Little Saint Bride [Death and the Maiden, #1]

Chapter Thirty: Guilt Trip

Media: Someone's back!! But who??

In our distraction, we don't see the guards approaching us.

Three women and a man, one on horseback, circle us. They must have noticed the chaos and were now figures in the mist.

My brows furrow. The Fields had been entirely clear before, and now a fog has arisen, obscuring the sky and highlighting the shadow of the world behind. Through the haze, I can make out a palace-- of white towers and golden banners, exactly as I'd seen it when we'd arrived.

Chronus' palace! We made it?

'Who goes there?' one of the soldiers shouts, and Hadrian and I scramble to our feet.

'We mean no harm!' he cries, raising his hands to show our innocence. 'My brother is Chronus! We have been...'

'He owes me,' I interrupt, my voice ringing across the eerie quiet. 'I won our bet.'

Hadrian flashes an angry look at my disregard for his brother's household, but I force my lips into a pleasant, lazy grin.

But before either of us say anything further, a relieved screech echoes towards us.

'Nerissa! NERISSA!'

And I'm hit by a strong, muscular, blond ball of hugging. I don't recognise him in his white uniform, a suit so clean that the shadows appear bright. Who in Elysium would know me, and be dressed like a fairytale prince in a white-and-gold doublet and black breeches?

I notice the tanned, bronze arms and the scent of beach waves is pleasant compared to my own vile, sewer-filled smell. That's when I know who it is. My voice is unsteady, I'm so shocked.

'Mercer?'

The boy pulls back, and it truly is him. From his shining amber eyes, to his curling hair and his boyish joy, it's Mercer. And I let out a choking laugh that sounds, to my despair, a little like a sob of relief myself.

I'm actually glad to see him.

He pulls me into another crushing hug, enveloping me in his arms. After a few seconds, someone coughs, and we pull apart. 

'What are you doing here?' I ask him when he pulls away. My gaze flickers to his chest, where a familiar tag hangs there-- similar to mine, but without the ugly plate that tells me of my sins. Instead, a pretty white stone hangs against his collarbone.

Behind him, the guard on horseback has drawn up, her eyes disapproving of not being the one to assess me first. In fact, our display of affection appears displeasing to her; at Mercer's simpering, she rolls her eyes, and nods to the other guards to move on.

I see the other man and woman shrug, and then continue on their patrol, their plates of white armour clanging into the mist.

Hadrian hovers behind Mercer, moving into my line of sight. For some reason, his eyes are looking dangerously pissed off-- enough that I take an extra step away from Mercer. It seems that I'm the only one that notices, and as I have the advantage of getting close with the King of the Underworld, and as he mostly pulls those faces around me, I can sense when he's angry.

If only I knew why.

Mercer is, as always, oblivious. He sees my stare at the white stone, and happily bounds forward, showing it to me.

'Isn't it cool? Apparently, this is my soul! It's so pure that I came straight here or something, most people have some sort of sin...'

My mouth drops open. He passed that awful test? Eyes narrowed, I stare again at that pretty boy face, wondering if there's a secret ninja within.