Shadow Seer [18+]

~ Thirty Four ~

Numbness had washed over Sanaa, leaving her feeling completely detached from reality.

She stood on the beach, the salty breeze tousling her hair, as she stood staring at the bodies.

The bodies of the people Amir had murdered in cold blood.

Her delayed scream had pierced the silence but Amir had simply grabbed hold of her and dragged her down the beach, her nails digging into his flesh and tears streaming down her cheeks. He stayed silent as he forcefully manoeuvred her towards the city while their luggage magically followed along beside them. Sanaa's resistance and energy slowly waned the closer they got to the city when she realised that causing a scene would only draw unwanted attention. She could easily embarrass him, cause commotion but what good would that serve. She had no one but him and the truth was that he'd killed the others to avoid that very thing. Sanaa was under no impression that he would kill her, but it would look odd for a woman to be screaming at her husband in the middle of the street. So, she remained quiet, and the longer she said nothing, the easier the numbness could take her over. She followed Amir in silence.

He'd shrouded most of their remaining belongings in shadow, saying aloud that he'd return for them once he found somewhere for them to settle. She knew he was explaining his plans aloud for her benefit, but she didn't care. Sanaa just wanted some time away from him, to think, to understand how she felt about him now she'd seen what he could, who he was in real time. Amir's violence had always been something so abstract but she'd watched him decapitate four people with a blade of shadow as easily as breathing.

It was only when they found a small side entrance to the city and Amir asked where he could purchase a horse that she realised they had lost Kage. Even while she hated Amir for killing those people, he had lost his horse, his friend and that must be hurting him. Naturally, she wanted to comfort him, but she reined herself in. He didn't deserve her comfort after what he had done. He'd carried two small trunks to add credibility to their shipwreck story but when she offered to help, he growled at her.

"You've never carried something heavy a day in your life. What help could you possibly be?" he spit at her and tears had flooded her eyes. Amir was angry and hurting and felt she'd betrayed him. She knew he was lashing out and as much as she hated him for the killings, for hesitating to save Farrah she knew she had let Amir down. Sanaa loved him, but she realised she had failed at her first genuine test of proving it.

The inn they found was small, dark and smelled like piss but Sanaa said nothing as Amir led her through its dark halls and into a small bedroom that smelled of horse shit. He was punishing her; she realised. Amir was being petty, and she hated him even more for the baseless reaction.

"I'm not staying here." Sanaa said, folding her arms across her chest in the middle of the doorway. For once, she was thankful for her veil and mask as it worked to cover up the stench of the place.

"Where else will you go?" Amir replied without looking at her and crashing their few belongings onto the bed.

"I am not staying here, Amir." She didn't bother to respond to his taunt and didn't move from the doorway. Finally, he turned to look at her and his eyes were like ice. Green ice that rooted her to the spot with an intensity that she wanted to look away from, but held her ground. She couldn't balk from him now or he would never listen to her.

"Then leave," he said. "I'm sure a pretty girl like you could find someone to take you in."

"Is this who you are, then?" She asked with genuine disappointment. "Is this the man you wanted me to get to know, to love, because I really, really dislike him."

"Can't say that's a surprise," he replied with disgust. "I thought you were leaving?"

He turned away from her again, but Sanaa didn't bother to call him back. Two could play this game.