The Moonlit Path

Chapter 23: There Will Be Nothing Left At All

The slam of the distant door woke me from my unconscious relief. The searing pain in my legs felt worse than when I had fallen asleep with the sliver leaving harsh red marks around each carefully placed cut. My back ached from the whip marks. I wanted to stand to face them but my own body had given in to exhaustion. I felt like I had been asleep for days. The food was too far to reach, the water gone since Mathias left me last, and the will to get to it was diminishing as time wore on. I needed help and if I didn't get it soon... there would be no going back.

"Liana, it's me," Mathias appeared in front of me. I was still spread out on my stomach on the mattress. "I've delayed them for now. You have time to heal."

"Gee thanks," I snorted back at him.

"I have to tell you the rest of the story and I have to do it now." There was a rushed panic in his voice as he sat down facing me again.

"Mathias, I'm tired and sore. I don't want to hear your excuses anymore." Part of me wanted to roll over, turn away from him but it was physically impossible. He looked down at the ground. "Answer me one thing."

"Hm?" He huffed at me. If I could slap him for acting like this is some kind of horrible burden I would have but that will have to wait.

"Why all the acts of kindness if you knew what you were going to do to me? Why did you dance with me at my birthday? What did you get from that?"

Mathias looked up at me with his dark eyes. I could see regret in them but also something else, something I didn't recognize. "I danced with you because you smelled like Phil."

"That doesn't answer my questions." I didn't really want to talk to him but there was something about human contact that made up for some of the lost dignity and humanity.

He rubbed his face and pushed his hair from his eyes. "I don't hate you Liana. I always liked you. I hated that Phil chose your over me and that he was always chasing after you like you were his real mate. I wasn't trying to trick you or trying to bring things to this point. I wish I could say I wasn't as bad as all this makes me look but... somehow I thought if I could keep close to you I could stay closer to Phil too. And maybe, just maybe, if I could get close enough he would realize his mistake and decide to mend the bond."

"So I was just a way for you to stay close to Phil?"

"Don't get this mixed up. I like you. The bonus was that I could stay close to Phil if things changed."

"That doesn't really make it any better."

"I know, but I am making it better now."

"Oh is that so?"

"I'm trying. You just have to hold on now... and remember I am sorry. I probably won't see you again after all this is over."

"What does that mean?" I tried to reach out toward him but he had already stood up and started moving toward the door. I lifted my head and even though I could feel the scabs ripping open, I moved toward him as he closed and locked my cell. "Mathias?"

He reached out his hand and pulled me against the bars which burned a little but he touched his forehead to mine and sighed before letting me go and disappearing up the stairs.

I stood dumbfounded in front of the cell door. What the hell was that?

I didn't have much time to think before the door reopened. I thought for a split second that Mathias may be returning to decode his cryptic message; but instead Petron and Mardock appeared before the cell. Petron smiled cruelly with the rope in his hand as he motioned for me to turn around. I didn't have the strength to fight him when he grabbed me and roughly turned me himself. My hands were bound and I was walked back toward the room.