Ashfall: City of Shade (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 36 | Grief

GRETA

The earthy smell of bint is strong in the air as I wake to find Brommy staring down at me. I shiver seeing his tight-lipped smile. His hand is freezing, finally, he pulls it away from the side of my face.

"Good morning, Empress."

"Brommy...where is Adler?"

"He went out to complete morning tasks with Enoch. As you can see, the morning has been made already. You have slept in."

With a frown, I look down seeing no blankets or my tunic. When I try to sit up, he grabs my arm, bringing me in close to his chest.

His voice comes out low, he has never spoken to me like this, "Did you sleep together last night?"

His eyes remind me of a bug. He pulls the bint dopper from his mouth blowing a puff a smoke in my face. I wrinkle my nose, scooting upright as he looks over my body.

"I guess he did not tell you. His new woman is younger than you. She lives in a flat among the best in the city. Rich and beautiful. She's a little more sane than you, that's why he has been paying her to watch over Celeste."

"Sane?" I whisper. "He thinks my mind is not right?"

"Of course. I have told you this, Greta. He whores around and thinks he is the wisest of all. Any incubator claiming to be intelligent is laughable," he chuckles. He looks over my face as I find my tunic on the floor. I wrap it around myself feeling the new injuries on my chest ache. "Why do you think all of his wives have gone mad? Did you think you would be any different?"

"No," I whisper.

Brommy folds his arms while joining my side. He leans on a large statue of Adler while watching out the entryway.

"Look," he murmurs.

In the shade, down the palace, a blonde woman stands against a column. Her breasts are huge and her tunic discarded, letting me see her slender frame...much slender than mine.

Just like Brommy said, Adler is with her.

"Yes! My beautiful," he groans loud. I want to scream but I cannot. I will not eat this woman's heart. She probably does not know anything just like I did when first meeting him. He is an animal. He has no conscious. She is just a body to be used. "Sweet, Ren."

I do not cry or scream. There are no gods here that will listen. No one will let me die.

Why am I so shocked? He is addicted to this and told me so himself.

***

ADLER

Today is a new day.

A new beginning.

Delicate eyelashes spread. Such precious misty silver eyes are now full of pain.

"I know, my sweet." She will not have the chance to hurt herself again. I have had this made just for her. A full body of pearled armor to keep her flesh unharmed from herself. It curves perfectly over her body highlighting her legs and waist. I fear she will use her teeth too if she had the chance. A barbed veil covers the lower portion of her mouth. "I thought I would make this armor just for you."

She will not be able to remove it. Five hundred needles keep it webbed to the skin of her body. For a while, moving will be extremely painful. For now, she must recuperate in my bed...and she will not be getting out.

With pity, I remove her veil carefully.

I do not understand what kind of soul can remain so silent when in such pain. Her face is so perfect. So soft.

Why won't she look at me? I just want to check in on my pearl. I am here, I speak to her but she will not acknowledge me. I lean in very close, her face does not twitch as her stare remains fixated on the ceiling...where surely nothing of interest could be.

"Why won't you look at me?" I ask quickly.

My arms shake as I wait to be acknowledged. An unwanted sensation makes me become hysterical, "Why won't you look at me?" I repeat with a shout.

My voice echoes around the chamber.

"I'm still here. Look at me," I grit out while grabbing her chin. The motion jerks her entire body, even so, her stare remains on the ceiling.

Blood dribbles down her chin from my too-tight grasp. Does she not feel it?

"Look at me!"

With a scowl, I lean over her, staring straight into her dull eyes. Tears leave my own, landing on her face and ruining the powder on her skin.

"Why won't you look at me, my little baby?" I grumble against her pouting lips.

☁️