𝚂𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 ✔

Chapter Fifty

The walk back to my apartment felt like an eternity. My heart pounded in my ears while my mind raged in the most impure ways.

I felt drunk, yet as light as a feather, floating down the winding stairs from before. How I had not fallen down them was a feat in its own, yet somehow, I made it without issue.

"I will part with you here." The tall guard opened the locked door for me, "I trust you are capable of making it back alone."

"I am capable Sir, thank you." Despite how well I hit it, I was definitely not okay. I felt hot, cheeks flush and my thoughts swam in my head. Squirming every so often because any small tickle of my skin from my hair or dress would cause goose bumps to arise. Yet I hoped it was not noticeable by others.

I walked through the door and started back alone. The emptiness of the palace at night was quite haunting, with sounds so insignificant during the day now loud enough to hear, and it was hard not to worry about being caught.

I had forgotten the cloak I had been instructed to wear so if anyone happened to peek outside of their rooms, they would have certainly known it was me.

The hallway to my apartment was much longer than I had remembered, and it aggravated me to no end. I wanted to get there as fast as possible yet knew better than to run. The last thing I needed was the others to see me sneaking back to my room and grouping me with the likes of Castellana.

"Henry. . ." I hummed to myself with delight, "Gods I want to kiss him."

I fanned myself with my hand, conscious of every single part of my body in a way I had never been before. Aphrodisiacs were unknown to me prior to that night, as was what they were capable of doing to a person, but it had been very clear that they had worked on me.

I longed to do some of the things Thomas had forced me to watch, to know how it felt to be touched like he had touched Castellana when he had almost brought her to her knees. The reality of what had just happened far beyond my grasp at the time.

As soon as I reached my apartment door, I gently knocked, hoping the sound would not carry enough for anyone other than Cordelia to hear.

She softly opened the door, eyes widening at the state of me. "You look. . . odd." She stepped out of the way so I could enter, then shut the door behind me. "Did he do anything to you?"

"Not to me." I stared at the bedroom doors, hardly focused on her.

"What? Then who?" She sounded confused.

"Castellana was there, he forced me to watch them do things." My heart started to race again just thinking about it, "Is Henry here yet?"

"I've been in my room since you left so that I would not scare him away if he had." She looked me over once again, "Emma, are you sure you're alright? You seem ill."

"I'm fine, it-its just rather hot." I waved her off as she attempted to put a hand on my forehead. "I'd better not keep him waiting if he is here."

"Yes, of course." Her eyes held so many questions and it was clear she was worried. However, my mind was too muddled to really care enough to try and reassure her.

I quickly made my way across the room, slightly nervous now that I had been so close to standing before him. "How do I ask him to touch me like that? What if he has only come to talk? Does he want more, or is it just me?" The warmth that had once enveloped me completely had begun to fade. I chewed on my lip as I gripped the doorknobs tightly, "Fuck it." I pushed the doors open, and stepped inside with all the confidence I could muster.