Sacrifice in Blood

Chapter 57: Happy Birthday Leina

The next couple days or weeks passed. It was impossible to tell.

They gave me three meals a day but they were always non-breakfast or non-dinner specific foods. They also seemed to change guardshifts sporadically so I couldn't use that as a way to keep time either.

I went between sleeping, doses of St. John's Wort, eating, showering, and pacing. I was going bat-shit insane by this point. I wondered if there were long term side effects of St. John's Wort.

Whether I dreamt it myself, or Morgana sent a vision; I had a horrible nightmare of Morgana killing that nobleman Lord Walter Byron. It was so graphic I didn't want to go to sleep again for fear I would see the vision again.

Eventually, after what felt like days of me pinching myself to stay awake, Luke had come in and put me to sleep with one of his spells to my dismay.

Thankfully, I did not see the graphic vision again.

I tried to focus on my blood-bond with Talon, clinging onto it like a life-line. But lately I had felt it fade, like the longer Talon and I were apart, the weaker it became.

I was terrified they would try and break it again.

I mostly ignored the council members that came to watch over me. The only ones I sometimes exchanged words with were Luke and Lavinia.

It was Luke's guard shift, when I looked over from the corner I was sitting in.

"What day is it?" I asked, holding my breath.

I had asked previously and everyone had refused to answer but I thought I'd try my luck anyway. I was met with the usual silence.

I had moved on, expecting him to not answer when he spoke;

"19th June." Luke said, softly. I was so shocked I laughed. It was one of those laughs when you are on the verge of hysterical laughter and crying. Luke looked at me in concern.

"It's my birthday." I explained. Luke stood up suddenly, clenching his fists, something flashing before his eyes too quick for me to discern.

He paced then, loosening the tie he always wore. He had his suit jacket draped over the chair, his shirt sleeves rolled up. The look reminded me of my dad and my heart squeezed.

I missed my parents so much. I wonder what they would think when they tried to call me to wish me happy birthday as we'd planned. Did the council have some elaborate story ready to tell them? Were they planting seeds that I was dead so no one would start asking questions?

"If I'm staring at the rest of my life right now," I said, gesturing around the room.

"Please...just kill me." I said, deadpan. Luke stopped his pacing and looked at me, alarmed. I had meant it sarcastically but there was a ring of truth in it.

"I can't stand this any longer." I said closing my eyes and running my hands through my hair, feeling utterly defeated.

This was torture. Worse than what Lance had done to me. Being cut off from the world, from everyone, so alone. It was horrible.

Luke came over then, he slowly knelt in front of me. I stayed put, staring at the wall across from me.

"Hang in there." he said, placing his hand on my hand and squeezing it slightly. I turned to face him in surprise. His eyes were sad but determined. Maybe he was agreeing to my request. Maybe he'd put me out of my misery soon.

Luke left not long after that, swapping guard shifts with short-haired elder who I now knew to be Delia.

Delia sat on the chair, her gaze cold like her ice-coloured eyes.