Chapter 31


    Chapter 31 Her grave


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    The dream began just like many others before it.


    I knelt on the floor, begging the intruder to see Asher until my throat was raw. But the soldiers never


    listened.


    Their faces were ck, undiscernible no matter how much I stared at them. They were like shadows,


    mocking my every word, my every whimper, my every cry.


    As my voice caught in my throat, one of the shadow men took a step forward and gripped my arm. He


    pulled me harshly to my feet, gripped my face, and pried my mouth open. I kicked and kicked, but the


    effort was useless. The shadow man forced a liquid down my throat, and as it streamed into my mouth,


    I began to gag. It was cold and harsh and burned every bit of the way down.


    My mind started to swirl as the room spun around me. I copsed to the cold ground and froze, unable


    to move.


    The shadow men spit and snarled at me. They cursed me, called me an indecent, terrible woman, and


    swore that I deserved every bit of what came next. And then, they left the room, locking the door


    behind them as I sobbed and shook.


    Then, the smell of smoke- soft, at first, but then it filled the room. My eyes burned and my skin itched


    as I struggled to breathe, but I couldn’t move. I was frozen, trapped on the ground, unable to scream.


    Fire consumed me until there was nothing left.


    “Mommy?” a small voice woke me up, and then suddenly, a push rocked my body. I woke with a start


    and startled Finnick, who stood beside my bed.


    “Finnick?” I managed to say and then I shot him a confused nce. “What’s… what’s going on?”


    “Are you having bad dreams again, Mommy?” Finnick wondered, and his serious gray eyes stared into


    mine with concern.


    Truth be told, I’d been having nightmares every night since I’d arrived in Anemond. They varied in


    subject, but they mostly centered around Finnick in Asher. In those dreams, in particr, Asher


    discovered Finnick’s identity and wanted to take him far away from me. The Alpha King would stare


    deeply into my eyes as they hauled Finnick away kicking and screaming, and then a mysterious fire


    would appear and engulf the room with mes.


    They always ended in mes and me waking


    un with a scream.


    Sometimes, the mu ffled screams against my pillows would wake Finnick up. On those nights, I


    repeated the same story- that I was just exhausted these days and was struggling to adjust to life in


    Anemond.


    Finnick never seemed to believe me, but he respected my words and didn’t pry further.


    “I’m okay,” I assured him now, and then I kissed his forehead. “I’m going to go for a walk, baby. Why


    don’t you get back to bed and try to get some rest?”


    “Can Ie too?” my son inquired, but I shook my head.


    “I need you to get some rest,” I repeated softly, and I ran my hand through his hair. “I’lle tuck you


    in, okay?”


    “Okay,” he murmured, and he nodded his head politely. I climbed out of bed and then crossed ourrge


    room until I was over in Finnick’s area. I helped him into bed and then pulled up the plush white


    comforter around him and secured the sides.


    Finnick let out a small sound of contentment. His new bed was far morefortable than the one back


    home, and aside from my nightmares interrupting him every so often, he was sleeping much better


    here. The feeling was bittersweet. I was d my son wasn’t upset about his new living quarters, but I


    was sad that I’d never feelfortable here, no matter how fine our surroundings were.


    There was simply too much hurt, too many bad memories.


    “I love you, Finnick,” I whispered, and I kissed his forehead.


    “I love you too,” Finnick replied, and then he closed his eyes. About two minutester, his breathing


    changed, and he slipped right back into sleep. I smiled down at him. He was an angel for caring about


    me the way he did.


    Once I was sure he was asleep, I crept to the door and slipped out into the hallway.


    It’d been nearly a week since we’de here to Anemond, and I’d made few breakthroughs. Asher


    had supplied me with a smallb here in the pce, along with an assistant, a young woman named


    Becky. Becky was a quiet girl, not nearly as talkative as Marley, but she was intelligent and very helpful.


    She also didn’t ask as many questions, which is why I assumed Asher had appointed/her to help me.


    The Alpha King had also assigned Finnick a babysitter to take care of him while I worked. She was a


    nice olderdy who seemed very attentive to my son’s needs. I’d wanted to request Erika, but I


    couldn’t. As much as it pained me, I needed to pretend I didn’t know her.


    Every day, I would visit the Alpha King’s study at sunset and check the mark on his body. I had to wait


    until he was finished with his daily duties and appointments so it wouldn’t alert anyone else to the


    matter.


    At first, it was an awkward experience. With the proximity required to examine the mark, I could feel his


    hot breath every time I leaned in to examine the mark. As I studied his skin closely, I could feel his


    steel-like gaze on-me, and the warmth of his body radiated onto mine. The smell of his earthy cologne


    danced across my nose and reminded me of different times, times when he was mine and would press


    his lips against mine,..


    But I would force myself to not get drawn into the appeal. I had to remain professional and attentive to


    his condition.


    We hardly spoke during this time, and when we did, it was only about his symptoms and how he felt


    that day physically. He always kept it short and to the point.


    Luckily, I also hadn’t seen Adalyn at all. I figured Asher’s wife was making it a point to stay away from


    me, which I didn’t mind at all.


    Yet, I was still uneasy. Something here wasn’t right and I couldn’t put my finger on why.


    I managed to make my way down the stairs mostly undetected. A few guards I’de to know nodded


    as I walked by, but other than that, the dark pce was quiet.


    I took the back way to the doors that led to the gardens and slipped outside. I wandered out into the


    cool night absently, enjoying the slight breeze as it tangled through my hair. My nightgown red


    around me slightly, and I let out a sigh of relief. There wasn’t so much pressure to appear a certain way


    out here. I could breathe and allow myself to rx.


    I wandered down past the beautiful, fragrant garden until I reached Othe expansive dew-covered


    lawns. The grass was cold against my feet, but it was a wee sensation.


    As I walked, I began to lose track of my destination. I allowed my mind to wanderpletely, forgetting


    all about Asher and Adalyn, and the nightmares that gued me. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been out


    here until I stopped in ce and became aware of my surroundings.


    I had reached the gates of Rosepetal, my old mansion. A strange sensation traveled through me as I


    stared up at the white brick building and nostalgia rushed into my brain. It was the same as ever, just


    as beautiful as it’d been back then. Tall rosebushes were nted on the other side of the gate, and as I


    inhaled the red blooms deeply, it felt as if nothing had changed.


    I knew it was a bad idea, but there was an indescribable feeling in my heart that told me to push the


    gate open. So, I did just that.


    The lock was rusty, so I was able to get it open quite easily. I peered around to make sure I wasn’t


    being watched, and once I was certain there was no one around, I opened the front doors and entered


    the mansion.


    I’d expected Rosepetal to look deste and deserted, and yet, much to my surprise, the mansion was


    well-tended. The walls and floors, along with the furnishings, were pristine, and there was not even a


    trace of the inferno..


    I continued down the marble floors until I reached the back doors that led to


    the gardens. I stepped back outside, and when I did, I was pleasantly surprised again.


    The gardens were even more beautiful than they’d been back then. Hundreds of rosebushes were


    arranged into paths and were filled with white blooms. Their fragrance filled the air with sweet perfume,


    and after I inhaled deeply, my eyes fell to the ground. Beautiful white stones paved the paths made by


    the roses and led to a point just beyond me. My eyes followed along the path and as I took a few steps


    forward, suddenly, I caught sight of something that made me freeze.


    Since the mansion had been empty, I’d assumed there wouldn’t be anyone else here. And yet, a


    silhouette was standing at the edge of the garden. I gulped. Who was that?


    Suddenly, they tilted their head, and I realized it was Asher.


    I narrowed my eyes to see what he was standing in front of, but I couldn’t see it from back here. So, I


    took small, quiet steps until I reached a tall bush. I ducked down to make sure I wasn’t spotted, and


    once I was certain he hadn’t seen me, I peered over at Asher.


    My heart stopped.


    He was standing in front of a white marble tomb.


    My eyes widened and I held my breath as I read the name engraved on the


    grave.


    Cora Felix.