“It’s late,” Pollyanna said to Eory. “We should go to bed. Before I do, however, I have to tell you… I’m glad that you’re not hiding behind Taylor anymore. I was worried that she would overcome you--that I would never see you again. I was worried… that you hated me. God, I should never worry about such a trivial thing.” Pollyanna’s eyes were closed in pain as she said it. Her breathing was gentle and easy; Eory could feel her breath on his face as they lay in bed, face-to-face, next to one another.
Her eyelids—swathed in the sickly red light of the Crater--were incredibly wrinkled. It was as if she picked up a wrinkle for every horror she had suffered.
Anyone who has gone through what she has gone through would want to make the world pay…
Eory thought to himself.
He lowered his eyes. “I don’t hate you. I thought I did, but… hearing what you just told me… I can’t. I’m so sorry for what all of those awful people did to you—especially Fjorn.”
Tears glistened in his eyes for what felt like the tenth time that night, and Pollyanna couldn’t help but be charmed by it as usual. “I’m glad you don’t hate me, even if you can’t understand my actions. You’re one of the only people I have ever met whose respect I would die to have.”
He hadn’t realized just how near his lips were to hers; subconsciously, he had been bringing his face closer to hers. He was close enough to see every line on her face.
Pollyanna’s eyes opened slowly to reveal their piercing blue color. When she saw how close he was, she moved her own lips closer to his. They came closer and closer, and his heart thudded louder and louder with electric anticipation.
He moved away with a disgruntled gasp at the last second.
He sat up, pressing his forehead into his palms—wrapped in cruel frustration at the fact that the woman he wanted was so close by, but he couldn’t have her.
Pollyanna stayed still where she lay. She sent a shiver up his spine by running her wrinkled and wounded fingers down his back. “Eory, I need your help; I need you to help me come up with a plan to get us out of here. We might be able to threaten Maruka and make him show us the contract. We might be able to find a way out of it if we see it again. Tell me you’ll leave this foolish plan of staying in this fortress all of your life behind.”
Eory rubbed his temples.
She just doesn’t get it. Maybe she never will.
“I want to find a good and honest way out of here, and you’re going to help me. I want to find a way to kill the doppelgangers once and for all. That way, we can go free, and we will have helped this world in some way.” Eory replied.
Pollyanna groaned in exasperation. “Eory, why should we do something kind for the world when they have wronged you in such a profound way? We have no reason to waste time trying to eradicate the doppelgangers at their root. If it’s praise and acceptance you want for accomplishing such a task, you’ll never have it.”
Eory stood up abruptly and leaned his palms against the wall. “I’m actively trying to fight this evil inside of me, Pollyanna. I have to force myself to change—it’s the only way to get rid of these thoughts. I refuse to succumb to them. I think Maruka may be able to help me search for a way to get rid of the doppelgangers. He may already know one.”
Pollyanna narrowed her eyes skeptically. “So that’s why you’re making friends with him? Eory, he won’t help you. He is content living in this place--he is a
sheep
like all the rest of the recruits.”
Eory spun around and faced the hardened old woman with begging eyes. He threw himself to his knees on the hard floor beside his bed. He reached across the mattress, clasping one of Pollyanna’s hands in his own.
“Pollyanna… I want to give you a gift—a gift that my ancestors nor anyone else has ever given you.” Eory whispered.
Pollyanna’s hand clamped down hard upon his own.
He couldn’t understand why, but she was nervous.
“I will not order you to do this, but I know you will adhere to it anyway because you are a good person.” Eory continued. “Please, Pollyanna, do not harm any of the people in this fortress. Make the right choice on your own.”
“Eory,” Pollyanna replied sternly. “Have you not heard the other recruits? They wish to give you a good thrashing just because you’re far behind them in training—because you’re an easy target. What if they attack you and I need to protect you?”
Eory looked at her keenly. Slowly, he murmured, “You can protect me if that happens. I just don’t want you to kill anyone or hurt them grievously. I will leave the choice in your hands. I order you to do whatever you want while we live in this fortress.”
He finalized the order, and Pollyanna was stunned. “You are truly… Giving me free reign to do whatever I wish?”
Eory nodded. “I know you’ll do the right thing. Fjorn may have given you power…. But I’m giving you something better; I’m giving you the choice to be the hero you always wanted to be when you were a child.”
Pollyanna hung her legs off the side of his bed with downcast eyes.
“You might regret this.” She warned him.
Her heart fluttered as he laid his cheek on her knees.
“I know I won’t. I have faith in you.” He assured her.
The two sat, still as statues, in that position for a long time. Pollyanna basked in his presence, and he basked in hers.
He cruelly took his affections away from her, however, when he stood up and said with a smile. “We need to go to bed.”
Pollyanna fluttered her eyes flirtatiously. “Together?”
Eory blushed. “Don’t tempt me.”
Pollyanna giggled and stood up—pulling down her nightgown and heading for the door.
When she passed by, Eory grabbed her wrist. “Pollyann—”
Yharos stood still as they locked eyes.
Recklessly and animalistically, he threw his arms around her neck and shoved his lips against hers. Pollyanna lifted him inches off the ground so she could return his kisses to the fullest. Without thinking, they both began leading each other back toward the bed.
Pollyanna grunted in pain when the piercing of her heart began. The potion, which still coursed through her veins, squeezed it viciously.
Frustrated tears built up in her eyes.
Just for one night! Please!
Eory pulled away when he realized he was hurting her.
He wiped his lips with the back of his hand—unused to kissing as he was—and turned away from her, fists clenched in frustration. He slammed them against the wall with such fury that black magic shot through his wrists, coating his fingers. If not for the bracelet Maruka had put on his wrist, he would have destroyed the wall with magic.
“Damn you! Why did you have to make such a foolish decision? Can’t you see how much I desire you…? What if… What if you were
my
soulmate and not my ancestor’s?”
Pollyanna looked forlorn. She held up a trembling hand—wanting to put it on his shoulder—but nervously lowered it when she realized she didn’t have the courage to touch him. “You can only have one soul mate… Besides, if not for Fjorn, we never would have met. I would have died of old age by now, and nobody would have remembered me.”
Eory shook with anger. “He seems to be the cause of all our miseries.”
Pollyanna, unwilling to say anything negative about Fjorn, merely murmured, “Goodnight, Eory. And if you insist on crying so often… Cry some tears for me every now and again.” And left.
__
While Pollyanna and Eory spoke of the distant past, Them crawled into bed and his friend, Pete, crawled in next to him. “What a day, huh? I’m glad that Pollyanna got to meet up with Eory again—even though Taylor had to go away in order for it to happen; I hope she won’t be too angry about him taking over for a bit…”
Pete jingled sarcastically.
She might end up killing you. She might make you burn with the passion you want to for right now, but you'll get bored with her in the future.
Them sighed—annoyed by his pesky friend’s righteous pattering. “Then what
will
make me burn?”
You need to find it
. Pete reiterated for what Them thought was the hundredth time since they met.
Them breathed deeply. “I have to find it before I die.”