Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
Yet…the room looks exactly as I left it. It looks as if no one has been living here, and that makes me anxious, too. What if he’s gone and I’ve failed? What if he’s been gone for an entire month already? What if—
The candlelight falls upon a pale white figure in the darkness.
It’s Kalos, yet seated on his throne.
I’m both relieved and unnerved at the sight of him. Striding up to him, I drop into a curtsy since that seems polite. “Lord Kalos—”
“You lied.”
His words are bored. Disappointed. His gaze barely flicks over me as I straighten.
I still shiver. “I know. I’m sorry. I wasn’t intending on bothering you, I just…do you have something on your face?”
He doesn’t blink. Doesn’t reach up to touch his face. Just shrugs. He doesn’t care.
I move the candle closer, looking to capture that strange wisp I’d seen out of the corner of my eye. As I move in, I realize…it’s a spiderweb.
His face has spiderwebs on it. They trail down the front of his bare chest and when I look at his fingers, they have webs on them, too.
Cobwebs. Because he hasn’t moved since I left him.
Holy shit.
I knew he was Apathy, I just…I didn’t realize what that meant. Not really. If I’m the one that must eat and drink for the both of us, there’s no reason for him to move from his seat…and I guess he hasn’t. I’m disturbed. “You’ve got cobwebs on you.”
“So?”
I reach out to brush them off and hesitate, because he’s going to give me a disease again if I touch him, I just know it. “May I?”
“May you what?”
“May I clean off your face without you giving me a disease? You can control that, right?”
He shrugs.
I push aside any guilt I feel at his condition. He’d asked not to be bothered. We were just honoring his wishes. Yet I can’t help but think that if he was back home, no one would abandon him. But he’s not a depressed manager or a CEO with ennui. He’s a god. That makes things different. “A shrug is not an answer. You know what? You can wear the cobwebs. I was just trying to be nice to you and if you can’t be nice back, then I don’t need to bother. I came in here because we have a problem.”
“I don’t care.”
“You need to care. One of your aspects is on his way here with an army. He’s coming to destroy you.”
Those vivid green eyes focus on me. “You mean destroy you.”
I flinch. He certainly knows where to hit a girl. “You can’t stay here, regardless.”
“I don’t see why not. You swore I’d be left alone.” He flicks a hand at me, dismissing me.
“Plans change. I need you to come with me. We’re leaving this place before the army arrives. I need you to get up and get dressed, because we’re probably not taking the road out of here. The sooner we leave, the better it is for us.” I make my tone chirpy and positive, as if everything is already under control.
“Why should I leave? If they want to kill me, then let them kill me.” He leans back on his throne of skulls and closes his eyes. “At least then it’ll be silent.”
I manage a chuckle. “You think a conquering army is going to be silent? They’re going to come in here and kill everyone, and they’re probably going to throw a party right on your bones.”
“Yes, but you’ll be dead, and I’ll be back to myself, or closer to it.” He shrugs again.
This is not how it’s supposed to go. I knew he’d be difficult, but I didn’t realize he’d be willing to just roll over and die. Well, that’s not going to work for me at all. Leaning over him, I manage my sweetest smile possible.
“You think it’s bad now with me talking to you? Bothering you? If you don’t come with me, I’m going to surrender to the other Aspect and tell him to keep me alive until the very end. That it tortures you to have people talk to you. That the worst thing he can do to you is to have someone at your side every day, nattering away.” I make a talking gesture with my hand, like a puppet, and snap it in his face. “It might not go on forever, but who’s to say that you won’t be tortured for months on end? Months with someone in your face, never shutting up, months with entire rooms full of people all over you, maybe even years, just yak yak yakking away—”
He reaches up and grabs my hand. He glares at me.
I keep smiling.
Kalos sighs. “Fine. I’ll go with you. Just shut up.”
My triumphant laugh dies as I stare at the hand grasping mine. “Did…you just give me the plague again?”