Chapter Fifteen

The house was bigger than I ever could have imagined. Inanis's mother's house was nothing compared to it.

It was a mansion above all mansions, and it was overwhelming to say the least.

Marble flooring, stone walls, multiple staircases leading to who knows where. The windows were painted colored glass, and there were numerous chandeliers in just one room.

It felt more like a castle than a house.

Inanis showed me to the guest bedroom. He told me that I was allowed to sleep in the guest bedrooms, unless we had company over.

Then we'd have to share a bedroom.

I asked him how often people came over to visit, and his response was, "You should be asking how often they don't."

Great. Just great.

Tonight, of course, was an exception. It was our wedding night, and the house would be empty. I cringed at the thought that everyone was assuming we'd be in bed together.

I'd rather die in front of the country.

Inanis told me that there would be no honeymoon. He said he didn't particularly care for romantic getaways, and I was relieved to find that on that, we both could agree.

Inanis left to his own bedroom, he didn't even bother to show me around the house, and honestly, I was so exhausted that I didn't even care. I slammed the door to the guest bedroom shut, and slipped off my clothes to something more suitable to sleep in. I climbed into the foreign bed and huddled up under the heavy blankets.

I wanted to cry, but I was too tired to even ponder about it.

I fell asleep. I didn't dream, and if I did I didn't remember it. After everything that has happened, that was probably a good thing.

I woke up to heavy movement beside me. I blinked open my eyes to find Inanis, laying beside me with one arm folded behind his head. In his other hand was his wedding ring, he twirled it through his fingers as he stared at the ceiling.

I gasped, sitting up so quickly I nearly fell out of the bed.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" I shouted clutching the blankets as if they would shield me from his presence.

He glanced at me, "It's about damn time you've awoken, I've been waiting for," He pondered this, "about ten minutes, and it has been terribly agonizing."

"Get out."

He didn't even spare me a glance as he threw the wedding ring up in the air, and caught it, "No."

"No?"

"No."

I stared at him for a long moment. As annoyed as I was with him, I couldn't help but noticed -and be relieved- at how he was definitely back to his normal self. The medication he took yesterday must had worn off, because right now, he was as insufferable as ever.

"What are you even doing in here?" I ask him, as I try to kick him away, but he just inched away from me.

"Can't I lay in bed with my wife?"

I narrowed, "No."

"Fine." He sighed, showing to hint of grief that I didn't want to be anywhere near him, "I'm actually here because there are a few corporate men waiting downstairs in the entryway."

I gazed at him, "That's not exactly a reason to be climbing in my bed."

He raised a finger, "Technically this isn't your bed; your bed is my bed in our bedroom."

"You're making it really hard not to punch you."

He sat up, and suddenly our faces were inches apart, I tried to move away but if I moved any further, I'd fall from the bed, "I'm hiding." He said matter-of-factly, "Because I do not want to do more paperwork today."

"Paperwork for what?"

"There is more to the life of a Bone Cutter than just killing people and glamour."

"You're an adult, just do the p-"

He waved his hand frantically, "Stop talking." He huffed and stood from the bed. "I was hoping you'd be useful to me, you know, entertain me, not bore me even more."

I frowned, "Yeah, sorry I'm not a circus."

"Yes, well, you should be." He clapped his hands, "So, get up, get dressed, I want to see you ready by the time I return."

"Wait what?" I watched him quietly open the door, peek out for anyone watching, and the slide out of the room before I could stop him.

I sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating what just happened. The longer I thought about Inanis laying so close to me in bed, the more uncomfortable I got.

Remembering I probably didn't have much time, I hopped out of bed, found an outfit in the closet -I didn't want to know why Inanis had an entire closet of clothes that were exactly my size, or how he even knew my size- and quickly got changed.

Deciding I didn't want to wait for Inanis because he had no control over what I did, I opened the door, and exited the room.

I noticed an older woman walk down the hall, she wore all black clothing, and carried a rag in her hand.

She must be one of the house keepers.

I felt weird knowing that I was sharing a house was most likely a dozen people who might as well be no more than the ghosts who walk the halls. As she passed me, she didn't even glance up, as if I was invisible.

Inanis must have trained his housekeepers well.

I walked into the hall. I had no idea where I was going, or how big the house really was, but I figured if I was going to be living here form now one, I might as well start memorizing all the places I can hide from Inanis when I want to be rid of him.

Which, honestly, was always.

I heard voices come from down the main staircase, and I assumed it was the voices of the men Inanis was trying to hide from.

Part of me wanted to go down there and tell them Inanis was hiding from them, just to piss of my darling ADHD husband.

The other part of me wanted to be just as far away from them as Inanis did.

I began to head towards the stairs, ready to tattle on my husband like a child. What better things did I have to do anyway? I made my way down each step. The voices became louder and louder the closer I got. When I reached the bottom, I could see a group of men in suits all sitting in what I guessed was a living room. They were being served coffee by some of the housekeepers, and none of them had realized I was watching them.

Inanis wasn't lying when he said they wanted him to do paperwork. There were multiple stacks of papers all laid out on the large coffee table. I had no doubt they were for him.

I took a few steps forward, only to be caught off guard by a hand that was placed against my mouth, muffling any scream I could make. An arm wrapped around my waist, as I was being pulled back to a room that was located behind the staircase.

Once the door was shut, a light was flicked on, revealing my captor, and his stupid black coat.

"I leave you for two seconds, and I come back to find you ready to rat me out." Inanis shook his head in disappointment, "And to think, I came running to you when I was in such turmoil."

I blinked at him, "You ran to me because you didn't want to do your responsibilities."

He held his hands up, "Obviously."

"Am I supposed to feel bad for you?"

He thought for a moment, "Well you aren't supposed to not feel bad for me."

We stared at each other for a long, silent moment. "Well, if that's all you're going to say, then I'm going to continue making you hate me." I attempted to leave the room, but he gripped my shoulders, pulling me back until I hit his chest.

"Or," He said in my ear, "We could sneak out and have some fun."

"I've learned from last time; your fun includes me being pushed into a sticky swamp." I shoved him away, "I won't be your little toy, Inanis."

"Who said you were my toy? I consider you more a valuable body."

"Go to hell."

"Ahh yes, a brilliant insult, give me more."

I crossed my arms, "You want more? Fine. I'm leaving, that's your more." Once again, I turned to leave, and once again he grabbed me a pulled me back. Frustrated, I clenched my fists, "If you don't get your hands off-"

"I could just lock you in the bedroom."

"Yeah? I dare you to try."

"Watch your words, when I'm dared, I tend to get competitive."

Again, I shoved him away and attempted to leave. Instead of stopping me, Inanis stepped aside. I refused to let my shock show on my face. Walking out of the room, I faced the room where the business men were all talking with one another. They were still oblivious to me watching them, as they were nose-deep in the papers, discussing business topics that I didn't quite care for.

I glanced back at Inanis who was leaning against the staircase, staring at me.

My eyes went from the men to Inanis once more, and I couldn't believe I was even pondering it. Why should I help him?

I took a few steps forward and stopped.

I must be insane.

Annoyed, I spun towards the stairs, ignored the amused grin Inanis was giving me as I stomped up each step.

I refused to acknowledge the footsteps behind me as I returned to the guest bedroom. I tried to shut the door, but Inanis slipped in before I could.

"I have a brilliant idea." He said as he hopped onto the bed, standing on the mattress and kicking the pillows off. "Let's go get a tattoo that you will most likely regret in the upcoming weeks."

I only stared at him, and he shrugged, "Alright, then let's adopt a puppy and feed it to the lions at the Washington Zoo."

"I hope you're joking."

"I have an idea, let's go to Parity Cemetery and dig up some old poet with a lot of money."

I frowned, "You really don't know how to be normal, do you."

He sighed, "Well I'm open to suggestions."

"How about we do ordinary things, like go to a café, or I don't know, take a walk in a public park that has no swamps whatsoever?" I found it weird Inanis wanted to do anything with me at all. He seemed perfectly content on leading our own lives a few days ago. I wondered what changed.

Other than us getting married, of course.

"Absolutely not, that sounds terribly boring."

I had so little patience with this man. "Well then why don't you go dig up a body by yourself then?" I leaned against the wall, "It's not my fault you get bored every two seconds."

He shrugged, and dropped onto his knees on the bed, "Technically it is your fault."

"Excuse me?"

"I married you for some fun, not for you to suggest we go to a café."

"Right, right. You must have forgotten in that little statement of yours that I never wanted to marry you in the first place."

He waved his hand, "Details."

"How about you go to your mother's house?" I loved the idea as I said it. A couple hours to myself whilst I explored the house sounded like a brilliant idea, "You seemed to be over there every day when I was there."

"That's exactly why I was over there every day." He laughed, "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to leave you alone with my bitch of a mother?" He laid back, "My mother would have eaten you like the malicious creature she is." He paused, "That would have been quite a headline, though."

I groaned and leaned my head back against the wall, "I give up. Go find something to do on your own and leave me the hell alone."

I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination, but I swear I could have seen the smile on his face quiver like he was fighting down a frown, "Fine." He said, "I'll go to a café with you."

"I changed my mind, I don't want to go."

"Well too bad." He jumped up, off the bed, "We'll sneak out the back door, nobody will notice."

"Just go yourself."

"No." He grabbed my arm before I could move away. "I need someone with me."

"Why?"

"Well because I get terribly lonely."

I snorted, "Yeah? Try again."

"You're so cruel to me, wife."

"Last I checked you deserve it, husband."

"Though I disagree with you, I always heard it is best to lie to your wife to make her feel better about herself, so since you so desperately need the confidence, I'll keep silent on your false accusation." He said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and guided me out of the room. I opened my mouth to speak, but he refused to let me get even a word out. "So, let's go to a boring café and scare the shit out of the customers."

"That's not what I-"

"Enough talking, let's just go." He led me to a hidden staircase that was located futher down the hall, that led directly to the kitchen. It must be used by the housekeepers, no wonder they seemed to all get around so quickly.

There was a door in the kitchen leading to the back of the house where a running car was already waiting. They must have known Inanis was going to sneak out from his Bone Cutter duties. I only wondered how many times he has done it before.

I suddenly felt bad for the businessmen who were only trying to do their jobs.

We both hopped into the car and left before anyone found out.