The Hearts that Bleed Black

Chapter 10

Kijani

My bones screamed and hollered at me to chase Arden down and kill him, which was exactly why Aspen had instructed me to stay in my room. I lay on my bed, facing the ceiling. My mask sat on a table next to me, allowing me to touch my hands gently to my face with a groan. Suddenly a knock at the door sounded, causing me to sit up with a jolt.

"Who is it?" I called.

"It's just me" Aspen's voice called back, "Is it alright if I come in?"

"Of course," I replied, a gentle smile crossing my lips. A moment later Aspen appeared in the doorway, shutting it behind him. I was wondering why he was keeping his head down until he looked up at me and gave me a small smile. It was clear he'd been crying a lot. His eyes were red and puffy, streaks running down his face.

"Who did this to you?" I rushed over, grasping his face and inspecting it. Fury burned my blood looking at him, wondering who had dared hurt him. Conscious of the knife strapped to my belt, I waited for his reply.

"No, I'm fine" Aspen shuddered, biting his lip sombrely, "Well not really, but it's no one's fault."

"Then what has made you cry?" I whispered, bringing his face close to mine, "What is it I need to kill?"

"I've just found out my father wasn't at all what I thought he was" Aspen stared straight ahead, a haunted look in his eyes, "Turns out he was nothing but a miserable, paedophilic, manipulative abuser."

"Oh darling, I'm so sorry" I murmured, "I am hardly surprised, royalty is always corrupted. It's simply the system we have created."

"I'm starting to realise that now" Aspen nodded, though a little hesitantly, "I need something to take my mind off things. Please, something to kill these thoughts."

"I could hit you over the head" I offered, "That would probably knock you unconscious for a few hours. And if you're really lucky it'll remove some of your memories."

"Fuck you" Aspen laughed, his eyes brightening just a little.

"Now or later?" A smirk danced across my lips.

Watching the instant blush that crossed Aspen's face was so incredibly satisfying. Aspen leaned into my chest, hiding his face. I reached a hand up, resting my fingers in his soft, brown hair. I loved his hair; its texture was strangely comforting. It reminded me of my mother, how she would embrace me, and I could wrap myself into her. The softness of her hair was one of the few things I could remember about her thanks to my father.

"Sto-op" he groaned, "You're insufferable with that face."

"I seem to remember telling you much the same thing" I commented, "You know walking around with a shit-eating smile makes people want to hit you right?"

"I think that's just you" Aspen grinned, "If you're going to hit me just make sure you don't miss. There's no point in trying to hurt people if you don't manage to do it."

"I'll make sure of that, don't you worry" I murmured, "Now, what did you have in mind?"

"Can we lay down?" Aspen sighed, "I'm so tired because someone woke me up at a ridiculous hour this morning." I nodded, releasing my hold on him. I watched Aspen collapse on my bed, letting out another sigh. I copied, laying down on my side next to him. Aspen closed his eyes, a breath escaping his throat. After a moment he opened them again.

"Kijani, did we take it too far?" He spoke seriously, "I don't know if she told you, but after Bellatrix found us while you were hallucinating, she said we were endangering ourselves and those around us. She wants us to stop."