FD: Birth of a Wishing Heart

35. Exposed

Grizelda sighed tapping her claws against the table. Where had she gone wrong? She looked out at the window waiting for Nicholas. Her nostrils flared in anger against her rock-like skin. Her stomach feasted on another poor soul's limb as she waited. She had started eating them while they were still conscious. She could feel nothing but it filled her with some sort of pride or belonging. It was the closest she'd feel to the emotional disaster that was her humanity. Their screams and fear brought a new type of sadistic pleasure. She wanted the gods to hate her and fear their creation. That's what they wanted, a villain with a stone-cold heart. Since then Nicholas couldn't take it. He'd spend more time outside but she'd often force him back home. He needed to get used to it. He had begun draining her victims of red. His body had begun to depend on it, because of that, she could always trust him to come back. If he wasn't on time he'd miss his meal.

Today Nicholas was late. She knew why. He had been making excuse after excuse to not take my heart. He had grown attached to me. I was ready, and she was impatient to be able to see the gods. Finally, his figure came above the hill. He was cowering and bent down afraid. "Nicholas!" She could sense it, his fear. If he would just obey her he wouldn't need to be afraid!

Nicholas straightened his posture as he walked home showing no expression. The smell sickened him. Any other human wouldn't be able to smell the corpses and begging flesh but after years with Grizelda, he knew her blind rages and their outcomes. "Grizelda." He greeted.

"You will get the heart for me in a week. Then I will visit the gods." She commanded.

Nicholas didn't look at her. He knew this was why he was doing this from the start. Why did it hurt so much? "On her birthday?"

"It's not even human Nicholas." Grizelda turned towards him observing his movements. "Have you grown attached?"

"No! No I haven't." He protested as he continued towards his room. Grizelda had proven time and time again that she had no guilt in harming him to teach him a lesson. Lying was useless, he knew. He had two options, he could go through with it or try to stand up for me. I would have helped him, he knew I would. Then again, the risks of him standing up for me were not comparable to mine for standing up for him.

Grizelda growled twirling the boy around. Her face tilting to properly focus on the boy, with stone pushing her eyes away from their natural positions. "You're lying Nicholas." Her claws pierced through him. Something that he could never get used to, no matter how many times she did.

"Si! Okay, yes! I'm attached to the wishing heart!" Nicholas yelped out staring up at her. At this, he had expected serious harm. He expected her to bite him. He had expected to hear cracks and snaps until he begged for mercy and was healed as if nothing had happened. He had expected torture and screams that no one would hear. Instead, she was calm. What was she planning? Her calmness terrified him. She wasn't hurting him more than holding him, which was something she could no longer help.

"Can you or can you not take the heart from her in a week?" She asked with an unreadable expression. The answer was obvious, right now, he couldn't. She had to change that or take it herself. She wasn't a scared young girl anymore with a son to take care of. She was twenty-three and knew that only the gods could save her now. She had no more faith in Nicholas. His company held no importance. He only served her out of horror and held no positive attachment towards her. She doubted he wanted to save her. He had done what she couldn't. She had shown an interpretation of love and fooled the heart. Him doing it was far better than her, as the walk outside would strengthen my heart before it was taken. If he couldn't, then there was no reason to wait for it to strengthen further. She may as well pick it now.