Emptiness.

All that engulfed Lorelei was numbing emptiness. She felt Neli’s arm wrapping around her shoulders and guiding her quickly through the network of corridors. Her feet did their job while her mind was covered in fog.

She liked it this way.

Thinking hurt. Remembering Noah’s words hurt. Remembering her own accusations hurt. It was better just to plunge into nothingness than battling with fear, disgust, and guilt. And why should she even feel guilty? He was the one in the wrong. He had done the unthinkable. He had betrayed her! Threatened her!

She had done nothing wrong!

There was no reason to remember his pained expression. The tremor in his voice. The accusation and shame in those ashen eyes. The shoulders slumped as if pressed down by a mountain.

No! She didn’t pity him. She hated him! Hated him so, so much!

How dared he seek her after what he had done? And with such half-hearted excuses? Blaming everything on Pricilla. On madness and magic. He, the Beast of Norden, the one who had overcome the madness of the snake monsters from the red swamp, had been forced to do something against his will by a snobby, little princess like Pricilla? What a joke. What a brazen lie! How much did he look down on her to think she’d believe such miserable excuses?

Lorelei began quietly sobbing and shaking, futilely trying to return to that peaceful state of emptiness.

Worse than the excuses, he had… he had threatened to force himself on her! Noah’s menacing glare and the vicious words coming out of his mouth were unthinkable, yet a fact. And at that moment, as he had leaned over her, pinning her on the wall, she had, without a doubt, felt his desire. It had been the same disgusting feeling her brother and his good-for-nothing lordling friends and Master Argente had exuded. Making her feel small, helpless, and completely at their mercy. In their eyes, she was not a human but a piece of flesh to gobble up and satiate their hunger.

‘He isn’t like that!’

It all felt so wrong. She couldn’t recognize this vicious man. This rabid, lustful beast. This wasn’t like Noah, but… did she even know him? They had been together for what, five months now? And half of that time - separated by conflict, sickness, or strife. Maybe his true face differed from the one he had shown her thus far? After all, no matter what he said, he had agreed to be betrothed to a child… And she could never forget the expression on his face while… indulging in Pricilla’s flesh. How could she be sure he was different from all the men she knew? He was a proud Limerian lord. Like her father. Her brother. Prince Lionel. And a lord got what a lord wanted. Always.

‘Don’t be stupid! He is not like them and you know it!'

She felt disgusted by her own thoughts. The rational part of her mind was trying to set her emotions straight. She was only trying to blacken Noah and make him into a beast so that she could mask her true feelings. Those dark conjectures were stemming from a disgusting pitch-black pit in her heart full of selfishness and envy.

He had fancied Pricilla. The beautiful doll-like, pure-blooded Pricilla. The voluptuous, rosy-cheeked Pricilla. The eloquent, bubbly Pricilla. After tasting such an exquisite wine, would he even be interested in cheap vinegar?

‘How could you even have such thoughts, you filthy… mist-born… horrible… slut!?’

Lorelei swayed and felt nauseated while her head and heart felt like splitting.

Neli’s sturdy arm wrapped tighter around her and she leaned on the Marzbanati’s shoulder.

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“There, there, little bird. Hang in there. We are almost out.”

“What’s the point?” mumbled Lorelei with a hollow voice.

“Well, getting crushed by falling masonry is not a pleasant way to die. And after what happened to the spire, I can’t say I trust the Limeriam builders.”

Lorelei just snorted in response, but luckily Neli showed no intention to converse further.

With a wobbling step, the two reached a narrow door and exited into the wet inner garden of the temple. The heavy rain and hail had turned into a drizzle just as nasty. In no time, their clothes were drenched, leaving them shivering and miserable.

“Merhek! Can’t those damn two-faced djinn decide whether they want us crushed or mushy!? It’s slowly starting to get on my nerves.”

Lorelei just quietly stood there, feeling the cold wetness spreading all over her body. How nice it would be if the rain could just wash her into oblivion. Neli’s damp scarf wrapped around her shoulders.

“Noah will worry if you catch a cold.”

“Unlikely,” she whispered quietly, lifting her face up to the menacing clouds.

“Don’t say that!”

"Why not?” Lorelei stared into the stormy skies and enjoined the much-desired numbness the cold rain was finally granting her. “You heard it too. It’s all over. Between us, I mean. Not that there ever was anything to begin with. But it’s a good thing in the end. Now you don’t need to worry about me messing up your plans for Marzbane Ilmaz. But you should keep an eye on Pricilla to prevent further trouble. Or get rid of her altogether. It would be most efficient. I wouldn’t mind. No, I would, probably. But who cares?”

Neli’s rough palm pressed against her forehead.

“You are feverish. Maybe we should go back inside? There have been no tremors for a while and your condition worries me.”

“No need to bother with me anymore.” A mad grin stretched Lorelei’s lips. “Besides, I like it here.”

“Alright, back in we go.”

Neli pulled her arm, but Lorelei ripped herself free from the Marzbanati’s grip with a force that surprised both women.

“Stop with this pretended kindness,” hissed Lorelei through clattering teeth. “I no longer have any intentions towards the Duke, so you can lay your worries to rest. There is no need to test me or to be around me anymore, or to pretend and try to deceive me. I won’t bother any of you anymore.”

“What’s with the nonsense?” Neli cupped Lorelei’s face in her palms, forcing their gazes to meet. “Did you hit your head during the quake? No, I bet it’s the shock still talking. This too will pass. Now come, let’s warm ourselves up, and then you need some strong wine and a good sleep.”

“I said enough charades!”

Lorelei screamed and shoved the old woman away. She felt like exploding, pushed to the edge by fear, anger, envy, and sadness. No, she had no right to be sad. Sadness was only for the fine noble ladies. She had no right to be envious. Envy was only for those who could allow themselves to desire. She had no right to be angry. It wasn’t like she had lost anything. He had never been hers to begin with.

All that remained was fear. Unnatural, suffocating, familiar fear. A palpable fear.

Panting madly, she clutched the left of her chest and her ears began ringing.

“Girl!” Neli’s shaken exclamation came to her dulled and twisted.

“Something’s here,” said Lorelei hoarsely. Her mind, likely due to some sort of self-preservation instinct, suddenly became sharp and focused.

A loud, desperate scream overcame the rustle of the leaves and the hiss of the falling raindrops. A scream Lorelei found familiar.

“Help! Gods, help me, please!”

“Castor!” Lorelei and Neli gasped in unison before the Marzbanati motioned to grab her wrist again. “It’s dangerous here. We must-”

As slick as an eel, Lorelei evaded the old woman’s hand by a hair and, without much further thought, darted towards the scream, guided by an insurmountable instinct.

“Crazy girl!” Neli cursed, jumping after her. “Stop this instant! Merhek, why are you so fast? Wait for me!”