Page 61 of Monster's Bride
“That’s it. As soon as it’s cool, I can transfer it to a jar.”
I stare down into it, watching the liquid slowly jiggle until it settles into a flawless pearlescent surface. So much rests on the contents of this pot, and while it doesn’t eradicate all of my fear, seeing it finished gives me a tiny bit of reassurance.
Every hour that drags by over the next several days is brimming with uncertainty. No one knows what to think or who to trust. The entire castle is on high alert, and despite the influx of guards standing watch every corner, it’s impossible to feel safe. Somewhere, there’s an enemy lurking among us, and we all have to be constantly vigilant in case they strike again.
We haven’t uncovered any more answers than King Rukkus gave us, but new questions never seem to stop arising. Was the poison just a horrific accident that has us worrying to death for nothing? Was it a malicious plan to take out the royal family? Will they try poison again, seeing that their original plan failed?
I run through these questions every day, as though thinking about them more often will increase the chance of finding an answer, but it won’t. Nothing will.
For now, all we can do is hope for the best and wait.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
Irissa
It’s hard not to be disappointed when Nor becomes distant again. After all, things seemed to finally be going well between us. It was like something had finally clicked into place, only to fall apart as soon as we got the news, but I try to be empathetic.
Grief affects everyone differently, and I respect that. I don’t press him or beg for his attention. If he speaks, I listen, but otherwise, I leave him alone with his thoughts. Whatever is happening behind those broody amber eyes isn’t my business unless he deems it so. There’s no reason to pry.
It takes countless days of brief conversations and lots of strained silence, but he eventually comes around.
We’ve just finished lunch and I’m heading back to my room with Lizette at my side when he calls after me.
“Irissa.” It echoes down the corridor, and somehow, I feel the weight of the word in my bones. My heartbeat ticks up and I freeze, slowly spinning on my heel to see his hulking form strolling our way.
Relief washes over me as he draws near, and I can’t help but note how things have changed since my first day in Ulleh. When I first arrived, seeing him made my heart race out of fear. Now, it’s for a much different reason, one I’m not entirely sure I understand.
“Yes, Nor?” I ask, my voice a little unsteady.
His eyes bounce in Lizette’s direction for a brief moment, and he acknowledges her presence with a nod before clearing his throat.
“Come with me for a walk,” he says. He isn’t giving me an option, but I don’t plan on turning him down anyway. I’m too excited he’s speaking to me to say no.
“Of course.”
“I’ll see you later,” Lizette says quietly before continuing down the hall, leaving us alone.
I expect him to lead the way, but he doesn’t move or say anything for a moment. He just stares down, his eyes burning holes into me.
“Is everything okay?” I ask. It would make these stretches of awkward silence less intimidating if I knew what he was thinking.
To my surprise, he exhales deeply and shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know anymore.”
His answer is more vulnerable than I was expecting. Nor, who’s typically all coarse grit and no fluff, sounds drained by the emotional acrobats of keeping up his tough exterior. I knew he was taking things hard by how much he isolated himself, but maybe he’s struggling even more than I guessed. My heart aches for him.
“Let me guess, Oryx is busy, so you came to vent to me instead?” I joke.
He shakes his head slowly. “No.”
Without further explanation, he turns and gestures for me to walk with him. I fall into step at his side, naturally leaving nearly a foot between us. I’m tempted to reach for his arm the way I used to, but I don’t want to overstep any boundaries he’s put in place to keep everyone away.
The truth is, I’m not sure what to say or do now that we’re alone again. After nothing more than friendly conversation for weeks, I don’t know where we stand anymore.
“Where are we going?” I ask, attempting to draw up conversation.
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” he admits. “We can go wherever you’d like.”
My immediate thought is his bedroom, but as soon as I imagine returning to his bed, my cheeks burn fiercely. I force that option from my head, embarrassed that it came to mind in the first place. True, I’ve imagined that day more times than I’m comfortable admitting out loud, but that shouldn’t be the first thing that crosses my mind when we’re together, regardless of how incredible it was.