She forced her eyelids open, as she grabbed the closest pen and paper she could find, to jot down everything she could remember, scared that if she didn't, then she would fall asleep and lose this memory too.
The pen did not work.
Arrgh, this pen never worked!
Frustration threatened to bust through her, as she raised her hand to throw the pen across the room, but she stopped midair.
This pen was a gift from the Market Square. There had been a commotion that night ---a family had tried to kill her --- and a boy had given it to her.
She dragged in a long breath, forcing her eyes open, as she dismantled the pen.
It never worked because that wasn't its purpose, and she was right.
There was a piece of paper wrapped in it.
A rushed drawing of three interlocked spiral lines was on it. It was the same tattoo she had seen on Raquel. She said it meant unity, but did it? Seeing this paper made her question it, along with the memories of a purple glow that flooded her mind.
Maybe this would be what----
She shook her head, the sleep so much that she almost couldn't fight it anymore.
This wasn't normal.
It had to be the Bride Thief. It had to be Alaris. Why had she not suspected him before?
She grabbed her dagger and sat on her dressing chair. As much as she couldn't wait to see him again, so she could take advantage of his abilities and get her answers, she had to gather as much information as she could before she would be made to succumb to sleep and see him again.
For everyone she would have to meet from now henceforth, she had to be prepared.
Her heart raced, and nervousness hit her, but she fought to remain calm as she found another pen and jotted everything she could remember down.
Those girls have been part of the previous brides.
Ria - Moria Nakunriver. The Bride before her.
Kita - Marikita. The daughter of the family that had attacked her at the Market Square.
Clio - she couldn't say, but she had told her to give a letter to Collin. Was it possible that Clio was their daughter? What about all the stories they told her about their daughter? Were they lies?
A painful knot formed in her belly as she remembered how seriously she had taken their words. The first story Raquel told her and the second one that Collin had told her to refute the first. There was a possibility that was a lie too. Sleep and tears collided in her eyes and she blinked them away.
She would confirm it in the morning, and she would be subtle about it.
The brides were most likely ghosts. Which made her even more unsettled since the one before her had been part of the Happy Ladies that came to visit her too.
Belladonna noticed that the piece of paper she had written Alaris' name on, so she could give it to the King, had disappeared after the ladies visited her. It seemed like they didn't think it was wise for her to tell the King about the Bride Thief. They had not expressively said anything good about the Bride Thief either, so he could both be dangerous. After all, before her death, Raquel had warned her about both of them.
It was sad that it had come to this. For her to have so many doubts about the man she loved, so much fear, it was painful.
She was already missing him but the thoughts that he might not even be the man she knew, made this worse, more painful, and right.
She must find out.
Her gaze was fixed on the tattoo she had now drawn in her book.
A yawn.
Her eyes watered with deprived sleep and overwhelming emotions.
This symbol.
There was something about it that she had to find out about--- she had to---- she---
Sleep.
So, so, sweet.
The chilly breeze from the beach was way too familiar, the sand her feet sank into, the clash of the wave, and the voice in the midst of it all.
"Nightshade."
She was right. It was Alaris.
Her heart clenched with a feeling she couldn't describe, and her hand instinctively went around her pendant in a tight grip, before she let loose of it.
He had gotten more powerful, summoning her when he wanted. She would have to jot that down and find a way to take advantage of it, if that was even possible.
The feeling of the dagger in her other hand made her feel a little at ease, but the thoughts of stabbing nothing but thin air made laughter bubble in her throat and despite the seriousness of the situation, she found herself laughing.
Her laughter echoed around her and she couldn't help but imagine him glaring down at her, that was if he had a face.
More laughter.
For how stressed she had been today, this was quite relieving.
"You are still invisible?" She finally said when she could get the question out.
"That doesn't sound like a "thank you" to me." His voice was hard. It was still so easy to get under his skin using his lack of form.
Good.
That might be of good use.
Belladonna dragged in a long breath, her hands akimbo.
"Why should I thank you?"
"Because I have been busy digging you out of a lot of memory holes, too many. They are really doing a lot to you in that Castle."
"Thank you." If she doesn't make a big deal out of it, he would not be able to hold it over her head. "Now to the serious part. You owe me a bloodoath, and I'm here to use it. I need answers."
"Shocking. I thought the King drilling his dick into you consistently would have pushed that thought out of your head."
Heat raised to her cheeks, her eyes filled with anger than embarrassment.
That was something she really didn't want to think about right now, how dare he bring it up?
"What? is there a way you are spying on me now?"
It was his turn to laugh.
"Ewwww. Why will you think I will watch you? That's disgusting and boring." He paused. "I'm connected to the dragon and the beast hates it when you are together. Haven't you noticed that already?"
Her brows furrowed, humour long gone.
"Pamela is only cranky because she wants a mate. Once she gets one, she will lay eggs and act sane."
"Of course, she" there was a laugh in his voice, it didn't feel so humorous though. "She. The dragon is a male, he is the King's brother, Nightshade. Do I have to take you back into the memory again?"
Absolutely not. She wasn't in the mood for another made-up truth. She was here to find answers not have someone manipulate her even further.
"Let me give you a little proof."
His voice sounded closer, like he was standing right in front of her. She felt the urge to step back, but that would seem like his intimidation was working. So she looked straight ahead, up to wherever she believed his face was, but when he spoke again, he sounded like he had leaned in to her, and was whispering into her ear.
She stiffened.
Too close.
His invisibility was really in his favour. Well, for now, soon enough she would find a way around it.
"When you slashed the back of my hand last time, I made the beast attack the King so you will see your "cut" on him." She sucked in a breath. That had been something that really confused her.
"For every image I create, I have seen before, the longer the time-lapse, the more I might not be able to fully recreate their features. Guess where I saw your family and Lytio's." He didn't give her time to answer. "From the dungeon."
She let out a shaky breath. The image of her fighting thin air wasn't funny anymore, that might actually be what she would do eventually. She couldn't believe a word out of his mouth, he had gone to different lengths to make her believe his lies and she will not allow him to distract her with manipulated petty details.
"I see through his eyes. I am with you, always. We are not enemies, Nightshade, you can trust me. If anything, we are allies." Cold breeze swept past her hand and her hand clenched around the dagger at the seemingly foreign presence.
"We are both in bondage, we are each other's freedom, and you don't need a dagger to feel safe around me."