I hurried up the wood and stone path. Wherever that person was going had to be where the temple was, and if not, they knew where I needed to go. I rushed up the path after the figure.
A large stone building came into view through the trees. The trees were covered in snow-white blossoms tipped in blood red. I had never seen flowers like these. The person ahead of me entered the temple and the doors slammed closed in my face.
I tried to pull on the stone, but my fingers slipped and scraped against the stone. I rushed around the sides, trying to find another entrance, but there wasn’t one. The building wasn’t large. It was perhaps the size of a small house. I could walk the entire perimeter, but there was nothing.
I went back to the doors and tried to pry the doors open again. They didn’t budge. I didn’t see a hinge or anything.
I yelped as one of my nails broke. As the blood started to well up beneath the broken nail, I screamed.
I couldn’t breathe seeing them. They weren’t doing anything. They were even too close, but the sight of them in matching cloaks, laughing, looking so at peace together was too much. He was even wearing a clean shirt, pants, and shoes. I marched toward them and cut them off.The two older people looked at me kindly.“Hello—”“What are you doing with her?” I asked. “Is this what you’ve been doing all this time?”“Hedy,” he said sternly. “This is not the time or the place.”“The hell it isn’t!” I cried. “Look at you! You’re so cozy with her. I haven’t seen you in days. You haven’t even called to check on me, and you’re here with her to what? Get married?”“Really?” Wren asked from behind me. “You’ve come to your senses?”Candido glared over my head at Wren. “Uncle Wren, please. Don’t stir the pot.”Wren laughed from behind me as Candido looked down at me.“If you had ever come to the temple with me before, you would know this isn’t a marriage altar,” Candido said. “No one is getting marr
I turned around and saw Cillian standing across the clearing, draped in the same red cloak that Candido had been wearing. He looked up at the moon then to the temple doors.“I assume you missed the last prayer session.” He hummed. “Though, you don’t have to look so distressed. The doors will open again soon.”“She’s in there with Candido,” I sniffled. “She’s in there with Candido and probably asking the Goddess for a blessing on their life, and I…”Cillian’s head tilted as I slumped against the wall. I couldn’t even be sure she would grant my wish, but it seemed that she’d already granted Estella’s, and it wasn’t fair.I couldn’t let it end like this. Candido can say that he had a plan, but I know he’s lying. He was desperate. I saved him. Why else would he have kissed me like that after we left the ceremony?No. This was all Estella’s doing. I had to stop her.Cillian turned. “Well, if you don’t want to wait for the next prayer session here, you could always come with me to the older
The bloodlust took over. I was going to kill her if I could. She wouldn’t take Candido from me. I felt maybe a little faster, a little stronger. I thought I would finally strike her, but before I realized it, she had moved, darting forward and slamming her fist into my face. It felt hard and unyielding. My jaw cracked. I felt a sharp pain in my nose, then I crashed to the ground. Before I could get up, she was on me, wrenching my arms behind my back and binding me.“Let me go!” I screamed. “Let me go, you evil bitch!”“It’s been a long time since I’ve been called a bitch by someone I did nothing to.” She sighed and plopped down a few feet away. I saw her pulling something off her hand: metal knuckles. My face swelled and I felt blood dripping down my nose.“Are you going to tell me who you are and why you’re so upset with me in particular? Or are you like this to everyone who keeps you from drowning.”“Go to hell!” I cried, tears spilling down my cheeks. “You know who I am! You know w
When he asked, all I could hear were her words.I love you, ‘Dido.“I didn’t lie. She did attack me!”Candido put the last little jar inside the box and put it in his pocket with a sigh. “Defending herself—”“So you’re just going to believe her over me?” I asked. “I’ve been here all this time. She just—”“Your heart skipped, Hedy,” he said, turning to look at me. “I heard it when you said it. I know you lied.”“It didn’t.”“It did,” he said. “And given that you were covered in leeches, I’m far more inclined to believe her even without that.”“Just because I was in the lake?”“How did you even get in the lake?” Candido asked and looked up at the sky.“I don’t know, but why does it matter? I—”“It matters,” he said.“She must have sent me here somehow and—”“Estella has been with me this entire time,” Candido said. “In the temple for at least an hour. There is no way she could have sent you into the lake.”“She must have prayed to the Goddess to get rid of me!” I said. “I know she wants
I couldn’t believe he would say that. It was so clear that he agreed with her. Had she been comparing me to him? Had she really had such an effect on him? This couldn’t happen. This couldn’t go on. I had to get rid of her.I bet if those leeches hadn’t been on me, I could have caught her. I reached up to my face which still throbbed painfully. I caught sight of myself in a window and my jaw trembled. Maybe he hadn’t been tempted because I looked a mess. My face was swelling and purpling. I could still taste blood in my mouth.She didn’t have to punch me so hard. My eye was swelling and I wasn’t even sure if one of my teeth hadn’t gotten loosened. There were ugly bleeding rings on my neck and chest, bleeding through my wet almost transparent white dress.Something warm settled on my shoulders. I looked up and saw Cillian. He’d placed his temple red cloak on my shoulders. He said nothing as he tied it around my neck and eyed me.“Is there a reason that you look like you got into a fight
I was a little nervous about my decision. Cillian looked thoughtful. I thought he might say no, but he nodded and nodded me upstairs.“There should be something upstairs that will fit you.”I stiffened. “Do you… often have women’s clothing?”He smirked. “Jealous or just curious?”My face heated, and I scowled. “Just answer me.”Cillian shrugged. “Which answer would bring you more comfort?”I narrowed my eyes at him as his eyes twinkled. Then, I turned and headed upstairs. I couldn’t believe I was going to do this, but what other choice did I have? If Candido wasn’t going to pay attention to me like normal, then I had to get his attention somehow.I had to make sure that he saw me as an adult, as his mate, and stopped looking at Estella. Just the thought of her irritated me. When I reached the second floor, I went into the nearest room. It looked like a woman’s room, and I set my jaw at the thought. Did Cillian have a wife? I thought he loved my mother. She’d only been dead for twenty
“Pork?” I turned back to look up at Cillian as he offered me a bowl. His eyes lifted a little and his lips twitched. “Ah. I suppose you are a bit distracted. Do carry on.”I turned back and his arms were still around her. Her fingers were in his hair, stroking his hair. He seemed to tremble a little before they pulled back. He threw his head back with a laugh and Estella laughed too. What the hell were they laughing about? He pulled a box out of his cloak and offered it to her. Her eyes lit up and she beamed up at him before taking it out of his hands and hugging him again. I was about to charge over there and rip her away from him, but she cupped his face for a moment and turned, hustling back down the street the way they came. He stepped out of the alcove with a smile as he watched her go. He looked up and turned towards me. I turned around swiftly.“We should have real dinner,” I said quickly. “I don’t think I can&hell
“Are you thinking about it?” Cillian asked. “What it would be like?”“I…” I swallowed past the dryness in my throat.I couldn’t answer, but that wasn’t because I didn’t have an answer.Yes. Yes, I was thinking about it. Would he be gentle with me? Would he not? Did I want him to be? I felt… hungry and clenched my thighs together as an ache began to build there. I didn’t know what to say or if I even needed to say anything.Unlike Candido, Cillian seemed to know exactly what I wanted and wanted to give it to me, even if I couldn’t say it.“Are you thinking about what my hands on you will feel like? My mouth? How hard I am? How wet you’d be for me?”I couldn’t speak. I was so embarrassed and turned on that I couldn’t think. What… What was he saying? How could he say something like that in public? But how was I supposed to resist