The duo had reached the terrace with no complications what-so-ever. The terrace - or balcony - was a place just outside the main ballroom for this event. The only thing that truly separated them were thick, red curtains that hung low enough to cover half of the double glass doors. It was a place for a private talk without being extremely inappropriate. Even if you were married, it was completely inappropriate for someone to be left alone with the opposite sex. At a public event like this, it was more than scandalous to try finding a separate room to have this conversation.
The suitor's nervousness was so strong that Briar began to feel sickly at the second-hand effect she was getting. She didn't know how he was still standing tall with all the emotion piling up inside him. "I will be going away for a long while, Lady Briar. And I don't believe I will be able to come back in time." Briar frowned at this new change in tone. Her brows furrowed together as the sadness began to swell in her eyes. His large hands began to fiddle with one another, "This might just be the final time I will be able to ask you this."
"Why?" Her voice was the opposite of the mischievous nature she was showing with her sister. It was soft and wobbly as his sadness made her feel as if she was going to cry. This was one of the many times she didn't know if the emotions she was feeling were her's or was something someone was making her feel. All these feelings were tiring. It was beginning to be too much.
He sighed as he watched into her blurry eyes, "I just- I feel I've seen all this town has to offer." A new bolt of anger, her own anger, went through her body as he lied. He talked on and on about his love for this city. Nothing could change that quickly. He must have seen his own mistake as well because he was smart enough to add the truth. "No, sorry… There are some bad people that don't like how much power I hold here. I know what I need to do, but I don't want to leave you along the way, love."
Her lips parted ever-so-slightly as she mulled over what she could possibly say in response. Mahlikai had known from the beginning that Briar loved her family - flaws and all - over any other thing. She made that fairly clear to him since the beginning of their courtship. Now, though, he was asking her to leave them all behind? For a man she hadn't even agreed to marry yet? It wasn't that she had plans to marry another, but the fact remains. They weren't even engaged. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed at even the idea. How long did he even plan on being gone if she was going to have to follow him for them to have the chance at being together?
"I know you have been wishing for more time," he said in a rather defeated tone. It seemed that he already knew what she was thinking before the woman was able to even string a thought together. "I was hoping to avoid this, but I am able to give you this time. All the time you've ever needed. I just need you to say how much you would want that."
Her bottom lip rolled between her teeth as she was still finding her words. Her mismatched eyes watched him carefully for whatever trick he had in store. Except, his gaze was completely innocent. So innocent, she had a hard time trying to find deeper meaning to his cryptic words. They were just talking about him giving her leeway in the marriage department, but now it felt like he was giving her an ultimatum. Did their talk remind him that he didn't want to wait any longer? Was he always planning to do this to her if she didn't show signs of giving into his charm? She didn't want it to be that way. Those thoughts hurt.
He frowned at her hesitance, "I don't want you to think you no longer have a choice in all of this, love. If you want, you can join the ball again as if none of this ever happened. We both know that any man would be happy to have you at his side." His gloved hands came up and he gently tugged her hands into his own. Out of their place cupped at the waistline of her skirt. "But if you think I am truly your future husband, I will give you the time you need for it to happen."
"How-, how long do you plan to be gone?" He smiled in a sad manner when she finally found her voice. He didn't seem upset that it wasn't an answer. He was never upset at her questions. That was one of the things she enjoyed about him.
His thumbs rubbed the tops of her hands in a calming manner, "I'm afraid I might not come back in this lifetime. These people wouldn't allow it." Did she want to be tied to someone with as relentless enemies as he was describing? For him, she wondered if the price may be worth it.
She looked down at where he held her, afraid that his eyes were brainwashing her. Drawing her in and she was afraid that it wasn't something she was too worried about. "If I had this time you're promising me… We will find each other again? In the next lifetime?" She wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting. It sounded like he was going to tie their souls together. Briar read about soulmates again and again, but she didn't think it was something she would ever experience. She thought it was fiction. Was this what he was even promising her?
"Precisely, love." He gave her another sad smile, but her gaze was still focused on their hands. "All you need to do is tell me that this is what you want." That sentence made it feel like she was going to be signing a deal with the devil. Except, when she met his gaze again, she could only see the image of an angel. Was she this awed by him back at the table? It felt like they were wrapped in a bubble all on their own. The ball at her back was forgotten by this line of questioning.
"Alright," she finally decided. Her head bobbed as if she had some understanding of what she was going to be agreeing to. This didn't seem like too much of a commitment to her. It sounded as if he was going to do some witchcraft - which she never believed in anyway - and expect it to change something about their situation. She trusted that whatever it was would not be too drastic. This still saddened her. Even if any of this works, she still wouldn't be able to see him for at least a century. "Yes, I wish for more time."
A grin lit up his already handsome features, extremely pleased with her decision. Yet a hard feeling pooled in the bottom of her stomach. It conflicted with the happiness that was barreling into her. She tried to copy the intensity of his grin, but it seemed impossible. Not when her body seemed to be acting as if she had just become prey to a monstrous creature. The woman felt trapped in this moment and her body froze as it all came crashing down on her.
He didn't seem to notice the fear keeping her still. The suitor simply began to put into motion whatever plan he had to give her what she said she wanted. He seemed extremely pleased, which she briefly wondered if it was with her answer or with himself. The man dropped her right hand in favor of her left one. Gently, he rolled up the white puffy sleeves of her expensive dress and let the smooth skin of her wrist bathe in the light of the moon.
Briar didn't know what to expect when she decided to trust him. There were ideas, but nothing came close to any of this. His pupils dilated in a way that it completely swallowed his green iris. He shifted his jaw, leaving his lips parted in a way that showed sharp canines. Her own eyes widened and her fear doubled. She was finally able to find feeling in her body again, but she couldn't get his grip to budge. He seemed to expect this of her. He was slow as he leaned down slowly as he kissed her wrist. Then his teeth sunk deep into the previously unmarked skin.
She made some sort of move to scream out. To call the attention of anyone to help her. To get this demon away. This was another thing Mahlikai seemed to expect. He pulled away quicker than lightning and carefully covered her mouth with his hand. The other hand held tight on her waist to keep her from backing away. His pupils were still large and face was smudged with her own crimson life force, but he was still somewhat gentle with her.
"Everything will be fine, Briar. Just give it time, you'll understand." The demon kept repeating these words in hushed whispers. His eyes would flick between her's, then to the ballroom behind her, then to the bloody wrist, and then all the way back to her again. "This was what you wanted, remember? There's no need to call for anyone. No help. I have you."
She nodded slowly, her tears sliding down onto his glove. He watched her closely for a moment before he decided he could release her. The panic made her heart throb in her chest. For a moment, her panic-struck brain wondered if such a thing would make her bleed out faster. Her head was spinning as he dropped her hand to rip a strip of cloth from his hidden white undershirt. He began to wrap the wound as she stood shaking. "What have you done to me?"
In the time it took her to blink, the wound was wrapped and hidden in her sleeve. His hands cupped her jaw in those few seconds and forced her to look him deep in the eyes. "Twenty-four hours, my love, and you'll be just like me." His anxiety had completely subsided now which was replaced by unbridled joy. "I gave you exactly what you asked for," he reminded again.
Her whole arm throbbed pain as she pulled away from him, pulling the wound close to her chest as if that would fix everything. She could have sworn she caught a glimpse of regret as she moved away from him, though they both knew it was too late to undo any of this. She didn't want this. This wasn't what she thought he asked. Why would she want to be a demon? Whether she wanted to be with her family or not, if she was a monster they would shun her. Nothing would ever be the same again. He was selfish not to think about this.
"I will teach you everything you will need to know about being what we are. I will be by your side every step of the way. Until they finally find me, you won't be alone." Her head was still swimming as he continued as if nothing had happened at all. Did he expect her to be completely fine after he pulled her into a world she was never supposed to know? "Then, when you are truly ready for committing to me, I will find you again. We will be inseparable."
She shook her head with furrowed brows, all of his mindless ranting going over her head. "What are you?" Her words were a very faint whisper, but it was clear that she demanded an answer to at least this question.
Her wound had refused to stop its burning and, instead, the pain began to travel through her body. Like the roots of a tree, the pain took its hold under her pale skin and started to stretch wide. Curling in wicked ways through flesh and bone. She tried not to let it show how much the pain was getting to her since he seemed to expect very little from the bite. However, Mahlikai could easily see when something was wrong with the woman. She forced herself to rest the injured arm on the shelf of her large skirt, turning away from his intense gaze.
"Does it truly matter what I am? What you are becoming? You are getting all the time you need to give in to me. You'll get all the decision time as soon as you are through the adjustment period. Those things won't be an obstacle when we make our way back to each other!" The final word of his scary rant came out more as a growl than anything else, which had her flinching back into herself. "Please don't be afraid, my love. I would never hurt you."
It was only fear that stopped her from pointing out that he had already done that. That whatever he did was still hurting her. She started backing away towards the people once again. It didn't even register in her mind that they were out there for too long. That they were going to be gossip about for the amount of time they had spent alone. "I-, I need to go home. I think I've drank far too much tea. It must have upset my stomach." Which wasn't entirely false. She was feeling like she would lose her lunch any moment now.
He didn't make a move to question her, but the expression on his face did show that he knew she lied to him. Her body swayed carelessly, struggling to stay upright with all the commotion going on in her body. He was quick to take her uninjured arm in his and escorted her to her family before he fled the scene with a kiss to the back of her hand.
Nesryn was away, perhaps dancing with one of her suitors, leaving only Abigail to hold their table. "Mother, I've made a mistake." She had to reel herself back from sobbing, but something in her mother's dull green eyes told her she failed. Briar was shaking as she desperately looked down at the matriarch, "Can we go? Please, mother."