With Kami now in control of Belladonna's body, she led her mother to a hidden passage in the wall of her room that led to the roof.
At first, Tamina had been very confused, but soon enough she was able to understand what was going on, and as any person would wish in that situation, she wished she could spend longer time with her daughter.
They spent heartfelt moments together, talking about how they had missed each other and how they wanted each other to be happy. Kami made her mother promise her that she would tell her father and her brothers to be happy too.
They talked about a lot of things, her brothers and their families. For the things she had missed out on, her mother did well to fill her in.
Then they danced to the rhythm of the piano that floated to their ears from downstairs, as the gentle breeze carried it around them.
"Mother," she said with tears in her eyes and a real smile on her face.
"What, Kami?"
"I must leave now." Her action was jerky and when she snapped her hand from her mother's grip, Tamina slipped to the floor. She made no attempt to stand up as she watched her daughter turn to the door of the rooftop; instead, she wept.
The moment was too short.
It felt like she was losing her daughter for the second time.
Belladonna slipped to the floor before she could reach the door of the rooftop. Her teeth clattered from cold from within, and she could barely keep her eyes open or even move.
It was so cold, but there was an odd sense of relief that she could feel.
Her mind didn't feel as crowded as it used to be, so even though she could feel consciousness slipping out of her grasp, she felt happy. It was an odd feeling.
It wasn't a second longer before she heard the door crashed to the ground. She knew it was him before she even heard him call her name. She felt his arms go around and only then did she open her eyes. Her lips gave into a smile when she saw him, glad that he wasn't just an illusion her mind had conjured for her in her time of need.
"It ..wor--ked. It feels... ligh--ter. She is happy, h--er soul is f--re--e. Just like the other--s for... the coins. I.feel.it. They are free." Her words were mere whispers caught between the clattering of her teeth. It was comforting for her to feel him kneel by her side, comforting for her to know that she wasn't alone.
That was what he made her feel lately, like she wasn't alone.
"You are so cold," she could feel his hands moving around her to inspect her, just as she could hear the piano, laughter, and singing from downstairs, along with Tamina's unceasing sobs some distance from them, "but I do not smell blood. I see no cuts. Where did she harm you?"
Belladonna shook her head as much as her body could allow. It was hard to do that. "She spoke to her mother."
That was all she said and he understood.
He carried her in his arms, now certain that she wasn't physically harmed. He didn't quite make it to the door with her though.
The sound of the wings in the air announced who it was, and before he could even fight it, Alaris had stolen her from his arms and taken her into the sky.
___
___
Belladonna had woken up the next morning in her room, within the castle walls.
She didn't remember ever coming back to the Capital.
What was she doing here?
"You had a couple of nosebleeds. Your feeble body exerted itself too much yesterday." Alaris said, standing by her bedside with a bored expression. His hair wasn't braided and some strands fell to his forehead, and over the blue glowing tattoo that cut across his brow. He clicked his claws against the golden rings that adorned his fingers. Also, his robe looked more fitting than it used to. His aesthetic was certainly different from Eli's. He loved gold and he adorned his neck with golden a necklace that looked heavy. He had on a simple white shirt and paired it with a pair of black pants blacks instead of elaborate robes.
Probably because it was easier to rip it to shreds when he shifted, but what about the gold necklace?
He tossed the book in his other hand aside. Those words would never be able to interest him.
They would forever bore him.
"Give up on this and come to Vestros with me. Your silly quest with my brother would only lead you to more hard than good."
Belladonna pressed her hand against her forehead. As the sun seeped into the room through the curtain, she could feel the lingering headache but the feeling of being unconscious was gone.
"Nosebleed?"
"Yes."
"I'm fine." She stumbled from the bed. "And you are very wrong. It is working."
"If you just come to Vestros---"
"Do you have a way to this Vestros of yours?"
Something in Alaris' gaze hardened and his mismatched eyes glinted with something Belladonna couldn't describe. She looked away not wanting her gaze to linger and make him delusional that she wanted him or anything of such.
Alaris always thought himself desirable.
Such an egoistic bastard.
"Soon enough. I'm working on it."
Belladonna insisted that she must continue her quest with Eli, it was promising and actually working, also it made her happy that she was helping the brides find their peace.
"I feel useful."
It brought her great relief to know that she had only been out for a night but what worried her was what had happened with Kami. Despite her wanting to keep the secret from Alaris so he wouldn't make it impossible for her to leave the castle, by using it as an excuse, he had somehow found out.
"She possessed you?!"
He had declared in anger as he went on further to talk about the weak barriers of her mind and how her mortality made her vulnerable.
"Stay with me, I'll protect you. You know his strength can never be able to rival mine. I'll do it better than he does."
There he went again with those words of wanting her to go to Vestros with him.
Weighing her options she considered that it would be better for her to tell him about her fear that had sprung up with Kami's stunt.
"It is Kestra."
"What about her?"
Her heart was racing now. Speaking of it even sparked more fear in her than just thinking of it.
"Alaris, what if Kestra tries to possess my mind too? She was part of the sacrifices, the last one! What am I going to do if she tries to use me like Kami?!"