"I'm scared, Mother, I'm scared. Sufi did not live after they took her child."
Taria sobbed, her mother pulling her close.
They were both kneeling on the floor now, her mother's eyes red with unshed tears.
This was her only living child. It hurt that she couldn't protect her.
"You are not your sister."
((I will upload the bonus chapter for the golden tickets tomorrow, after the test I am preparing for right now. Thank you so much for your support.))
"How are we different? Father did this to her too."
"You will not die, Taria."
"And if I survive, I'll be a Tower woman. Locked away forever for dishonoring my womanhood and bringing shame to my family, flogged day and night for a crime I didn't commit."
There was a pause.
"I don't want to be Tower Woman," she said in a small, weak voice.
"For every day of my life, till I die, I will come and see you."
Taria pulled away from her mother roughly, standing on her feet.
Was that all the comfort she could offer? That she would come and see her while she suffered for something she had no control over?
She was supposed to be able to do more, after all, she was her mother.
There had to be something more she could do.
"I don't want to become a tower woman, I don't want this baby, I don't want to die!" Her voice trembled, her body trembled and somewhere along the line, her towel had slipped away from her but she wasn't bothered about her nakedness right now. In fact, it didn't matter at all.
"Why am I suffering for doing nothing? Why can't you help me?!"
"I can't go against my husband. I am suffering here too. I had Sufi and now, this is happening to you. I am suffering too, please. I am sorry that--"
"I don't need your apologies, mother. You should have married a better husband. Why should have to suffer for your own poor decisions? Useless woman!"
Her mother was stunned.
Never had Taria spoken to her like that before.
Slap.
The sound swept cleanly through the air in the room.
Stunned by her action, her mother rushed to her side, covering her with a towel that refused to stay on her body while inspecting her cheek which was now red from the hit.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Taria. Please forgive me."
This time around, she couldn't hide her tears. They rolled down her cheeks, making her face a mess.
She couldn't remember the last time she hit her daughter. It was something Taria never gave her a cause to do and it was something she hated.
It hurt her heart that she had done it.
Taria's sobs suddenly stop and Belladonna could feel the shift in the air.
It was something she couldn't explain something she was kind of feeling for the first time.
Alaris was in Taria, she just knew it.
"Can you do something for me, mother?" Taria asked. "Can you please let me tour the House for the last time? Can you please delay them a little for me?"
"Yes, I can do that." Her mother answered eagerly, ready to do anything in her power to get her daughter's forgiveness. "Just a little delay. Thirty minutes. Is that fine?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Motu will go with you and when it is time to bring you back, you will come back with him." Her gaze was intent on her daughter and she didn't look away I told Taria nodded.
"Yes."
With hesitation, she headed towards the door.
"I am sorry, for everything."
Then she left.
Immediately the door clicked shut, Alaris dropped the facade and turned to her.
"That was very depressing. Anyways, we have to go now."
He headed to the door immediately and Belladonna rushed after him.
Over time, Belladonna had learnt to be able to detach him from whatever person he possessed in her head.
This situation almost felt natural.
To her right now, this was Alaris, not Taria.
She was getting used to him. She had to be more cautious around him. She must constantly remind herself that he was dangerous.
"She is going to kill herself."
He shrugged and reached for the doorknob but Belladonna stood in the way.
He huffed in annoyance.
"O poor mortal human, sorry for her. Now get out of the way. We need to find that cave fast. It already took me too much time to penetrate her mind, I don't know how much longer I can hold her."
Belladonna gave him a quick glance.
"You can't step out like that. You are naked. They will think you are crazy."
"Oh, yes. She is naked." He nodded. "I'm naked?!"
Alaris looked down, his eyes widening in horror.
"Get this female mortal a dress, please."
He started freaking out.
"I am repulsed by this. Why aren't you getting her a dress already?"
"I can't dress her. Being around naked women makes me uncomfortable."
Cold silence.
A hard stare from those blue-pupil reptilian eyes.
"Are you serious right now?"
A chuckle slipped past Belladonna's lips as she went around the room, looking for the easiest dress she could get on him.
"This isn't funny," he said after her. "We have no time for jokes."
Belladonna knew that, but she couldn't help but find the situation hilarious.
She brought back a couple of dressing.
It was hard to find a simple gown and the simplest she was Abel to find was an ankle-length gown with a little golden design on the neckline.
"Stay still. I'll do the dressing, you can close your eyes while I do it." Belladonna said, taking in a deep breath.
It wasn't an everyday thing to dress for naked strangers.
"This is the most degrading thing that has ever happened to me," Alaris said as he felt her hand on his body.
That was one thing. As long as he possessed this body, it was like his own. He could feel everything.
Perks and disadvantages in one.
"You have never seen a naked woman before?" Belladonna commented, working on the breast bags.
"I have seen plenty, but I have never been in one."
Belladonna arched him an eyebrow, "you've never been in one?"
It didn't take Alaris more than a second to understand what sly meanings those words held and he frowned.
"Nightshade, get on with the dressing."
His eyes fell on the piece of clothing in her hand, and with a sigh, he accepted his fate.
"So how do I do this? Do I bend over or what?"