Chapter Twenty-Six

"Good evening America!" The spokesman said into the microphone. The crowd cheered, and the cameras were all facing him. "Welcome back to the long-awaited June execution!" More cheering, and I felt my stomach curdle up in disgust. "Today Inanis Messor, along with his wife, our gorgeous Harvester, Mirea, will be announcing tomorrow's execution. So please, give all respect and admiration, to our favorite executioner, and his dear accomplice."

The crowd was wild, as I expected. Inanis and I walked side-by-side out onto the stage.

Inanis bowed to the crowd, and I realized I had to do that too, so I quickly bent down in the most awkward bow ever filmed on national television.

When we arose, I stole a glance at my husband, who looked radiant under the stage lights. It was almost as if he was born to do just this.

I was pretty sure I didn't look even half as natural as he did. In fact, I was surer I looked like a fish out of water.

The spokesman turned back to the crowd after greeting Inanis and I and handing Inanis the card with the name of his next victim.

I stared at the card for a long moment, wonder who on earth could be unfortunate enough to be picked.

The spokesman's voice was so loud in the microphone, that it shocked me out of my trance, as I realized I had zoned off in the middle of being on national television.

To think Inanis does it so often, and yet nobody knows, he must be professional at masking his thoughts.

"Let us start the countdown!" The spokesman shouted, and the crowd did just that. Thousands of voices speaking at the top of their lungs.

"Twenty-nine!"

"Twenty-eight!"

"Twenty-seven!"

Yet again I found myself staring up at Inanis, who held the card so elegantly between his fingers. His posture was perfect, along with his eyes which were glued straight ahead. Nobody else would know it, but I could see just how badly the medication affected him.

Inanis isn't like this. He is not a statue.

I found myself wanting to reach out and touch him. And then immediately I remembered that he didn't deserve comfort, so I scowled, and turned away.

Each second felt like an hour. The faces in the crowd were all lit up with anticipation and joy and I wanted to scold them all for being so cruel and barbaric.

This is not how things should be. We should not normalize murder. Just because these politicians are corrupt, does not make them worthy of such a cruel punishment.

"Six!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

I took a deep breath to calm myself. My hands were betraying me by shaking voraciously. I tried to hide them behind my back and look collected, but I was terrified on the inside.

This is something I will never get used to.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

Inanis opened the card in his hands, and flipped it to the crowd, as he spoke into the microphone, for a split second he seemed to hesitate, which was something nobody else would have noticed but I did, because Inanis doesn't not make mistakes regarding his job.

And then he said the name, and I knew why.

"Clause Rodney!"

My head whipped to Inanis, he smiled gorgeously to the crowd, and they cheered and cheered, and I wanted to do nothing more than gut him on this stage and be done with it.

He promised me he wouldn't choose Mr. Rodney. He promised he wouldn't let it happen.

I was going to kill him. I was going to kill him, and nobody could stop me.

He bowed once more to the crowd, and I didn't bother to do so as he exited the stage and I followed him.

The moment we were out of the eyes of the crowd and cameras, I walked up to him and slapped him as hard as I could across his face. The entire crew backstage fell silent, and I could feel all of them staring at us.

I didn't care.

"You fucking liar." I spit at him, "You promised me!"

He didn't even look phased, as he said nothing. I wanted to choke him. I wanted to hurt him so bad he screamed. A few of his body guards walked up to him, and he waved me off as he turned to them, "Take her to her dressing room." My eyes widened, as they grabbed hold of my arms and practically drug me to the dressing room I hated so much.

I screamed an abundance of obscenities, and I probably looked like a psychopath to everyone watching.

The moment the door shut, locking me inside, I glanced around to see my stylists were already waiting for me as they quickly began to take the Harvester's gown off. When I finally climbed back into my own familiar attire, I felt a bit calmer.

Only a bit.

I paced the floor of the dressing room, after multiple failed attempts to pound on the door to open it.

I was fantasizing about every possible way I could kill my husband. Poison, stabbing, suffocating, electrocuting.

They all didn't seem cruel enough.

And then the door swung open, and Inanis walked in, he said nothing, as he instead gripped my wrist, pulling me to walk beside him.

I struggled to break out of his grasp, but he was strong, and I was so angry I could barely think straight.

He led me outside through the back exit of the stadium, and practically shoved me into a car, and then got in after.

When the car began to exit the stadium parking lot, I spoke up again, "Are you really going to kill him because you're mad at me?"

"Don't flatter yourself it has nothing to do with you." His voice was so cold and distant.

"You promised me you wouldn't kill him. You promised me he wouldn't be picked." It took everything I had not to attack him right here. I thought about what it'd feel like to bury my thumbs in his eye sockets.

"Enough of this." He shrugged me off, like I was a mere nuisance than anything.

Like he didn't just break his word.

He was Inanis Messor, he was the Bone Cutter, of course he lied. I should have expected it. Why hadn't I expected it?

I know better, so why am I so disappointed?

I knew he was acting quiet because of the pill he took. He enjoyed it when I yelled at him, I bet even me hitting him was something he would have found amusing if he were himself.

That only made things worse.

We arrived not at home, but at a very luxurious hotel. I realized this was the hotel they had kept me and my father in the night before he was sentenced to death.

The moment we stepped through the doors of the hotel; I felt an immediate sense of dread. It looked the exact same since the last time me and my father were here. I wished I never had to stay here again.

The bad memories were suffocating.

Inanis led me to the top floor, where the VIP rooms were.

Of course, he was the Bone Cutter, I was the Harvester, why didn't we have a VIP room?

Still, I felt strange staying in the luxury suite, when just a few floors down was Mr. Rodney, a man living his last day on Earth.

I stared at our room in awe. Everything was immaculate, luxurious, and way to fucking much.

Gold trimmings on the wall, spotless marble floors, expensive furniture, I couldn't imagine how much it cost to stay in this room for just one night.

I didn't want to know.

I was so busy gawking at the hotel room, that I almost didn't notice that there was only one bed. Of course, there was only one bed.

My heart still sunk.

I glanced over at Inanis, who sat on one of the couches, his face in his hands as if he were exhausted.

This is not usual behavior for him. This is not how he acts

His body language was so tired, and worn-out, that he almost seemed human.

I refused to believe it.

I crossed my arms over my chest, "So that's it?" I nag at him, "We're just going to wait here until tomorrow, where you'll slaughter a man who did nothing more than lust after a woman he wasn't married to?"

He said nothing, his head still in his hands, and so I continued, "Do you know how many politicians are involved with child pornography, have molested children, have been beneficial to the sex trafficking industry? But a man who cheated on his wife -who also cheated on him, by the way- is your big scary target?"

He rubbed his face with his hands, "Enough of this." He said low and quiet, "Just stop."

"Stop? You promised me you wouldn't kill him! You promised me you'd do what you could to prevent-"

Inanis suddenly shot up from the couch surprising me. He grabbed my arms, his eyes bore into mine, "Do you think I purposely chose him of all the sick fucks that could be in his place? Do you think I went behind your back and picked him just to make you angry? Do you really think of me so childish?"

I stared at him, wide-eyed. I have come to the realization that I didn't like Inanis when he took his medication. Not that I liked him much to begin with.

I narrowed my eyes, "You tell me."

We stood there, him gripping my arms so tightly I was sure they'd bruise. He wasn't backing down, and so neither was I.

Without moving an inch, he spoke up, "I've told you before, I don't choose who gets picked, I just do the dirty work."

"You've also told me you have to power to decline anyone."

"I already saved your father; I can't say no twice in a row, it makes me look weak. The Bone Cutter can not afford to show favor to just anyone."

"You told me you would."

"I was certain they wouldn't pick him."

"And yet they did."

He blinked, "They did."

"And," I say, taking a steadying breath, "There's absolutely nothing you will do?"

"I will not change what has been done."

"Because you're a coward."

He pulled his hands off of me as if I had burned him. His voice barely a whisper, "Things are not as simple as you think they are."

"Then explain to me."

"You do not get to save everyone, Mirea. You may be my wife, but you hold no power over who lives or dies."

I ran a hand through my hair, exhausted, and mentally tired of being angry, "That's exactly my point! I don't have the power to save anyone, Inanis, but you do." I took a step forward, we were only inches apart, and despite my absolute hatred for him, my betraying heart was pounding. "You can still choose to save him."

The look on his face was unreadable. I couldn't tell if he genuinely didn't care about what I had to say, or if it was the medication controlling him.

I reached my hand up on impulse and grabbed his arm. His eyes traveled to my hand, then back to my face.

"Why do you do this?" His voice was almost robotic, and I wished he would smirk his usual cocky smirk when I touch him, or at least insult me with his usual sarcastic comments.

Nothing.

"Do what?" I ask innocently, tilting my head to the side like I had no motive whatsoever.

He bent his head back slightly, "Why do you make me doubt myself?" He suddenly took multiple steps away from me, "Why can't you just let me breathe?"

I stared at him, unable to think of a response. I wasn't sure what he meant. It felt wrong to insult him when he wasn't in the state of mind to throw insults back. But then again, it was Inanis, and he doesn't deserve to defend himself.

And yet, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up from its previous perfect styling. He took a deep breath, "Jesus Christ." He muttered to himself, "I'm going crazy." Before I could stop him, he walked out of the hotel room, leaving me alone to think about what just happened.

I stared at the door, considering whether I should go after him or not.

I wasn't sure where he went off too, or if I should be concerned, so instead, I took a seat on the couch, and began to wait.