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“Malix, how can you say that when you are covered in blood?”
“It’s not all mine.”
“Like that makes a difference?!” My voice reaches shrieking levels. I can only imagine what I look like right now. Luckily only Malix and Aracelia are witnesses to my hysterics.
“I’m going to take care of you, wife. Trust me,” Malix says and slowly pulls me into his arms, carrying me bridal style. I don’t even protest. The moment he picks me up, my body decides it has finally had enough and refuses to move anymore.
Malix walks by Aracelia and mentions something about the bodies and cleaning up. I don’t dare look back at the bloody mess on the floor. The image of Aeron will haunt my nightmares for a long time. I don’t feel sorry for his death; it was his own fault. But it doesn’t mean I relish it either.
Then Malix is taking me up to our chambers. I expect to be taken straight to bed, but he brings me to the bathing chambers where he prepares a tub of steamy water for a bath. Malix puts me down on the wooden stool next to the tub and slowly removes the soiled clothing from my body. He asks me a question, but I don’t register it and just stare at him blankly.
Something akin to pity and sorrow glimmers in his eyes and he leans forward to press a faint kiss to my forehead. He whispers, “I’m so sorry, Rose,” before picking me up again to place me in the warm water.
I hiss at the abrupt change in temperature and Malix braces himself to get me out if I ask him to, but soon I grow used to the warm water on my skin and melt back into the tub. My eyelids—which suddenly feel too heavy—close.
I hear rummaging next to me and the weight of clothes falling to the ground. The water rises and I feel a presence at my back. Then Malix’s strong arms wrap around me and he’s kissing my grimy hair, whispering how proud he is of me. More apologies leave his lips, but I don’t understand why he’s sorry. I don’t blame him for anything that has happened over the last few days, but clearly he does.
There is grime and blood over both of our bodies, but I can’t produce the energy to even care. Malix takes it upon himself to clean my body. He softly caresses my skin, not in a sexual way, but in a way that fills me with such safety and love. If I weren’t so tired, the love I have for my husband after such a short time might frighten me.
When he’s done cleaning my body, he works a lather through my hair. It’s knotty and oily, but he doesn’t seem to mind. After a few minutes, he washes out the shampoo and scrubs the blood off his own body. Our once-clear bath in tinged brownish pink.
Disgusting, but I’m too exhausted to care.
Sleep calls my name and I’m so tired of fighting it. I vaguely feel Malix pick me up and carry me out to our bedroom. I’m not sure I even get dressed because the last thing I remember is his own weary face looking down at me with enough adoration to choke me.
Then sleep finally claims me.
I expect to see light filtering in through the curtains when I wake up, but all I see is moonlight. I don’t know how long I rested, but I feel like I’m ready to take a nap already. It takes another moment before the horrors of the last few days trickle back into my mind.
Mina hurt.
Aeron dead.
Malix hurt.
Otis…dead? I’m not sure about that one, but if Vivia is anything like Malix, I’m certain she took care of her wife’s torturer.
Speaking of Malix…I reach out to the opposite side of my bed, but all I feel are rumpled wool blankets.
Panic starts setting in and for a moment, I wonder if I dreamed up Malix coming to my rescue and I’m about to wake up in the cellar, forced to obey the whims of Aeron.
Before that thought can consume me, the door to my room opens and Malix walks in carrying a tray of food. I sigh, my body visibly relaxing at the sight of my husband.
Malix offers me one of his rare smiles. “I was hoping you’d still be asleep when I came back. How long have you been awake?”
“Just woke up.” My voice is hoarse. I crave the water he’s carrying. “I thought I was dreaming.”
Malix sets down the tray of food on the bed next to me, careful as he sits. “You’ve been asleep for almost an entire day.”
My jaw drops like one of those old-school cartoons my dad used to watch as a kid. “A whole day?”
Clearly amused by my reaction, Malix smirks. I can’t help but notice that it doesn’t quite reach his eyes though. “You needed it. Your body has been put through a lot these last few days…” He trails off and I think he’s done talking, but then he finally says, “Rose. I’m so sorry?—”
But before he can get any more of that sentence out, I put up my hand to stop him. “No, stop apologizing. This wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know this would happen. This was Aeron’s. He made the decision to hurt me. Made the decision to defy you.” I needed to take my own advice because there is a part of me that will always blame myself for Mina’s injuries. I’m sure Malix must feel the same about me.
Malix doesn’t look fully convinced, but he nods anyway and reaches for my hand. I know it’s to reassure himself that I’m okay and not mad at him so I squeeze it gently. “How long have you been awake, husband?”
“I hardly slept,” he admits, making me frown. We would need to remedy that later.
