Elián;

I lean against the foot of the bed, as my hands hold my belly protectively. The silence from Elien isn’t helping matters. And this fear of his, which has flooded our system, is only making matters worse.

Clearly, screaming at him wouldn’t yield any results... So I can only wait. Patiently. While trying my best to keep our baby calm, and not let my own fear bleed into his.

"Talk to me," I whisper under my breath, trying my best to stay as calm as possible, but still, there is no answer from him.

My jaw tightens in annoyance and frustration.

"Don’t do this," I say, louder now.

"Not now. Not after what just— Not when something is clearly wrong." I add, almost pleading now, and still, I get nothing.

I close my eyes, dragging in a slow breath, but it does nothing to settle the unease crawling beneath my skin.

It’s still there. That lingering sensation. That... awful recognition.

And the knowing that something touched me. Whatever that was just now... didn’t just find me. It TOUCHED ME. I fucking felt it, and Elien is just going to go silent??

"Elien, we both know you heard it too. I could feel your fear" I press, with annoyance now slipping into my voice despite myself.

"Don’t pretend you didn’t feel it. I know the difference between my feelings and yours, Elien."

I yell inwardly, and still... all that answers me is the quiet hissing of Nagari.

At this point... Irritation embraces me. Irritation mixed with fear, and now a choking sense of loneliness, and exasperation.

"You’re hiding something." I accuse quietly as my fingers move to my stomach, and my gaze follows.

A restless shift responds to my touch. A confirmation that I cannot afford not to know what is going on. Not after the fear I just felt. Not with this precious life growing inside me.

My baby might be in danger because of my cluelessness... and if something happens to her, I’d never forgive myself.

My heart skips a beat, and my resolve hardens.

"Elien," I call one more time, and still, he ignores me. He just stays trembling at the back of my mind.

And that? That’s what snaps the last bit of restraint that I have left.

"Bitch, you don’t get to go quiet now. Not after that. Not after—after something found us." I scold, and I feel him shift in my mind.

"We’re in danger, and you know it! You can’t just tell me that we need to leave. There are two of us in this body, so you better fucking open up, because if something happens to our baby, I will never forgive you!" I scream this time into our shared consciousness.

Yes! I said what I said, and I mean it.

If something happens to my baby because Elien thinks I’m weak or undeserving of the truth... Or for whatever reason, he is keeping me in the dark, I swear to God, I will not forgive him, and I will put an end to both of us.

Cause I can not have come this far, acceptinga nd locing my baby, only to lose her to his decisions!

"We’re not safe anymore." I point out with my voice, colder now.

I need him to understand how the fuck this feels for me, because I don’t know why on earth he’s being silent!

"Something reached into my head, Elien. It spoke to me. It knew I was here. It knew— It knew where to look. Was it Ballinar??" I decide to go straight to the point, and slowly, I feel Elien come forward from the corner of our consciousness where he had hidden himself.

And finally, he speaks.

"I would never let any harm come to our baby" His voice finally floods my mind, and I scoff.

"Well, it doesn’t fucking feel like it! You keep hiding things from me and playing master when we’re supposed to be equals in this. If you care one bit about our daughter, you will explain to me right now what the hell is going on!" I scold, and I feel him take up more of my mind.

He hesitates, and I wait. And finally, he speaks.

"...He’s close." He says in a tone that is ominously quiet, and I pause.

"I can feel him," Elien continues, and there’s something different in his voice now. Something I have not heard from him before. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

It’s unease. Worry... The kind of anxiety you feel strumming through you like it’s mangled with your veins and pumping in your blood.

"I could feel him much earlier... Before the voice." He adds, and I listen in silence.

"I thought... if I stayed quiet, if I pulled back... it might be harder for him to find us." He continues in a whisper, and a chill runs down my spine.

So that’s... That’s why he went silent?? That’s why he ignored me for days?/ He was trying tos shrink himself. To hide...

"So, you knew...? You knew something was wrong, and you didn’t tell me?" I demand in hurt and disbelief.

"I wasn’t sure!" he replies, and this time there’s a flicker of frustration beneath his composure.

"I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to worry you for nothing or act blindly." He adds, and I lift a brow.

"Blindly?" I repeat, honestly amused this time.

"Elien, we are not talking about uncertainty anymore. You felt something was wrong, and every time I pointed it out, you ignored it. Isn’t THAT acting blindly? You waited until it got this bad. Something spoke to us, Elien. It said it found us. The creepy voice called us "my precious". I can’t afford to be left in the dark any longer, Elien. Whose voice was—"

"It was Balinar." He replies, and lightning strikes across my mind.

The name cuts through me and leaves terror in its wake. Cold... frightening terror

Everything inside me goes still as I remember the creepy man I saw at the capital that day... the way he smiled at me... The stories of him that Elien told me...