All of it.
That I loved her.
That I always had.
She was gone.
* * *
“Theo, are you awake?” I heard Malek’s voice outside mybedroom door.
“Go away!” I snarled and hurled a pillow towards the door with all my force. The door opened slightly and Malek peeked his head in.
“I don’t think I heard you, oh wise God of Wisdom. Could you speak up a little?”
A teasing smile played on his lips, and I couldn’t help but huff out a laugh.
“What do you want?” I asked while lifting myself off the bed to stalk into the bathroom. Fates, something here smelled horrible.
A look in the mirror told me that it was probably me and I sniffed my armpits.
Yeah, I definitely needed a shower.
I turned the water on, not bothering to see what Malek wanted.
When I came back to the bedroom, he had opened the windows to let some cool spring air into the room.
“Thank the Fates, you took a shower,” he groaned and sat down in one of the chairs near the window.
There was a maid in my room now too, stripping the bed and collecting the plates and bottles from beside my bed.
“How long did you stay up last night?” Malek asked with a concerned look on his face.
I started getting dressed in shorts and a white shirt and ran my hand through my wet hair.“ I got a few hours’ sleep, if that’s what you are concerned about.”
Malek sighed. “This has been going on for months now, Theo. You have to let her go.”
I stopped in my tracks.
Months.
She had been gone for months now.
4 months, 3 days and… 17 hours to be exact.
And with every hour that passed, she was slipping more from my grip.
I could feel her inside of my veins, my head, my heart, but she was getting more distant by the day.
“I found some new texts last night that are promising. An ancient scroll talking about the afterlife and resurrection in ancient Mesopotamia. I am going back down to the temple now,” I said.
Malek remained quiet.
When I looked over to him, he had pressed his fists to his eyes.
“I don’t know what to do, Theo. This has gone too far, she is gone. I know you are hurting, I know you wished things were different, but you can’t change what happened. She was mortal, there is no way to bring her back. We buried her, Theo. Just because you didn’t attend the funeral it doesn’t make it any less real. She is gone!”
My heart was pounding fast, anger churning in my stomach, bile rising up my throat.
