Shadow Seer [18+]

~ Thirty-Seven ~

The air in the room hung heavy with tension, a palpable storm swirling around Sanaa and Amir like an approaching tempest. The dim light of their bedroom cast long shadows on the furniture, amplifying the gravity of the preposition she'd put to him.

Sanaa'a eyes sparked with fierce determination but bordered on desperation. She needed him to do this, to believe he could be free of Ghassan's grip if only he allowed himself to be, no matter the consequences. Amir stood rigid in her arms, his jaw clenched and the lines etched on his face showed the conflict he wrestled with, the loyalty and love he felt for Sanaa and the allegiance and fear ingrained by a lifetime under his father's control.

"We've got to stand up to him, Amir. We deserve a life that's not dictated by his fancies. Cotai needs to be free of him!"

Amir's gaze flickered, torn between the woman he loved and the legacy that shackled him, "What about my family?"

Sanaa felt ashamed that she'd forgotten about Amir's family, that Ghassan was holding their resting place hostage as a way to keep Amir in line.

"He holds the key to everything I want," Amir confessed, his voice a whisper, laden with the fear of abandonment. "I can't lose them forever." Sanaa's gaze softened then, and for a moment, the torrent of their argument quieted. Sanaa reached out again, her fingers gently tracing the contours of his tense jawline, a silent plea for him to calm himself. She couldn't stop herself from touching him. They hadn't been close in so long, she ached for him. There had been one obstacle after another, whether it were in her head or the things around them. Their relationship was being tested and Sanaa didn't know if they would survive it, no matter the older Seer, telling her to stick by him.

"Amir, I get it. I do. But you can't keep living like this, dancing to his tune," she implored, her voice a delicate melody that carried the weight of understanding. "Your family is gone. You have to come to terms with the fact that you may never find them."

Amir pulled away, disgusted, "How can you say that to me?"

"Because it's the truth! If knowing where your family is buried is the only thing he has over you, then if you don't need that information anymore, he can't control you. It's that simple!"

"It's not that simple!"

"It is!"

"You wouldn't understand!" he roared at her and so she screamed back.

"What wouldn't I understand, Amir? My family being ripped away from me, never knowing what became of them and wondering every single day whether I could have done more to save them? No, I wouldn't understand any of that, would I?"

Thankfully, he had the decency to look ashamed before meeting her gaze. There was pain and regret there, vulnerability flickering in his eyes like a candle in the wind

"Sanaa, you have to understand. He's my only link to my family. I can't lose them again."

"You can't lose them again, Amir, they're already gone."

Amir's expression hardened and it took everything inside Sanaa not to react. She knew her words were harsh but he had to hear them. Sanaa tried once more, reaching out to caress his beautiful face. Her thumb traced along his bottom lip and Amir let out a shaky sigh, the tension between them dissipating like mist in the warmth of understanding. Sanaa nodded, her hands now gentle against his cheek as she stepped into his body, her breasts pressing against his chest.

"If we can't ever truly be together, then this is the only right thing to do. Protect the boy while you can, then end Ghassan. Surely you realise that."

Amir looked at her, acceptance in his eyes even while pain was etched on his face. The sun illuminated the lines of his face, each one a testament to the battles he fought within himself.