Chapter Fifty-one

I'm awoken by a lack of any sort of disturbance. I look around the hotel room, and realize Inanis is nowhere to be seen.

I sit up, "Inanis?" I call out, knowing he's not here.

I glance over at the clock on the nightstand, it read 4:09 a.m.

Where the hell is he at this hour?

I stand, and quickly put on acceptable clothing to go outside. Leaving, or rather, doing anything work related without bragging about it to me was completely unlike Inanis. I know how much he enjoys annoying me by waking me up early in the morning.

Something felt off.

The hall of the hotel should have been empty, but there were a few people going into Inanis's mother's room.

"Hey." I call after then, and two men stopped, looking over at me. "My mother in law is staying in that room, is everything alright?"

They both looked uncomfortable, "You're Mirea, the Harvester?"

"Yes," I say slowly, feeling a bite of dread form in my chest. "My mother in law, she's dead isn't she?"

They glanced at one another, and then, one nodded, "Heart attack in her sleep, her nurse called an ambulance in an hour ago."

My heartbeat began to race, this was the last thing Inanis needed right now. "Have you seen my husband?"

By the grimaces on both of their faces, I knew they had. I was unsure of exactly what mood Inanis was in right now, but it had to be catastrophic. Or, worse, he would simply be silent.

One of them finally said, "They took the body to the hospital, he went with them."

"Thank you."

I knew Inanis had drivers all around, so I managed to track one down by one of our guards, and asked them to take me to the hospital. There was no objection, only a nod.

The way to the hospital felt like no time, and yet it felt equally eternal. The moon was still bright in the sky, and I could feel the exhaustion creeping through my bones like a virus. I could only imagine what Inanis was feeling right now.

Today was also the day of the presidential killing, the fact that he hasn't slept at all is concerning; the fact that I have to kill someone in cold blood today is even more concerning.

The hospital was quiet, I walked in and immediately see my husband, he's sitting on top of the front desk, there was nobody sitting behind it.

"Hello wife." His voice is normal, in fact he looks fine.

"Hello husband."

"It took you long enough."

I frown, "Well you could have woke me up."

"It's always so much more fun waiting to see how long it takes you to realize I'm gone." Not true, he loves to wake me up.

"Inanis." I move towards him until we are inches apart. Due to him sitting at the front desk, his head is at level with my own, "I heard about your mother."

"I know."

"Are you okay?"

His eyes narrow, "What do you mean?"

"You mother is dead, and you're asking me what I mean?"

"My mother was a controlling woman, always so possessive of me, didn't she know I have a new owner now?" he leans back on his hands, "She's dead, we all die, so be it."

"That's a cruel way to talk about your own mother, I know you cared about her."

"Wrong, I never cared for her."

"I'm right, you're just trying to mask your feelings, I can't figure out why."

"I'm not emotional, Mirea, I'm simply stoic."

"No, you're quite possibly the most emotional person I know."

"Lying is so unbecoming."

I sigh, "Why are you just sitting here?"

"I was waiting for you." He says it like it was obvious.

"Right." Of course I don't believe him. "Well, if you're just going to sit here, it's be better to do it back at the hotel where you can get a few hours of sleep before," I stopped, and then, "well, you know."

"Before we kill."

"Shut up."

He stares at me, and I feel uncomfortable under his gaze, knowing he's assessing me somehow, trying to find something to nitpick because he himself doesn't know how to control his own emotions. If he's feeling any sort of way, of course he has to take it out on someone else, that's just what he does.

"Stop it." I tell him and spread his legs enough to where I can stand between them.

He blinks at me, pretending to be tiredly innocent, "Stop what?"

"Staring at me like that."

"Hmm, I don't know what you mean, though have you considered cutting your hair? Short hair might help with your face."

"Okay, I knew it." I push away from him, "I'm going back to bed, come or don't." I wasn't really going to leave him, not what he was clearly mourning.

He quickly grabbed hold of my waist, pulling back between his legs. "Okay, I like your hair. I was not telling the entire truth. Don't leave."

That was the best he could do at an apology. "Leave with me?"

He sighed, "Hotels are so boring."

"And hospitals are better?"

A pause, and then, "No."

He was acting so typically like himself, and yet entirely different. I felt uncomfortable, but unsure how to help him.

"Seriously, Inanis, let's go to bed."

He was silent, his eyes still on me. I think he's going to insult me again, but then he says, "I don't think I can."

I frown at his odd admission, "Why not?"

He looks like he wants to say more, but I can see the stubbornness take over, and the exact moment he decides not to. "Let's go for a walk."

"Inanis-"

He hops off the desk, and pulls me to follow beside him.

Eventually, I willingly walk with him. I keep my arm coiled around his, as he keeps his hands in his coat pockets.

He's silent for a long while, and I try to think of something to say, but it feels odd trying to comfort him, he's not the type that accepts comfort, so I think of other ways to ease this moment.

Nothing comes to mind.

He likes to talk about his job, I start there, "What happens if you refuse to do the killing today?"

A quick response, "I won't refuse."

"I know, but hypothetically."

"A ridiculous hypothetical because I won't refuse, it'd never happen."

"You have no imagination."

"And you think of stupid things."

"Alright," I try this again, "What happens if I refuse?"

He's quiet, and I know he knows he can't guarantee I won't. "You will be shamed. It's never happened before, so I'm not entirely sure of the details."

"What do you mean by shamed?"

"Our marriage contract has specific rules, you, by signing the contract, agree to take on the role of the Harvester."

I lean against his arm, "I know that."

"If you fail to adhere to the rules, the contract will be broken."

I look at him, "So if I don't kill her, our marriage will be broken?"

He stares at me like I'm entirely clueless, "It's in the contract, Mirea."

"That's extreme, don't you think?"

"You shouldn't worry about it."

"I shouldn't?"

He's quiet, and I know he's thinking about it too. I don't want to bring this up as his mother just died, but what am I to do? The killing is today, and I know he has his doubts that I'll go through with it. I still don't know if I can do it.

I didn't realize by not doing it, our marriage would be terminated.

My heart sinks, and for the rest of the walk, we say nothing.