Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 120029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Once again, there’s a creak, and the massive dog barks, staring at the wall.
“It’s all right, girl. It’s just rats,” I whisper, scratching her behind the ear.
Going by the way she’s growing, I dread to think what the rats of the Nightmare Realm look like, but I’ve not yet seen one in my rooms, so I try not to overthink it.
I flinch when I hear steps on the stairs, then a loud knock, but despite barking, Lady’s wagging her tail.
“It’s me, Nate,” says Sabine, so I get up to open the door for her. “These stairs…” she mutters, all flushed.
Little Nathan, who looks just like I imagine Tristan had as a toddler, sits on her hip, attached with a contraption of leather and velvet. His big golden eyes zero in on me the moment they both enter, and I offer him my hand to play with. This time, I’m walking it up his arm, like it’s a massive spider, and the kid swats at it gleefully.
“I’m sorry. Should I open the window?” I ask, indicating the balcony, where I sometimes watch the sky from. It may be cold most days, but that’s nothing a hot water bottle and blanket combo can’t fix.
“No, but I did need to come in person. We might have had a breakthrough in our search for the unicorn, but Tristan, of course, wants to tell you himself.”
My heart stops for half a second, then races. “Oh, that’s so exciting. You could have just put his letter in the elevator and rang the—”
Sabine throws her hands in the air, and some of her bouncy red curls escape the messy updo on her head. She’s wearing tight leather pants under her dress, which are very much visible because she’s hitched the front of it with straps, probably to climb the stairs comfortably.
“He wants to tell you. And since you won’t see him, he’s stalling, even though we’ve now known this new information for days. I am so tired of all this avoidance. I understand that you’re still wounded by what happened, and we’re doing everything we all can to break the shadow bond for you, but I have never worked so inefficiently. Results require cooperation, and at this point, it’s starting to feel like you’re happy to stay here among the flowers, reading books and exchanging letters. Which is not a problem for me, but if that’s the case, I’d rather know, and not waste my time trawling through tomes about meetings with unicorns.”
Nathan laughs, mumbling something I can’t even dream of understanding, and claps his tiny hands.
I’m all out of words, because what can I say to this level of frustration coming from a young mother who’s been helping me for weeks now. Shame settles on my shoulders, and I rub my arms as a chill radiates through my body despite my warm fluffy sweater.
Is that what’s happening? Am I just hiding out here, so I don’t need to be confronted with the world?
I want to argue, let myself be angry, but what can I possibly say? That I don’t want her to shove reality in my face?
“I—did something happen?” I whisper, rubbing my throat when it starts feeling tight.
Sabine takes a deep breath and absentmindedly strokes Lady’s head when the overgrown pup pokes her with its nose. “No… and yes. Forgive me for this outburst. I’m also wondering how far we can take this, but I swore to Tristan I would not tell you, so this is me, not telling you what it is, but that there is something. You need to either talk to him, which would be preferable, or pressure him to write you about it. I… he’s my brother, Nate, and while I know he can be rash or moody, or make bad choices, he means well. Even if you do part, I want you to know that.”
I do want to break my bond with Tristan.
So why does the chance for a permanent solution taste so bitter?
I shake my head, stepping back, because I can’t stand the weight of her gaze. I wish to be alone and no longer feel pressured. She might have the best intentions, but I just… can’t be around her right now. Which is probably why she didn’t just send a letter. She needed me to see her exasperation.
For all I know, Tristan might have set her up to do this and even told her to bring Nathan along, because he knows how much I love kids.
Or I’m just paranoid because my mind has been permanently altered by Gloombane.
“I’ll think on it.”
She nods. “Please do.”
Sabine leaves after petting Lady once more, and now I’m stuck with information that feels like a grenade that might or might not be armed. We have news that can lead us to the unicorn, and Tristan has been deliberately keeping this from me? That is manipulative, surely.