Page 28 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

“Don’t ignore me.”

“It comes naturally.”

“Why are they all sitting and playing in the dark? Wouldn’t kill them to light a candle or two, maybe pull these curtains open a little.”

“It's relaxing.”

“For the dead perhaps.” I tugged on her hair and her mouth fell open, all surprised and offended. “Talking about the dead. They are waiting to bury your almost husband.”

“I know.” She wiped her nose with a tissue and sniffled, suddenly tearing up. Moving past me, she descended the small throne platform and patted a violinist on the shoulder. “Well done. It was lovely.”

Reaching down, I picked up the tissue she’d dropped at my feet. A small leaf falling out of it.

Nettle.

Chuckling to myself, I faded just a step behind her royal ice majesty still wiping her hay fever tears away while she tried her best to appear distraught. “Pearls, really?”

Her hand went to the claps, and she threw the necklace to the floor, letting the pearls bounce all over the marble floor. “You’re right. Erik’s family is in diamond merchandise. They loathe pearls.”

“Your hair is down.”

“He liked my hair down.”

A muscle ticked in my temple. “But you don’t.”

“I’ll make sure they bury me with my hair up when my time comes.”

My hand was not even an inch away from wrapping around her arm when she stopped and said, “Don’t touch me.” Keeping her back to me, she said, “For the last time, what are you doing here, Malik?”

“Keeping a promise.” I would make sure she found what she deserved even if it was the last thing I ever did.

She finally turned to me, her eyes were red and swollen with feigned tears. “You made no promise.”

“I did. And you remember it well. I know you do.”

“Give me another one instead. Leave. Make sure I never see you again.”

“After I do this. I’ll do that then. If that is what you want.”

“I only want this one thing from you. Nothing else.”

“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for that nineteen-year-old girl who at least had the balls to go after something she wanted.”

“She had the bad habit of going after things who didn’t deserve her. Didn’t you tell her so yourself?”

“I was a dick.”

“Incorrect. You still are.”

“And you still missed me though,” I said, and without thinking of it, I reached a hand to her face and wiped some of those fake tears away. “Still ugly as hells when you cry.”

Gently, she pushed my hand off. She didn’t have it in her to even despise me. To at least despise me. “Leave.”

Even her anger was so soft that I hated myself for being the one to have softened it. “What if I can’t?”

Briefly, I thought I saw doubt cross her now hardened eyes, the only thing that she’d not let soften. “You’ll leave,” was all she said, and then left.

She stood beside the priest the whole of the ceremony, her face solemn at all times except when she caught me staring at her. For those brief moments when she gave me her attention, she didn’t try to hide her irritation.