God Bones

Chapter 27: In a Dreamlike Trance

I was the first one to wake up.

It was disorienting. I don't remember what I was dreaming of but I knew it was a good one. I woke up with a sense of calm that slowly evaporated as I took in my surroundings.

Outside the weather reminded me of home.

It resembled a beautiful London summer, complete with torrential rain and a angry thunder.

Lighting briefly illuminated the room.

I was the only one who was not lying on the floor. Maria, Arion and Peter were sprawled over the carpet where Rhys had left them last night, but they looked asleep. From what I could tell in the dim light, their wounds had healed. The blood on the floor and the walls were gone too.

The bargain I made with Rhys. My sister for the bones. . . how am I supposed to fulfill that? I was so desperate, I wasn't even thinking things through.

I looked at my fiance on the floor. Arion was asleep, snoring lightly. He was not blankly staring at a wall and maybe he'd wake up soon. I let out a sigh of relief. However stupid the deal was, at least it had kept him safe. Kept us safe.

I wonder how he would react once he wakes up.

If he wakes up.

It was still dark outside and I hadn't slept long, the sound of the rain and thunder had awoken me. How long had it been since Rhys caught me? It felt like an eternity but it couldn't have been more than three hours. Yet, somehow, I felt well rested and strangely calm.

My feet touched the floor and panic shot up my spine.

A memory of last night, when the floor had felt exactly this cold under my cheek. The helplessness, the desperation.

Breathe, Lucy. Breathe.

I'm safe. For now.

I slip on some slippers and gently stepped over them. I didn't want to be here when they woke up. I didn't know if they remembered the events of the night or not.

It would have made sense for Rhys to erase their memories, if he could. He wouldn't want his new ally to be incinerated to death on day one.

I reached up to open the door, the handle lay near my toe, from when Rhys had ripped it off last night, so I just pushed it open.

Walking through the castle felt eerie, like I was in a dream. Nobody was awake, not even the cthonic god. I walked to my library, my safe place.

There was this strange numbness inside me, like the blood still hadn't warmed my heart yet. I should be upset. I should be scared. Instead, I felt hollow. My emotions were gone.

I curled up on the couch on the library, and looked up at the faceted skylight, blankly staring into the sky which was a muted shade of deep purple, with dark splotches of thunderclouds. Such a fuck up. I was such a fuck up. I was in too deep and so far away from home.

And Rhys knew. I couldn't read him, like I could read Arion. I couldn't predict his moves. I had no idea what his motivations were. I don't know why he even offered to heal me and let me go home.

I liked the numbness. I felt like I was made of stone, nobody could hurt me. My emotions were dulled. Maybe in the back of my mind I was scared to death, but I felt nothing for now.

I waited for the tears to come but they didn't.

So I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘ ༓ ∘∙⊱⋅•⋅