Holy shit, Zen is getting executed. The woman at my side shoves me aside harshly. “If you want to look so bad why don’t you go all the way to the bell tower, beansprout!” She hisses irritably In a startling moment of clarity, I recall the tower I spotted a little way off the church. A bell tower.
Time can not pass quick enough. I’m sitting in the barred window of the holding room. Outside, the sky is alight with the moon and stars, and cold air caresses my face. A steady burn in my wrists accompanies me, courtesy to the bits of silver in the chains. The one on my neck stings like an open w
I sprint down the stairs. Now that he’s seen me, I hope to hell Zen can make it to the church doors. I’ll go and get Sparrow. The city gates are close by. We can make it, we can— I still in my steps when the doors of the tower flings open, men spilling inside. I’ve only taken a single step back wh
I ignore it, swallow thickly as I get to my feet. My world sways, but I lock my knees, forcing my legs to stay upright. “We need to go.” I tighten my hold on Zen’s hand, my voice scratchy Zen stares at me long enough for a thread of worry to coil around my heart. Then he nods, once, sharply. “We
But Zen looks away from me, shoulders dropping infinitesimally with a sigh. The sheer relief that washes over me at the small familiar action is unimaginable. “Very well.” He mutters quietly He lets go of my hand, gesturing for me to walk ahead. Silently, I start forward. Now my whole body aches,
Zen straightens, and pins me with the weight of his full attention. “What are you doing here, Dinah?” Now my shoulders slump, the last few days meshed up in a haze in my head. “I cant go home.” I say, my voice so quiet I’m not sure he hears it “The Seer said that for whatever reason, my soul belo
“I’m not asking you to live, Sigmond.” I hold his gaze, my own fierce “Find me a way home and I’ll gladly shove you off a cliff.” Distantly, I’m surprised to find how much I mean the words. I’m tired of this barbaric place where they hit first and ask questions later. I’d do anything to go back hom
The Bishop looks annoyed, but says nothing about my tone. I’d like to imagine it’s because I look more pissed then him, but its probably because of Zen. God, I hate this place. “Your manner of speaking is… different,” The Bishop says, likely because their accent is different from mine “State your
I barely manage to find a waste bucket before everything I had for breakfast retches out. My throat burns. My vision is blurry. I dry heave every single thing in my stomach, warmth seeps out of the corners of my eyes. I can’t breathe. The smell of blood is everywhere. I sit there, holding the edges
The smell of rotting flesh is disgusting. Its muscle memory to pull the gloves over my hands, pick a scalpel off the medical tray. The body on the metal table in front of me has no head. ‘You have to take a sample of flesh, a sample of blood and take a look at the internal organs.’ Aunt Cynthia’s
How adorable. Apparently, I’m the only one who thinks so, since when I turn back around, everyone from the fourth prince and the first order to passing strangers and our coachman is looking on in disbelief. Is it so difficult to imagine Zen would get along with children? “Don’t leave your mouth ha
“My Lady, am I mistaken or is the fourth prince avoiding me?” I look up from knotting the satchel to my belt to face Zen. There’s a slight furrow in his brows, and he looks at Lukas, standing far, far from us and talking with the first order soldiers. The fourth prince has indeed, been avoiding Ze
I need to move. But even as I think that, I cant bring myself to move. He’s holding me too firmly, I think, entirely reasonable. I won’t be able to slip away like this. Even the most critical part of me can’t find that to be entirely an excuse. After last night, I doubt there’s anyone who would lik
I wake up to the sound of a door knock. My sleep hazed brain registers the sound, recognizes it, and promptly ignores it in favor of cuddling into the warmth of my bed once more. I don’t want to wake up just yet, since last night I fell asleep so late— Last night? My eyes open, blurry with sleep,
But he’s looking at me now, as if the answer might crush him, as if he’s bracing himself for it. I reach out to drape my arms over his shoulders gently, they hang down in front of his chest lightly. “Why? Because you did your job?” I ask quietly, hold his gaze “Or because you didn’t hesitate to do
“Lift your arm, please.” I say, and my voice comes out soft If we weren’t sitting so close to each other, I would’ve missed it. His shoulders tense up, the even breathing stilled into nothing. “You don’t have to do that, Dinah.” Zen finally says My brows furrow. Zen might be a warrior among warri
On the second floor hallway of the hotel, my eyes drift to the room where Zen is supposed to be. My room is just at its side. I wonder if I knock on his door right now, would he be annoyed? He did ask not to be disturbed. The image of his bloodied arm flashes in my mind. Just a moment. I just want