Book Two: The Larkspur's Longing ~ A tale of deep obsession and devotion

Chapter Thirty-five: Interrogation

The room seemed to constrict around Callidus as he perched on the edge of the bed, his pulse quickening with a blend of fear and fascination. His gaze fixated on Cressida, who stood before him, bathed in the shifting hues of evening shadows that played across her narrowed eyes.

"...Cressida," he hissed, a shiver running down his spine. "Let go of me."

Cressida scoffed, "And how many times have I asked you that?"

The resonance of her voice pulsed through Callidus, and although her question was likely rhetorical, he found himself compelled to respond, "...thirty-one times."

Cressida's expression hardened. "You kept count?"

"I didn't count," Callidus replied, the admission slipping out. "I remember. It's etched into my memory, like everything else with you."

Cressida took a deep, steadying breath and Callidus felt the warmth of the air within her. A subtle pressure coiled in his gut; the awareness that he could seize control, capture her breath, and cease this unsettling line of questioning.

Yet, the thought of instilling that kind of fear in her disturbed him.

Her voice, ethereal and commanding, seeped directly into his skull. "Answer my questions truthfully, Callidus. No evasions. No manipulations. Just the truth."

"Cressida..." he warned. "Do not do this."

"Why? Are you going to hurt me?" Cressida challenged.

The air pressure increased with a tangible energy as Callidus narrowed his eyes, deliberately ignoring the subtle currents swirling within her. "Never, my love," he muttered, frustration and sincerity laced in his words. "But I do not have to hurt you to stop you."

She ignored him, crossing her arms. "Did you execute Quail tonight?"

Callidus clenched his jaw, his body tensing as the word left his lips unbidden, "No."

"Then why wouldn't you let me attend the execution?"

"You didn't deserve to see other people tonight."

Her eyes narrowed into slits. "I didn't 'deserve' it?"

"Yes," he unwillingly admitted through clamped teeth, well aware that Cressida wouldn't appreciate his reasoning. "After your behavior last night, I cannot trust you enough to let you interact with others. You denied our engagement, and I cannot have people questioning our relationship."

Cressida's gaze hardened, anger and hurt flashing in her eyes. "You care more about other people's perceptions of our false relationship, then you actually care about me."

"That's not true, Cressida," he protested, a bitter taste lingering on his loosened tongue. "But you humiliated me. You denied us. You rejected me. I won't give you that opportunity again."

"You're going to isolate me as punishment?"

"...it's a consequence, not a punish-" Callidus started to say, but his throat tensed, cutting off his evasion and switching his words mid-sentence "...I will if I must."

"Is that the reason you've isolated me all this time? Are you punishing me?"

Cressida's question hung in the air, and Callidus could feel the invisible chains tightening around him, compelling him to speak.

"No," he admitted against his will as he dug his nails into the tops of his thighs, trying to prevent himself from exposing more. "Cressida, stop this. Continuing down this path will reveal things you might not want to know."