CHAPTER 18
"Unfathomable to mere mortals is the lore of fiends." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown"
Hazel woke up to the hushed voices of Murata and Məhv Edən arguing late in the afternoon the next day. She strained her ears in order to hear what they were saying.
"You have to tell her," Murata said in a heated voice.
"No! She is prone to panic attacks and seizures. And now she is pregnant. I don't want to risk anything."
"She deserves to know." Murata sounded angry.
Hazel had never heard Murata talk to Məhv Edən this way before.
"She is awake." Məhv Edən said in a clipped voice.
Hazel hastily closed her eyes, her heart beating loudly. Məhv Edən entered the room and stood by the door, silently watching her.
She sighed, knowing there was no need to pretend she was sleeping; he already knew she was wide awake.
Hazel looked back at him, feeling a heavy sadness weighing on her heart.
"What was Murata saying?" She inquired.
"Nothing."
"What should I know?"
"I said nothing!" He replied furiously.
Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision, but she blinked them away. She had a million questions, but she knew he wouldn't answer them.
Hazel observed him, feeling an emptiness settling between them. Məhv Edən seemed exhausted and not at all excited about his impending fatherhood.
Hazel wondered if the news was as agonising for him as it was for her. Was he punishing himself again over it? If he was in pain, he was hiding it well.
Turning to her side, Hazel felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She squeezed her eyes shut, curled up into a ball, and tried hard not to cry or have another seizure.
Məhv Edən approached the bed, looming over Hazel. There was a long silence, and she could feel his gaze on her.
Keeping her eyes closed, she wished he would just leave her alone.
Then she heard him take a deep breath before speaking firmly, "You're not allowed to hurt yourself or do anything that might cause a miscarriage or abortion."
It wasn't a suggestion; it was an order. She felt a surge of warmth around her neck as the choker activated the enchantment.
"I know you might be thinking of ways to end the pregnancy, but you can't. Murata will be watching you closely to make sure you don't have any accidents or do anything risky. She knows what you can and can't do, what you can and can't eat, and she's authorized to restrain you if needed."
Her eyes brimmed, and she clenched her teeth as she listened to his words. Tears of helplessness trickled onto the pillow, and she felt Məhv Edən regarding her closely before sighing faintly and retreating out of the room. There was a gentle click of the door, and Hazel opened her eyes.
YOU ARE READING
WHISPERED SINS
Romance"I used your blood to bind you to me. There's no escape. You're chained to me until your last breath." She hated him so much that she wanted to poison him, rip the mask off his cruel face, and stare into his eyes as she plunged the dagger repeatedly...
