22. Osiris

22

OSIRIS

T omorrow.

The music box would be ready tomorrow. Osiris hummed the melody he had chosen for the box as he rode Shadow back home.

The trail had already darkened, and the birds had since ceased their melodies. Still, the forest sung as it always had. The whistle of the wind, the choir of crickets, and the drumming of small animals running to their burrows.

Eleanor would like to hear this, I am sure.

Nonetheless, even in the peace of the forest he could not rid himself of the worry that had been seeping into his mind since earlier. He should have left sooner. He should not have taken as long as he did.

Osiris moved through the clearing of the trees surrounding his home. Soon, Eleanor would leave. Come the end of the month he would need to secure a horse and send her on her way, or, find her horse that had run off. He did not see any signs of it on his way into the market, so chances are it returned to wherever it came from.

Osiris swung his right foot over the saddle and stepped on the ground, pulling the reins off of Shadow before he removed the baskets and the saddle.

Just as Osiris was about to lead shadow to her feed, a heavy thud sounded from behind him. Slowly, he turned his head over his shoulder to look back at where the noise had come from.

He no longer felt his feet but was vaguely aware that they were moving faster than before as he darted towards his home, ripping off his gloves and throwing them to the ground.

He took too long.

He was too slow.

He was foolish for leaving her alone.

His heart beat loud enough that he could not make out the voices from inside.

His shadows grew intoragefultendrils as they shot out ahead of him.

Not Eleanor. Anyone but her.

His tendrils grabbed someone, sending them flying as Osiris ran inside.

His blood ran cold as he saw Eleanor partially exposed, laying down on the floor, the fire having long since gone out. This was not his home. This was desolate. This was empty of her beautiful scent. This was infected.

He did not stop to see who the attacker was. Instead, he knelt down beside her allowing both his hands and his shadows to caress every inch of her skin, purging the scent of another from her delicate body.

“Osiris,” Eleanor called, grabbing his shoulder.

He did not listen. Her dress had been torn at the base and her body smelled of another. His flames brightened as his shadows ran over her hands where the scent had been focused. As he leaned closer, his hand brushed against her poker that had been discarded next to her.

She tried to fight back.

“Osiris, listen,” Eleanor pleaded, but her voice seemed distant, as if it were under water.

“Who,” he growled, his wrathful flames basking his Symphony in an orange glow. “Who did this to you?”

Eleanor’s frightened gaze softened slightly as she lifted her hand to caress his neck, just below his head. He leaned into her warmth, treasuring her presence, burning it into his memory.

A presence someone tried to steal from him.

“Osiris, I am okay, you are misunderstanding-”

“Fucking hell,” a familiar, strained, and raspy voice sounded from behind him.

Osiris shot to his feet, keeping Eleanor behind him as his shadows created a wall, blocking her from anyone’s view but his.

As he turned to face her attacker, he saw Elias standing up next to a noticeable dent in his wall.?Elias rubbed his hand over the back of his neck as he stood up, holding his other hand up in surrender.

“You,” Osiris hissed.

“Fuck,” the vampire muttered under his breath, his eyes glowing red, “don’t do this, Osiris. You know I wouldn’t do something like this-”

“Osiris!” Eleanor yelled, stepping through his shadow wall as she ran out in front of him. Holding her hands up in front of her, she blocked his path to Elias.

“He didn’t do anything!”

“But your dress!”

“It was torn when I stepped on it as Elias was trying to help me up.”

Osiris looked behind Eleanor at Elias who was nodding along, his eyes returning to their normal red. Turning his head back to Eleanor, he leaned down to be eye level with her, his shadows lifting to run under her chin.

“Why was he inside in the first place, Eleanor?”

Elias cleared his throat but Osiris did not let his gaze falter from Eleanor. “I was coming by to speak with you but when I was about to knock, she opened the door.”

Osiris could have sworn his heart stopped beating all together. “Please wait for me outside, Elias.”

Elias didn’t answer but from the sound of fading footsteps and a door closing slowly, he obeyed.

She opened the door?

“You opened the door?”

“Osiris I-”

“I told you that beings roamed outside, I told you not to go outside and yet you opened the door? What if it was not Elias? What if it were someone else and they told the other beings?”

“Osiris!” Eleanor yelled, stopping his ramblings as a single tear ran down her cheek. “Please, I am sorry. But, I have listened to all of your rules. I know I should not have opened the door and for that I am sorry, but all I wanted was fresh air. Can I not even make that choice for myself?”

Osiris lifted his hand to wipe her cheek. “Eleanor that is not what I-” she swatted his hand away. She rejected his touch. She rejected him .

“I just…” she released a shaky breath. “I just want to have my own freedom. I have never been granted leave to act on my own! I have never dressed the way I wanted. I have never been able to get dirty while playing as a child, because how horrible would it be for my uncle if I was anything less than pristine! Damn it all, I have never even danced before unless it was required by my uncle to help close some ridiculous deal.”

Osiris’ shoulders sagged as he pulled his hand back, his fire dimming enough that he thought the flames may have gone out altogether.

Eleanor’s cinnamon eyes were wet withunshedtears. Although she had been left alone all day, she should not have opened the door. Still, he could not fault her for doing so. After all, vines grow towards the sun, where they flourish. She will chase freedom even in small acts like opening the door.

Osiris sighed, clasping his hands in front of himself to squeeze them together. “Try and get some rest, Eleanor, I must speak with Elias and ensure he does not speak of your presence to anyone.”

Eleanor did not answer as he brushed past her, using all of his self-control to keep his shadows from touching her.

She does not want to be touched right now. Even if my whole body is raging for me to embrace her, to comfort her, she wants space.

Just as Osiris reached for the handle, Eleanor whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

“I’m sorry, Osiris.”

The pain in her voice threatened to tear his heart in two.

“You do not need to apologize to me, Eleanor. It is I who should apologize to you. I did not mean to trap you here with me. Please,” he pleaded, “get some rest.”

Stepping outside, Osiris closed the door gently behind him. Elias leaned against the wall of his cottage a few steps away. The darkness of the night made the red of his eyes all the more noticeable. He walked up to the vampire, stopping right next to him, his back pressing against the wall.

“Elias, I-” Osiris started, but was quickly cut off by a hand being shoved in his face. Elias used two fingers to balance a cigar.

“Help me out, will ya?”

Osiris nodded, leaning forward to blow out some of his fire, lighting the end of the cigar. The vampire lifted it to his lips, taking a deep breath in before blowing out a puff of white smoke.For a moment, there was only the stillness of the night between them, interrupted only by the occasional puff of a cigar and blow of smoke.

“Are you okay?” Osiris finally asked.

Elias’ eyes flicked towards Osiris, watching him with unmasked frustration. Turning his head back to the field in front of them, he nodded. “Yes. You couldn’t easily hurt me if you wanted to. Beingundeadhas advantages. Though,” he mused, blowing out another puff of smoke, “I do not believe you wish to harm anyone.”

Osiris held his hands out in front of him, his shadows remaining hidden within him. “I don’t know what came over me. I did not like it.”

Elias chuckled. “Love, my headless friend. Love came over you.”

“Love?” Osiris asked. Some of his fire returning.

Was that what this was? His need to hold her, to talk to her, to have her look at only him…

He wanted to deny it, not for his sake but for hers. How would she react to knowing a being, a monster, loved her? Yet as much as he knew he should hide this, he felt his head duck as he nodded. A silent confirmation that this was not something he would hide.

A selfish, unreasonable truth.

But a truth all the same.

“And to think,” Elias continued the corners of his mouth twitching, “a human. What have you gotten yourself into?”

Osiris looked up at Elias, waiting for the judgment or reproach, but there was only kindness in his friend’s eyes as his lips quirked up slightly around the cigar he held in his mouth.

“Please,” Osiris whispered, “do not tell the others. They cannot know that she is here.”

“You know I will not say anything. Still, if she remains here, you will need to tell the enclave sooner or later.”

Elias flicked the end of his cigar, sending a few ashes flying as he stood up fully, turning his back on Osiris.

If she remains here? Was that possible? Would she want to stay here… with me?

Osiris looked back at the door that remained closed. He had made a fool of himself today.

Though, if she wanted to leave he would not be able to stop her, nor blame her. They were both clear about what exactly their arrangement was, weren’t they? Still, the memory of her heated, glossed over eyes staring at him as he explored her body was not something he would soon forget.

“A word of advice, my friend,” Elias called out as he walked away, turning his head back over his shoulder. “Our lives are long, and often lonely. How wonderful is it that we can still experience something as innocent as love?”

Osiris looked up at the sky, the moon shining down on him.

How long had he been without his mind that he had forgotten what love felt like?

Or perhaps, he had never known what it was like until he found himself staring at his own heart as she held it in her hands.

He was overtaken by the urge to show her that she holds his heart… but how?

Letting his eyes fall from the moon, he looked over the open field.

Suddenly, his fire sparked and brightened as he turned to Elias who was leaving his property.

“Wait,” Osiris called out, causing Elias to come to a halt and turn back around, “I must ask something of you.”