Chapter 56: Job
Seraphine's POV
Since the wooden boards on the windows were removed, things hadn't been as wonderful as I had imagined.
The first day was hell.
My hands throbbed with every breath, a constant reminder of what I'd done. I lay in bed staring at the open windows, and all I could think about was how easy it would be to climb through, to drop into the garden below and run.
Just fucking run.
But I didn't move. Couldn't move. My body felt like lead, weighed down by exhaustion and something heavier. Something that felt uncomfortably like defeat.
The bond hummed against my sternum, steady and insistent. Kaelen was somewhere in this house, and I could feel him even through the walls. Watching. Waiting.
I dragged myself out of bed eventually, every movement sending sharp pain through my shoulder. The windows called to me, those damn open rectangles promising escape if I just tried hard enough. Fresh air poured in, carrying the scent of freedom, and my fingers itched to test the frame, to see how easy it would be to slip through.
Instead, I walked to the nearest window and pushed it shut.
The latch clicked into place with a finality that made my chest tight. I stared at the closed window for a long moment, breathing hard, then moved to the second one and did the same thing.
There.
Now they were closed. Sealed. I could pretend the boards were still there, that escape was impossible, that I had no choice but to stay.
It was easier that way. Safer.
The bond pulsed, warmer than before, and I pressed my hand against my chest. Was that approval I felt? Did Kaelen know what I'd just done?
Fuck him. And fuck me for caring what he thought.
---
By the third day, something had shifted.
I woke up to sunlight streaming through the gap beneath the curtains, and for a second I forgot where I was. Then the bond pulsed, reminding me, and reality came crashing back.
The windows were still closed. I'd kept them that way, refusing to look at them, refusing to acknowledge the choice they represented. But today the room felt suffocating. Too small. Too dark.
I got up slowly, testing my shoulder. The pain had dulled to a manageable ache, and I could move without wanting to scream. Progress.
I walked to the first window and stood there for a long moment, hand on the latch. My heart hammered against my ribs, and the bond thrummed in response. Then I pushed the window open.
Fresh air rushed in, cool and sharp, carrying the scent of pine. I took a deep breath and felt something loosen in my chest.
This wasn't about escape anymore. This was about accepting reality. I was here. I was staying. And I needed to breathe.
The second window opened easier, and I stood between them letting the breeze wash over me. The forest stretched beyond, dark and endless, but I didn't feel the pull anymore. Didn't feel the desperate need to run.
Maybe I was broken. Maybe this was what giving up felt like.
Or maybe I was just tired of fighting battles I couldn't win.
---
Dinner came like clockwork that evening. I expected Cordelia, but the footsteps outside my door were heavier. Slower.
The door opened, and Kaelen stepped inside carrying a tray.
I froze.
He looked the same as always. Grey-white hair, sharp features, those fucking dual pupils that saw too much. He wore simple clothes, nothing fancy, but somehow he still looked like he owned the entire world. The bond flared between us, hot and insistent, and I had to fight not to take a step back.
He set the tray on the desk without a word, his movements precise and controlled. Then he turned to face me, and his eyes swept over the open windows before landing on me.
We stood there in silence for what felt like hours. His gaze moved to my neck, to the mark he'd left there, and something flickered in his eyes. Gold bled into the amber for just a second before he looked away.
The bond pulsed. Recognition. Approval.
He thought I'd learned my lesson. Thought I'd accepted my place.
Maybe I had.
He left without speaking, the door closing softly behind him. But the warmth in the bond lingered, wrapping around my ribs like a blanket I didn't want but couldn't shake off.
I stood there staring at the closed door, my hands trembling.
What the fuck was happening to me?
---
On the fifth day, Cordelia came with news.
She walked in without knocking, her expression as cold and distant as ever. But something was different. Her shoulders weren't quite as rigid, and when she spoke, her voice had lost some of its sharp edge.
"There's a job available," she said, stopping just inside the door. "The bakery in the village needs a baker. It's simple work. You'll start tomorrow if you want it."
I stared at her, not quite processing. A job? They were giving me a job?
"This is what Kaelen arranged," she continued, her tone flat. "Don't make him regret it."
"Thank you, Cordelia." The words came out quieter than I'd intended.
She looked at me for a long moment, her amber eyes unreadable. Then she shook her head slightly.
"Don't thank me. This wasn't my idea."
But her expression had softened. Just a fraction. Just enough that I could see the person beneath the ice.
She turned to leave, and I called after her without thinking.
"Cordelia—"
She paused, hand on the doorknob, but didn't turn around.
"I mean it. Thank you."
She left without responding, but the door didn't slam this time. It closed gently, almost carefully, and I stood there feeling something warm and fragile bloom in my chest.
Maybe this was progress. Maybe this was what healing looked like.
Or maybe I was just desperate for any scrap of kindness in this fucked-up situation.