Belladonna was sweating profusely, her eyes shut tight while she curled and uncurled on the bed.
She wasn't sleeping, she wasn't awake either.
Someone was cooing comforting words to her, but she could barely hear it. The images that raced through her mind made her struggle with sanity. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palm so she could hold onto physical pain, and focus on it rather than this mental turmoil.
Her breathing was laboured, she could see the woman again in her mind, her silver hair and her overflowing white dress. The voices in her head became too loud, voices screaming for her to grant them freedom she never intended to steal from them in the first place.
A warm hand pressed gently over her head and relief washed over her. The voices slowly became quiet, and the hotness in her veins cooled down.
The minute she woke up, she bolted from the bed and staggered to the mirror. Her hands went over her neck, tracing a line where there should be a bleeding gash. The curtains were done and the room was lit by a couple of candles, it was enough light for her to see that none of what she had expected was there.
She had been attacked. She remembered now.
Attacked? No. She had been killed. That was what it had felt like.
She couldn't figure out how she was still standing right here alive.
It felt like she had been pulled to the back of her mind and her body had been doing its own thing, guided by her intentions, but still hadn't been in control at all.
Something about everything that had happened to her was so confusing.
"How are you feeling?" A deep familiar voice broke the silence in the room, and she turned back, surprised that all that hadn't been a dream.
He really was here, sitting at the edge of the bed, she had just sprung up from about a minute ago.
His blue-lined pupils held her focus. His eyes looked exactly like they looked in her dreams.
Alaris was nothing like she had imagined.
He was certainly not a broom.
A shame.
His long silver hair with blue undertones was packed into one and made into a single long braid that fell to his back, some strands of his hair fell over his forehead. He had full well-defined eyebrows and his beard looked to been freshly shaved.
What caught her attention though was the glowing silver tattoo that was on his chest, which was sneaking out of the unbuttoned part of his shirt. The tattoos moved up his neck. He had one on his right cheek right below his eye, and another that cut across his left eyebrow like a thin scar.
These little things wouldn't have been noticeable if not for his dark skin.
It was a perfect contrast and it made the glowing art more prominent.
Alaris looked very different. Unnaturally so.
A smile played on his lips, and he stood up from the bed, her gaze followed him, her face tilting upwards the closer he got.
"Told you I'm a sight for sore eyes."
Silence passed between them and he moved even closer till he could reach out and just touch her.
His gaze on her was unwavering, his eyes filled with glee. He raised his hand to touch her face, but he caught himself quickly and folded his arms behind him instead.
When he spoke this time, his voice was quiet.
"You can see me." He heaved a breath of relief. "Finally."
Belladonna blinked, letting out a breath, before her brows furrowed and her face etched into a deep frown.
Anger blazed in her veins and rage tasted bitter at the back of her throat.
"You lied to me."
If Alaris was shocked by her accusation, he hid it perfectly.
"Nightshade."
Weakness claimed her legs, and she leaned against the dressing table to fight it, her fingers rubbing against her temple, like if she smoothed the crease enough, she would get her thoughts straight.
"You said you were connected to the dragon. You said you gave his brother a gift. You showed everything to me, you made me watch it."
She took in a ragged breath, angry beyond reason.
Belladonna had seen this coming, a part of her mind that had been filled with suspicion had seen this coming.
Still, she couldn't help but feel this rage, this consuming anger!
Every emotion she felt was heightened, and something sizzled lowly in her veins.
"You can't blame me for not trusting you to keep me a secret. I would never have had this freedom if he knew it was me."
Anger made her blind to reasoning, and it shunned the logical questions that his response should ignite.
"So what? Everything about "sharing a greedy connection with his brother" being a different Being and all those," her breathing was starting to get laboured, words started to get difficult to produce."DREAMS YOU SHOWED ME! You made that up? You made everything up?!"
Something ticked in Alaris' jaws.
"Why are you so mad? It wasn't like you believed it."
Could he just shut up?!
"I completely believed your name."
"It is Alaris."
She scoffed. "You mean Lex." She rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her. "The Heart Collector."
She had her suspicions, she even had a theory that confirmed this.
Still, this rage.
It was unshakeable.
"It is Alaris." He took in a deep breath, trying to remain in control. "Nightshade..."
"That isn't even my name."
Ignoring that, he continued, "I told you some truths? Ain't I better than him? He called me Pamela, and said I was going to lay dragon eggs."
The wave of a sudden headache washed over her and she planted her fist against the dressing table.
"How long have I been out?"
"Three days."
Three Days?! Three days was too long, many things could have happened.
"The people have been given a believable story." Alaris took a step back, as he gave her the details.
"Kestra had spelled the King and made him turn his brother into a dragon. Now, he is cursed with it forever." He rested his hand over his face dramatically, placing another on his chest. "Ah! Poor brother. Poor me!" He chuckled, then he continued.
"She also started mind-controlling the people so they wouldn't question anything that was going on, while making the King collect brides for her grand sacrifice to attain immortality. Then you came, saved the King from her magic, and destroyed all her spells by killing her, and well," he shrugged. "Saved everyone and set me free."
He leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, while a devious smirk played on his lips.
"That about sums it up with a couple of necessary tweaks here and there. My people were happy to watch Kestra's body burn."
Belladonna nodded slowly, a lot had indeed happened within three days.
Eli.
She had a lot to discuss with him, it was clear that they had been hiding way too many things from each other.
Also, she hadn't struck the ring, it had exploded.
Was everything really over with her killing Kestra with the twig?
Also, what was going on with her? She could hear the voices of the brides in her head.
It seemed like Kestra and her had switched places.
She didn't want this. Whatever this was, she wanted it gone!
Eli.
She wanted to talk to Eli.
"The bereaved families of the brides have started coming to collect their bodies for a proper burial."
Belladonna shook her head, her hard gaze fixed on the floor. "There are no bodies."
"There are. Your dear Eli knows it." Alaris let out a breathy laugh that lacked its humor. "That lovely King of yours has put my people through the worst, honestly."
"Your people?"
"Yes, my people that your dear Eli took from me."