Man Of My Dreams

Chapter Eighteen

Bewitched? I had to resist the urge to snort. I’d done nothing of the sort. But I was curious to know what he was going on about. But Kian had stepped out of the room to speak with him. It’d been maybe half an hour by the time someone entered the small hospital room again. “Come with me,” the man said. I stood on my new shaky legs. I felt stronger. More alert. I could hear the kitchen staff across the entire house chattering about. I could see the bees landing on flowers in the garden that was hundreds of feet away from where I stood.

The man had led me to my room. I walked in and heard a clicking noise. I grabbed the knob, it was locked! I took a deep breath. No need to panic. Kian would be here shortly to explain everything. But I was wrong. It had been hours before Kian finally came to my room. He seemed tired. Or was that hurt? Anger? What had Silas convinced him of? He laid two books on my bed. The two books about dreams and mates that I had been reading in the library weeks ago. “How’d you do it?”

My brows knitted in confusion, “Do what?” He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Silas told me everything. Please, lying will only make this worse.” “You’re joking, right? Whatever he’s told you, whatever he’s convinced you of… he’s lying!” He stood and began pacing. Lighting a cigarette and taking a drag, he said, “Silas found your mother. And she’s told him everything. Told me everything, too. I know you came here to help Osiris. I know he sought you and your mother out in that swamp. I know he put you up to this. I just want to know how you created this fake bond between the two of us and how can I make it go away?”

I was speechless. I’ve never even heard the name Osiris until now. “I truly have no idea what you’re talking about. My mother couldn’t have possibly said those things. She wasn’t very nice to me, but she wouldn’t lie like that.” Kian shook his head, “I don’t think she’s lying.” I wanted to scream. How could I possibly create a fake bond? I’d been stuck here the entire three months I’ve been in this world. Surely he knew that. Surely he knew better?

“How can I prove to you that I know nothing of what you’re talking about?” I tried keeping my voice down, but it came out a bit higher than normal. I looked at Kian and I could tell. He had already made up his mind. He believed Silas. And I would have to have rock hard evidence that he was a liar. Kian didn’t say a word. He only looked at me one last time and left the room.

I’m not sure how long it was until I saw him again. Days, weeks perhaps. I didn’t have my phone. I only knew what time it was based on the blood I was brought. Three times a day. Morning, afternoon, and night. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I had nothing in here to keep me entertained. I had no way to do anything. Eventually, I stopped hoping. I sat in front of my window and stared out into the garden. Day in and day out. That’s all I did.

After some time, I began not being able to hold down the blood I was eating. I tried, unsuccessfully, but eventually I stopped caring about that too. The blood I was being brought each day became untouched. Sitting on whatever surface I sat it on. All coagulating and rotting. Becoming old and smelly. I hadn’t showered, hadn’t even changed from the clothes I had woken up in when I transitioned.

I was focused on a particular flower moving softly in the breeze when I heard my door open and close. I didn’t turn to see who it was. I could feel it was Kian. But I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything other than what I had been feeling for however long I had been trapped in this room. “Wren,” he said softly. When I didn’t turn my head to look at him, he walked over to me. I was still focused on that flower. “Wren, you’re dying. You must eat.” I wanted to vomit at the thought of eating. I shook my head, “Then let me die.”

“I can’t,” he whispered. But I didn’t care. I cared about nothing at all anymore. He said I was dying. Well, good. I looked down at my legs. They were thin, and veins trailed down in steaks everywhere. All over me, too, I assumed. I was starving. It’s not like I didn’t want to eat. I just… couldn’t. I would only throw it up, anyway.

“Wren, please.” he said, kneeling down beside me. I snapped my head to him, “What do you care? Get out!” He flinched. “You made your choice. Now let me make mine.” I added. Kian stood and left. And I went back to staring at that flower. More days passed. My door opened and shut softly again. This time, it wasn’t Kian. It was Silas. But I didn’t care. I didn’t turn to face him either. “How the mighty have fallen.” His voice was deep, like he had just woken up.

He chuckled, “Man, you look like s**t. Smell like it, too.” I couldn’t bring myself to care. I kept my focus on the flowers. “It appears my plan has worked. Clever girl, you were onto me from the start. You understand, don’t you? This is how it needs to be if I’m ever going to be more than what I am. Osiris promised me many things all those years ago. Promises I couldn’t turn down.” He crossed the room and I heard him sit on the bed.

“You see, I didn’t know Kian back then. And initially, I was meant to kill him when I had wandered into his tent. But Osiris had a better idea. Befriend him, find his weakness, and then eliminate him. Now here we are. Kian had been losing his powers, until you showed up. Somehow, you were strengthening him. I had ended up accidentally making matters worse by letting Jack have you. I should have killed you myself. And then he turned you. Awakening that mating bond that had been lying dormant.”

I shifted in my seat. The mention of our bond made me feel something. It was a small something, though. I still didn’t care about anything he was saying. Kian’s lack of presence told me no matter what I said or did, he’d never believe me over Silas. “Shall I tell you how I knew you were his mate? Aside from replenishing his powers?” I said nothing. “I’ll take your silence as a yes,” he quipped, “That first day in the garden. When I’d grabbed your hand. He almost killed me. I knew then I had to get rid of you. You were so close to ruining my plans. I couldn’t let you destroy three-hundred years worth of patience and planning.” “Damn, it took you three-hundred years?” I croaked. My voice sounded foreign. Hoarse and rough. Lack of use, I assumed. But I couldn’t resist. Three-hundred years and who knows how much longer it would have taken Silas to bring Kian down.

He crossed the room and spun my chair around to face him. And then he slapped me. But I didn’t care. I hardly even felt it. “I can’t wait for Kian to return home to his dead mate.” He left the room. I went back to staring out at the garden. The next morning, Mrs. Nora walked into my room. “Wren,” she said. I didn’t turn to look at her. “I heard everything he said to you. I’ve suspected him for many years. I left that scroll for you to find in the library. I need you to get it together, girl.”

“He won’t believe me.” I said. It came out in a whisper. I was weak. I’d noticed I wanted to sleep more often. My stomach pains no longer affected me. I might actually die soon. “I can’t do anything to stop him.” Mrs. Nora crossed the room and came to stand next to me. “You must eat. If you eat, you’ll heal.” I shook my head, “I can’t. I’ll only throw it back up.”

She handed me a fresh cup of blood, “You must try. I will help you do this. All of it.” I nodded, and took the cup from her hands. But she quickly took it back when my hands shook at the small weight of the cup. She helped me sip it. And I waited for the familiar churn of my guts and wave of nausea to hit. But it didn’t. And soon, I’d drank the entire cup and requested more. Four cups later, and I felt like myself. The veins were gone, my legs no longer thin.

I showered, brushed my teeth, and dressed in clean clothes. I felt better than I had in who knows how long. And I was ready. With Mrs. Nora’s help, I could do this. I would do this. Now it’s just a waiting game. I hope Kian gets back soon. I didn’t think any of us were safe with Silas here while Kian was gone.