The next thing she knew, Arabella left the flickering of orange fire against the dark stone behind to frolic amidst the fresh sward that coated the soils of limbo.
The gaping wounds on her back gave off re stings to be rembered by; re tickles compared to the intensity at which they burned her skin in real life.
After taking the ti so that her eyes could adjust to the lighting around her, the young woman settled down for a bit of rest.
The fatigue clutching her muscles followed along through the veil between life and death... A feat of a phenonon.
"What have they done to you?" a warm breath grazed her battered back as the deep voice traveled to her ears.
A touch ca after the words... Soft but still heavy though Arabella failed to tell whether it was the true weight of his hand or the weight of it all crashing down her shoulders.
"It would be better if you just didn’t look at ," she did not even turn around to face her husband.
With what face? What nerve would she be capable of managing that?
Silas did not move or try to walk around her, "Please, turn around and let see your eyes," he practically whispered.
Instead of responding to his request, Arabella spoke of sothing different, "Soon, Edgar and Alpha Cynric will free you from your state. When that happens, promise you will take care of my brother and grandfather," she paused montarily before adding, "And... I am afraid I will also have to plead that you take my father along with you as he will no longer be the man he once was. That I can promise,"
"Arabella," he said, "Let see your eyes,"
"Why?" her voice held not the hint of the warmth it once did, "They belong to a different person now. I, too, am not the woman you married,"
"What has changed?"
"You know exactly what changed," her arms wrapped around her legs as she hugged herself.
"No, I do not," he put his vest around her shoulders, "Let see your eyes,"
Finally, and very reluctantly, Arabella turned around, but as soon as her gemstones t his diamonds, she flung them away as if direct eye contact burned her.
"I have missed this sight so much. Nothing has changed for ," he shook his head, "Absolutely nothing, do you hear ?" his hands cupped her cheeks.
"From where I stand, so much has...," she broke down, the tears flowing at will, "They took everything from . I have nothing left... Not even my dignity,"
"Arabella," he knelt even closer, "Nobody can truly take your dignity unless you give it to them willingly," his arms went around her, pulling her into a tight embrace, "None of this is your fault. If anything, I brought this upon us,"
"I suppose, we can put this guilt competition to rest by finally admitting we both played a part in it," the crying died down, her damp face peering up at him, finally eting his eyes.
"Fair," he smiled, "I will concede to that point,"
Silas settled next to her but kept her figure wrapped in his arms.
"I t your father," she blurted.
His body froze for a mont as his face instinctively sought hers, "You saw him," he half asked in a haste.
"Yes, he ca to ," she nodded, "He was the kindest and... Strangely reminded of Edgar,"
"He does have a special air about him, doesn’t he?" he buried his hand in her hair to reach her scalp and brush at it soothingly.
"He said sothing about being able to keep tabs on the living. It was a bit similar to what my mother had told when...," she trailed off.
"She said sothing similar to when I t her,"
"You’ve t my mother here as well," she nearly leaped to her feet.
"Yes, she ca to et and left with a request that I am now failing at fulfilling," Silas looked down, his hand still playing with her hair.
Arabella needn’t ask what that request was. It was obvious.
Instead, she moved the topic of the conversation further, "It is strange and isn’t at the sa ti that we et in this place. After all, neither of us is dead yet and we aren’t in the company of the dead either. At least not anymore,"
"It seems that we remain connected to each other through this realm... It has been this way ever since the spring equinox. But there has to be a way out of here,"
"For , the way out is clear. I simply have to wake up from slumber, but for you," she made a short pause, "Your father said that I was the only one capable of helping you leave this place, except I’ve got no clue as to where to even start,"
The two of them sat in silence for a while, simply feeling each other’s warmth, basking in the very thing they had missed from each other since their separation.
"So...," Silas dragged his words, sounding very hesitant, "Cynric ca along," he half asked.
That got a chuckle out of her, "Courtesy of his son who refused to turn back until his father agreed to co with us, but he wasn’t the only one; Ada, Edgar, Floriel as well as Allegra and Morgana ca too,"
His body froze again, eyes widening, "Allegra?"
"Oh...,"
True. By the ti Allegra had been discovered, Silas was long gone after the prince.
"Cynric found her in one of the old holding camps I had signed on the map, but she refused to go ho and insisted that they co find us, which they did, but it was too late. You were already gone,"
"Did she say who it was that took her?" he asked, his expression darkening.
"The man that works for her biological father did," she nodded, waiting for his face to crumble.
It did so quickly. His mouth opened and closed for nothing to co out.
"It was Lauden that took her,"
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