Blood & Bone [Book Three of The City of Eternity Series] [✔]

3.18: Forsaken

The woman stood still, her heels dug firmly in the dirt as she stared at the billowing mass of smoke rising from Central as another explosion shattered the air around us. She dragged one of her hands through her hair, the green locks ruffling as she did so, and I watched as her face contorted into a picture of confusion, "This really isn't what we planned for... It's far too early..." She muttered softly, looking down at the dainty gold watch strapped around her wrist.

I looked back at the house for a moment, the door moving with the wind. We're outside of my home, and yet I feel the need to leave, get as far as I can, and ignore this witch for as long as possible. She wasn't looking at me - hadn't for several moments, arms crossed tightly as she considered her situation.

I had just enough wiggle room to turn on my heels and walk away from Central - my new plan was to find a hideaway to wallow in, even if that meant letting Eternity burn around me.

"Where do you think you're going?" She said sternly. I paused momentarily, eyes clenched shut as my head turned to look at her.

"I don't need to be here," I stated, trying my best to mask my contempt for the woman and clearly failing. She had swallowed hard, grinding her heels into the ground half-heartedly.

"Look... you have no reason to trust me Arsenio. I get that," She argues weakly avoiding my gaze by looking down at her mud-coated shoes. Her brows furrowed as she knelt down to inspect them closer, fingers grazing the substance and a grunt of displeasure following. With a sharp exhale she raised back up but still avoided me, "I just need you to listen to me and do what I say."

Something dark and unwavering twists in my chest. My mouth opens for a moment before I clench it closed and breathe out slowly, considering my words carefully. Even then, they come out harshly, fury was laden in each syllable, "I don't think the woman who just pretended to be my wife should be telling me to do anything. It is taking every fibre of my sanity - what is left of it, that is, to consider even letting you walk away."

If I was honest, I would say I wanted to gather her up and tear her to pieces, pick her up by the throat and squeeze until her skin turned blue, wipe her from the Earth and scorch her existence away. I deserved that. At the very least I deserved something.

The very thought of my wife being alive and well had brought me into a state of unruly bliss; despite my outright disbelief of what was standing in front of me, having her back for just a minute had started to heal the crack that formed along my heart.

Now that wound had come back deeper, the edges seeping further than they had before. She didn't seem to feel guilty enough. In fact, she was about to breeze past the whole thing. Not only did she want me to forget that, but she also wanted me to go a step forward and help her.

"I think you should be leaving as fast as you can," I said blankly, tilting my head towards Central slightly. The woman considered the tilt carefully. I was controlling myself as best as I could, meanwhile, the beast was envisioning snapping her head from her shoulders. I was relying on the real image of my wife, staring at me from the corner of my vision with that look in her eyes that meant very plainly 'Do it and see what happens'.