ENOCH

So much taller is she now.

What with that little desert rodent wrapped up in a garb of gold and leash of the finest woven silks she appears well taken care of. Her bucket and sand tools are tied to her tunic at her waist.

Tonight, Greta wears her hair up in a tidy bun where a crescent of pearls sits on top of. A very sharp looking hairpiece it does appear to be. For out of the pearls, long razor-sharp black barbs stick out almost like a crown.

The sea is calm tonight.

It reaches only our ankles, just missing the edge of my tunic.

Her bun bobs up and down as she runs over to me. "Enoch! Enoch! You are finally here," she breathes heavily while catching her breath.

Untamed and hungry as ever, her limpnut nibbles at the cloth of my tunic. It quickly comes to realize the cloth is not food and decides on running around my feet instead.

Adler looks drained from his time spent watching over her. He wrings out the bottom of his tunic and sets his lantern down as he takes a seat in the sand.

"Oh, little pearl! It is trying to catch the fish," my father warns. He comes behind Greta and pulls the leash. "Don't be afraid to tug it back."

Greta bends down to pick the wet animal up.

"It's shivering," she pouts while laying down with it.

Her crystal eyes brighten when he lays a dry cloth over its tiny mass.

Brommy and his stout wife approach the Krexbin. The war advisor watches me with his disturbing mismatched eyes before deciding on sitting down in the sand.

Soft hands grip my shoulders.

"My dear had her stitchings taken out. He left our bedchamber to sleep with her last night. She has complete control over him."

"I know, Cephine. At first, I was very put off by it too. I think I am okay with it...now that I see how they are around each other. Greta is not interested in being of the family. She's more or less like his pet."

Her face pales. "He makes her sleep in noyk. Did you know that?"

"I don't think she likes it. Greta has outgrown it anyway. At any rate, I hope my father is treating you well. You do not have to stay with him. You are welcome to reside at our palace."

"I'm not afraid of him."

"Right," I reply while looking over her. "You have seen the worst."

A lump forms in my throat when Greta stands up with Mirth and Brommy. They walk out into the shallows of the sea. Greta follows behind with an obvious limp.

Her gray hair dances around in the wind. The limpnut splashes up the seawater at her ankles.

My father turns from watching them. Cephine joins his side. The great feast waiting by the blazing fire pit draws their interest.

***

GRETA

Just me and my pet.

Why would I want to go in that crowd by the fire?

It wouldn't fill the bottomless void occupying my chest. Perhaps my new heart was a bad one. For I do not remember having such dark thoughts before.

For so long I wanted to be found. I want to disappear now and find my own way. No more can I depend on Enoch's family.

"Stop," I order.

I tug back. Its paws just manage to grip the edge of the dock's last board. Below, dark seawater sways with heavy leisure back and forth.

Oh, how my Fluff stinks now. Bathing in this seawater has made its fur sticky...and it has yet to dry. To think it wishes to jump in from all the way up here.

On the warship docked beside me, Enoch scolds his guards along the ramp. He continues yelling at the drunk group as they board the ship.

Someone else walks out on the dock. A lantern sways in their grip as they near me.

My heart plummets seeing the sadness in Adler's eyes.

He should be with his wife.

"My sweet, are you not enjoying yule?"

Adler's crown makes me squint. My sight has gone terrible. I should be using my optical lenses, but of late, I have not really had the chance to.

"Where's Enoch, Adler? You promised he'd be here!" I cry out with worry.

"He had to leave early. Don't you know what most young men do on nights like these? Many of yules have I spent drunk and in the company of our star's most beautiful women. Right here in these caverns at the taverns."

"Enoch is not like you."

My Fluff turns from the end of the wooden plank. It tugs me back the way I came and down the rickety wooden beams where the shore waits.

A great rumble shakes the structure beneath my feet. A moment later, the motion comes to a stop.

"Quakes. A new normal unfortunately. Our star will get warmer tomorrow and shrink. I'm afraid your growth may be reverted."

"Why?"

"It is the way of our race. What pressures of star dust are in our atmosphere reside in our bodies as well," he explains while watching the sea.

"You haven't changed-" I begin.

Abruptly, a bright crescent bulb pops up from his head. I gasp watching it sway forward slightly.

The strange glowing crescent rocks back and forth on his head. A wafer thin antenna keeps the miraculous object upright.

It is so beautiful and such a soft glow. Much high up and out of my reach.

"What is it?"

"A spyrt. Much is it like a hindrance. Its purpose simply marks my age for it has no use."

Its light makes the features of his face clear. I blush watching the crescent orb bend in my direction as he leans toward me.

"Please, touch it. I know you can't resist."

I laugh at his baby voice while tapping the inviting object. It feels liquidity, but luke-warm. Its shape moves around my finger.

When I pull my hand away, its mass reverts back to a crescent.

"When will you make it morning? The citizens don't like the night you have made last for so long."

Swirls and jagged dark lines trace down his throat, disappearing into the white folds of his tunic. His skin darkens a shade as I feel over the lines of camouflaged whip lashings on his arm.

Why were we both imprisoned by his son?

I stoop down.

My Fluff jumps up into my arms. Adler's sharp eyes make me uncomfortable having an isolated conversation out here with him.

I walk my pet back down the isle of wooden boards. When we reach the sand mound, Adler follows me down the descent to underneath the dock.

His lantern lights up the many hanging strings and twine. Shells, sea rock and glass hang around us. My limpnut tries to go in the water, but it only just dried.

"No!" I grunt while pulling its leash back.

I tug and lose my footing. Catching my god off guard, I stumble hard back against him making us both tumble into mushy sand.

Adler manages to catch my Fluff in his hand. He sets it between us.

His tunic lays sloppily around him. I watch as he shrugs it off as many of his guards did before taking a dip in the sea.

He watches me expectantly.

Then I remember. The guards left to the taverns to find whores.

"I am not yours. You will not use me," I hurry out. "This does not interest me."

His eyes are downcast. "I know."

My heart pulses painfully when I imagine how many other women have touched his beautiful armor-like skin. How many others have become his nameless lovers and been called special.

My shoulders feel light as I squeeze my long nails into the thick flesh of his neck. Blood trickles down my fingers as I dig my nails in. Hard.

His eyes are wide as he watches me crawl over him. I was never his little pearl. Beneath my other hand, his skin darkens as I drag my nails down his already scarred body.

I stop on his stomach. "You will protect the city," I hiss.

Unhurt, he sits upright and watches me unaffected when I dig my nails into his shoulders instead.

Amusement twinkles in his eyes. "Angry, my little pearl, are you? So cute," he breathes against my neck. Swift, he stands up will I continue to straddle him. "I will not be controlled by your precious softness and warmth. There is nothing I can do," he pretends to pout.

Giving up, I slink downward with my Fluff in arm and onto the sand.

"What about Enoch? He is very smart, Adler. You two could work together-"

"No, my sweet. Have you forgotten his hatred of me? I have been too forgiving of him. He sent us both to prison. He truly is sickened by our race and wishes for your death as well as my own."

The icy dark water washes over my toes. I move backward seeing Adler sit down beside me. I'm tired of being used by him and still angry nothing I have done has truly helped him change. He did not even care when I resorted to more drastic measures and laughed at my attempt to hurt him.

I crawl onto his lap seeing his stiff smile fall as I rest my hand on his chest. Now I know which face he finds most cute. I bat my lashes with a small smile as I drag my hand slowly down over the nail marks I left only a minute ago.

"I'm not angry, my hatchling. The worst pain is internal. In your heart," he mumbles while peeling back the top of my tunic. He reaches in his own robes and pulls out a small glass jar. I try to relax as he spreads the cold substance over the bumpy skin of my healing scar on my chest. "Or perhaps, in your head. Tell me which."

"You have made me want to die," I admit.

It doesn't hurt me seeing the dark liquid dripping down his eyes or the way it stains his tunic when he wipes it away. I told him to let me die and he didn't listen. I don't like the new heart he gave me.

It feels weird to rub his belly, but I do it anyway. He leans back with a relaxed smile while pulling me close.

The mask comes off as his hand tangles in my hair roughly to pull me upright. I don't scream. My heart is too heavy to race. I roll off his lap when he thrusts me off with a push. The jagged shard of a broken shell stabs into my newly healed wound, cutting it open once more as a freezing cold wave of water slams against me leaving me drenched.

Adler bends down near my head. "You are nothing to me, but a selfish pet. Drown in your misery. I don't need your womanly emotions and small-minded ideas," he says through gnashed teeth. "You cannot control me. I am emperor!" he shouts. "Man-eating little whore!" he finishes with a sharp glint in his eyes.

Seawater splashes up against him as he barrels into the water where I lay.

I cup the shell embedded in my flesh watching him kneel down in the water.

"No!" I cry out when he forces my hand off the shard.

Sluggishly, I wiggle beneath his weight as he bites the shard and yanks it from my skin. I scream and watch the blood flow freely from the ugly wound. My hands shake as I grip the marble-like muscle of his arms when he kisses the agonizing open cut.

"I didn't mean to make you hurt again, my sweet," he coos in my ear.

I don't move at all when he tries moving me from the water. He drags me by my arm onto the shore.

An awful sob leaves him. It sounds more like a whining animal than the cries of a disturbed soul.

"Little pearl? Can you see me?" he asks.

When I don't respond, or move my gaze from the ceiling of the cavern, he lays his heavy head on my stomach.

"Get off of me...now!" I demand.

Despite my pain, I smile when he listens and even goes to the trouble of handing me my limpnut's leash. My cut does not hurt so bad, but my head is sore.

It cannot be helped. There is two sides of him still and the ugly one decided to come out instead of what I hoped.

"Carry my Fluff."

He listens eagerly.

"I'm so sorry, my sweet. I told you there is something wrong with me," he reminds me in a tight voice. His arm wraps around my front tugging me backward against him. "That's why I need you."

"There is something very wrong with you. Maybe your brain is smaller than mine."

I frown watching his face darken on me. How dumb does he think I am? My mind is not so small. I know part of his heart is very evil, but deep down, I suppose...I very much like his touch and kisses.

And the gifts.

Oh, how I love them.

There is something I love even more. Our talks. The secrets he tells me into the night. Even if many of them are terrible truths, it pleases me he trusts me with them. Am I evil for enjoying his company despite his cruelty?

"What?" I ask innocently.

"Nothing, my sweet," he babies while tucking his tunic around me. "I am very sorry. Let us join the others in the tavern...or would you rather me take you back to Ashtium tonight?" he asks while twirling a finger in my hair.

☁️