The Empty Ones (Fantasy Romance)

83. Truth and dare

Riyo steps inside hesitantly. His eyes are on the ground. There is strangeness floating in the air because of that god-forsaken moment, which stripped us both of any illusion of autonomy over our bodies and souls.

"I will be back in a while and bring you some food," says Laini, looking at him, then at me.

After a while, he lifts his gaze but says nothing. His eyes bear dark circles beneath them.

I smile timidly because it's the only thing I can do. Riyo, you know you have to talk first. But maybe he doesn't really want to...

Still, he says nothing, only looks at me for a while, and I can't help but tear up.

"Mahrani..." he whispers in the end, in his deep northern accent.

"I am so awfully sorry. I had no idea he would come up with something like that. And I know... It was the one thing I promised you I would protect you from."

He doesn't reply, but his eyes are glassy, his expression stoic.

"I said I would protect you from that, but I couldn't because I cannot protect you from him. Not you nor anybody. This will never happen again; I would actively choose death rather than being in such a situation again."

I am ugly crying at this point.

"Death...," he repeats in a slow cadence.

"Now he acknowledged that you exist. He might forget, but if he doesn't, such awful things might happen again."

"Awful?" he frowns.

"Yes, awful as in very bad."

"Understand."

"And, I want you to promise me that, if it comes to it and I won't have the power to do anything, you fight me."

"Fight?" He raises his eyebrows in astonishment.

"Yes. Unfortunately, my husband has the power to bend my will, and there is nothing I can do about it."

I turn my head and brush my hair to the side to show the stone in the back of my neck.

"What that?"

"I am not entirely sure. It was called only stone, but it makes me do what he wants. Because of this thing, I cannot talk to you until you address me. That was the will of my husband. I angered him, and this was the punishment."

He frowns.

"Why not let Mahrani talk?"

"I talk too much, I guess, and it's annoying." I smile, a bit lighthearted.

"No," he answers, and his frown deepens.

"It was a joke, of sorts. But the truth is that I am afraid for you, and I don't know what to do about it, except, well... not asking you to do illegal things for me anymore. I am so sorry, I am so awfully sorry, Riyo. And I would at least like to help you to tend to that nasty cut you have on your arm, but I cannot even do that if I don't want to paint a striking red target mark on you."

I exhale and wipe my tears away nervously.

"Red target?" He frowns again in that very serious way of his. It's adorable. When you get to know him, you actually notice he can be rather adorable, the same guy who smashed savagely another man's head against a rock in the ring.

"Yes." I wave him to come closer.

He is hesitant, as always, but ends up sitting, very akwardly on the side of the bed.

I take his gloved hand and lift the sleeve, then touch the inside of his elbow as minimally as possible to create a small red dot.

At first, he is astonished, then confused.