undulating of his breathing.

Tossing all my clothes at him, I got in the tub quickly and took a deep breath before submerging myself.  I wished then that it could've been like that all the time: darkness and silence. Where I didn't need to worry anything and just rest in the void.