A Lurid Eternity

Chapter 5

Well this was truly unexpected. Aleiya stared unwaveringly into Sullivan's eyes, bringing forth a thick and heavy fog of silence that settled awkwardly on the small crowd.

"Dismiss yourselves." He said, cutting through the strained air with his words alone, bringing his council to action. On que, all those within the room stood up from their chairs and excused themselves from the room, the last one quietly shutting the door behind them.

Sullivan calmly set the broken pen down, taking his gloves off to reveal his char black hands. He wasn't at all angry to be honest, it was more or less a scare tactic for his timid little wife, to show that he could, if he wanted, break her just as he did to the pen. He moved his seat so that it faced Aleiya, then roughly turned her seat in kind so she could face him.

Aleiya's heart began hammering inside of her chest as scenario after scenario played through her mind of what he might do to her. She knew that Sullivan Drake was not a kind man.

He rolled up his sleeves to his elbow as he began to speak to her like a parent to an impudent child. "What I want to know exactly is what could possibly possess you to defy me in front of my council?" He leaned forward so they could be eye to eye. "Are you trying to undermine me within my own conference?"

Aleiya slowly shook her head no, gulping down her fears as she tried to keep herself from shaking. She didn't want to meet his gaze, the darkening storm that she can sense swirled violently within them. With downcast eyes, her thumbs rubbed holes into the backs of her hands.

"Look at me." Sullivan's tone was annoyed, but low and gentle, almost a whisper but not quite. He could feel the beating of her heart as if it rested on the curve of his tongue, the sensation appetizing, but his brewing rage far outweighed his hunger.

Aleiya did so, not wanting him to be any angrier with her. All she wanted in that moment was to meet back with Elith who was waiting for her just outside the room. She hadn't been allowed to follow her in which made Aleiya far more nervous than usual.

"Can you speak at all?" Sullivan's head quirked to the side as he sized her up. Never once had he ever heard her speak, not to anyone. There wasn't even the "I do" at the altar. He had surmised her to be mute for surely one does not spend seven years in a foreign land without the use of their words on purpose. Mutism was the only logical reason he could think of.

Aleiya grimace, shrinking into her chair from her apprehension. The short answer was yes, she can in fact speak. However, it was not so simple a task because nothing she says he will understand. There was no one who could understand. She didn't want him or anyone to know, but she also didn't want to anger him.

She didn't know what to do.

At no answer, Sullivan delicately placed his hand on top of hers, swallowing it up. It felt as if he had a tiny mouse within his clutches instead of a grown woman. He laced their fingers together, rubbing circles into her palm with his thumb as he took in a deep breath and sighed to temper himself.

"I'll ask again. Can. You. Speak?" He slowed his words to make sure she understood him.

His fingers intertwined with hers made her feel uneasy. It was such a gentle, romantic gesture that she did not know what to make of it. The circling thumb on her palm certainly did nothing to quiet the dread that coiled familiarly within her chest. Her lips parted, almost as if to say something, but decided against it, closing shut. She lightly bit down on her bottom lip out of nervousness. She didn't want to say anything.

Pain suddenly shot up from her fingers to her arm as Sullivan began to crush her delicate little hand. Aleiya could not help but cry out, grabbing onto his hand with her free one, desperately trying to loosen his grip. After the initial yelp, he stopped, but kept her hand within his.