Free Web NovelChapter 200: Episode 200.
At first, Aire thought she was drowning.
Her lungs burned. Her throat felt raw, and every breath scraped.
She opened her eyes slowly. She blinked twice, before she opened it fully. Darkness greeted her.
For one disoriented second, she couldn’t remember where she was.
Then she smelled the mud, and the memory returned immediately.
Vaelor.
She remembered the vines, the choking, and the wall.
Aire shut her eyes again.
She was still here. The realization alone made her want to go back unconscious.
Slowly she pushed herself upright, and pain exploded through her skull. Pain was all she knew since she arrived in this realm.
Aire hissed.
The movement sent dizziness crashing through her. She sat still until the room stopped spinning.
The cell remained silent with just darkness and mud.
She leaned her head back against the stone wall.
Her fingers found a strand of silver hair, and once more, she wrapped it around her finger, then unwound it.
She softly wrapped it again.
The habit had become automatic, and the only thing she had to do, to stop herself from thinking.
Aire swallowed when footsteps echoed through the corridor.
She stiffened immediately.
The sound was light, and unhurried.
Not too long, a familiar figure emerged from the darkness with red hair, and crimson eyes.
Aire’s jaw tightened.
"Marsili."
Morrigan stopped. A brief flicker crossed her face. It appeared, and left immediately.
Aire saw it anyway.
Morrigan folded her arms across her chest. "You look terrible."
Aire glanced around the muddy cell. "Thank you, Marsali." She gestured, intentionally calling her Marsili to prick her if she has any remorse in her.
Morrigan laughed softly, as if entertained. She walked closer.
For several seconds she simply stared at Aire’s bruised throat. Her eyes moved to Aire’s now muddy hair, and then she sighed.
"Oh."
Aire narrowed her eyes.
Morrigan winced. "That reminds me."
Aire immediately hated those words.
Morrigan tilted her head. "I forgot to warn you about Vaelor."
Silence fell between them.
Aire stared at her. Harder than she ever had.
Aire blinked at her. She took in a soft breath, and parted her lips, for what its worth. "He nearly killed me."
Morrigan considered that. However, she shrugged after a little thought. "Technically he didn’t."
Aire stared at her. For a long moment she couldn’t find words to say to her. All she kept seeing was the little child she had picked in that just ruined her life.
Finally she settled on being honest. "I hate you."
"That’s fair."
Morrigan sat down outside the bars, completely uninvited, and completely comfortable.
She sat there like she was visiting an old friend, and Aire immediately hated it. She felt a string wave of emotions running through her, as she wondered how her life would have turned out to be if she hadn’t given attention to a certain child.
Morrigan rested her chin in her palm. "You know that flappy thing you were doing with your mouth?"
Aire frowned. "What?"
"The insulting." Morrigan gestured vaguely. "The mocking, and the calling people pathetic." She smiled. "The whole thing."
Realization dawned on Aire. She stared at her, remembering Vaelor.
Morrigan pointed toward the bruise around her throat. "Don’t do that with Vaelor. You need to be alive."
Silence followed her words.
Aire couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "That’s your advice?" She asked softly
Morrigan nodded. "Yes."
"He strangled me."
"He did."
Aire gaze hardened. "He smashed my head into a wall."
Morrigan paused. Then, she said casually. "That one sounds like Vaelor."
Aire closed her eyes. She genuinely wasn’t sure if this conversation was real, or if her situation was.
Morrigan studied her, then the amusement faded slightly. "Listen carefully."
Something in her tone made Aire look up.
For the first time since entering the cell, Morrigan seemed serious.
"I enjoy games."
Aire stared at her, listening.
Morrigan continued. "I enjoy reactions." She paused lightly. "I enjoy provoking people, and I enjoy you."
Aire felt sick.
Morrigan’s gaze didn’t leave hers. "Vaelor doesn’t." She warned seriously
The words settled heavily between them.
Aire’s stomach tightened.
Morrigan leaned back against the wall. "If Vaelor hurts someone..." She got defensive. "....it isn’t because he’s angry."
Aire listened despite herself.
"It isn’t because he’s emotional." Morrigan’s expression darkened slightly. "It isn’t even because he enjoys it."
Aire swallowed, a bit frightened about her future in this realm, as she drew her feet back to herself.
Morrigan noticed her fear. She nodded toward her bruised throat. "Fear is healthy."she chuckled after her words.
A long silence followed.
"You’re afraid of him." Aire taunt.
Morrigan barked a laugh. "No." She replied immediately, without hesitation, or doubt.
Aire frowned.
Morrigan’s smile returned. "I’m one of the few people he would burn the world for." She said certainly. "If not the only one."
The certainty in her voice chilled the room.
Aire looked away.
Morrigan rose to her feet. "Anyway." She dusted invisible dirt from her sleeves. "Try not to insult him again."
Aire snorted.
Morrigan pointed toward her. Her eyes sharpened. "That."
"What?"
"That attitude." She warned. "I should have known you had it in you."
Aire rolled her eyes. "Marsali, you should..."
Morrigan laughed, cutting Aire off, then her expression softened unexpectedly.
Aire saw it. At that moment, she didn’t see a cryel red haired fae, but she saw something familiar.
Something that almost looked like Marsili.
Like the little girl who used to ask questions, and the little girl who used to follow her everywhere.
The sight made her chest ache.
Morrigan noticed, and the softness vanished immediately, like a door slamming shut.
"Stop calling me Marsili."
Aire met her eyes. "I wouldn’t."
Morrigan sighed. "You really are determined to suffer." She let out a soft exhale, as if she didn’t cause all of these.
Aire’s voice came out rough. "Then stop giving me reasons. You called yourself Marsili."
Morrigan had no answer. She simply stood there, looking at Aire. Her face held no expression, but her eyes held a flickering feeling of tenderness.
"I just warned you, Aire." She turned., and started walking away.
"Marsili." Aire called behind her, daring her.
Morrigan stopped immediately. Dark shadows immediately surrounded her fists.
Aire’s throat tightened. She straighed, and stretched out her legs. "What happened to Beatrice?"
The corridor became very still.
Morrigan didn’t turn around. For several long seconds she said nothing. She turned back to Aire, stare at her silently.
Aire could see that she was suprised by the name.
"I can see that I really underestimated you." Her face hardened into a frown. She rushed towards the bar of the cage, and pointed a finger her at Aire in fury. "Keep your mouth shut as it was in the wolf realm, Aire. Don’t give me a reason to say it again."
