Chapter 69 - Looming Fate

Chapter 69 - Looming Fate
Chapter 69 - Looming Fate

“What is this?”

Aniya’s attention snapped to the door the moment she heard his voice. She raced up to her feet, hurrying towards him.

She missed her footing, the many clothes she had tied into a rope, tangling around her foot.

She didn’t hit the floor though. Ikrus did not let her. She was up on her feet again, this time she froze, her heart soaring with joy as he gently placed Arlo gently in her arms.

She pulled him to her chest, a feeling surging in her, as if to pull his warmth into her.

Ah, by Ignas.

Her son was in her arms again.

Even after what she had done tonight. Ikrus had not taken him away from her.

The action moved her to tears. But she blinked them away.

She looked at Ikrus, to thank him, to do something, but his gaze was fixed on the floor instead, littered with clothes that had been made into a long rope.

“I was going to get my son,” she said, pulling her robe closer to her.

“Why would you need to do this to get our son?”

She noted the ‘our’ but she ignored it.

“You said you would do with him whatever you pleased,” she said, walking away towards the bed, checking Arlo to ensure he wasn't hurt anywhere.

He wasn’t.

In fact, he smelt clean as if he had been bathed for, also his clothes had been changed, and he had no fever.

She frowned.

He had been changed and bathed for.

She pulled him closer to her and he babbled some words as he began to sleep again.

They had really intended to take him away from her tonight. Tonight was actually the night they had planned for her to die.

She shivered at the thought. With the rush of saving her baby over, the reality and how close she was to death finally dawned on her.

“That was because I was angry.”

“Because I poisoned you,” she added too quickly.

“Because you thought I could hurt him.”

She heard him moving closer, but she refused to look up at him.

Arlo would be more comfortable on the bed, but she had just gotten him back. It felt too risky to let him go in any way.

He stopped right in front of her. She could see his boots. Feel the pressure of his presence, the tingle around her neck.

It had gotten worse after they had been together.

She gulped, forcing herself to focus.

“What are you going to do now?”

“You need rest.”

“No. I need—-“

His hand moved around her nape, angling her head so her eyes met his. Words vanished from her lungs. “You need rest.”

Tingles prickled her skin at the contact, an urge to reach for him and pull him closer washed over her but she fought against it. She sprung to her feet instead, hurried off to the bathroom with Arlo.

Then she came back from the bathroom, both refreshed and ready for the night.

She sighed with relief when she saw that Ikrus was no longer in the room. She settled into bed, with Arlo by her side. Her mind tumbled with many thoughts.

It was good that he was in his study.

He should stay there.

It didn’t matter that some stupid need in her wanted him close by. Thought that it was best if he were there by her side.

It didn’t matter. None of it mattered!

But the bed sank behind her and his warmth engulfed her, along with all those feelings that she was struggling with.

They were overpowering. But they did not feel foreign, like another’s pushing into her pores.

These feelings were all her own.

This stupid bond.

This unfortunate mark.

Everything had gotten worse.

She needed him to just go back to the study so she could think, but while he had been there all she was able to think about was him. She needed an explanation, and if she would get it now then it was good.

Better, even.

When will you kill me? What will you do to my son?

Our son.

What do you want Ikrus.

Sleep.

She didn’t want to admit that it was affecting her. She hoped that he wasn’t in her mind. That she was blocking him off like he did to her.

Even thought she didn even know how to do that.

She gulped.

Trying to distracted herself. If she didn’t think about him then she wouldn’t feel these stupid things. After all, she had better things to think about.

“I can not. Just tell me already. When will you kill me? Will you give me a chance to run? What will you do with my—-“

“Our son.”

She felt his hand in her head and she went still. She shoved forth the feeling in her lungs. Of safety. Of baseless overflowing reassurance. She was no fool to believe the tricker
y of this bond, of this mark.

“What are you going to do to us, Ikrus? Put me out of my misery and tell me already.”