Heisenberg returned as promised, cleaned up, and dressed.

He brought some herbs and sat them on the floor in front of Irina, ordering her to eat them. The pain was unbearable, but at least she was breathing. Eating the stems of the herbs, she watched in interest as Heisenberg paced around the room, muttering something to himself that she couldn't understand. He faced her and pointed.

"I have to take you back to her," he stated.

What did he mean?

"That power of yours is no good to me if you don't know how to utilize it," he added.

Irina stared at him in confusion.

Was he delusional? Everything he was saying made no sense to her.

"Who are––"

"Don't fucking interrupt me," Heisenberg snapped.

Irina jumped in fear at his outburst as he strode over to her and leaned down, capturing her face.

"Lady super-sized bitch," he answered back. "I have to return you to her because Miranda thinks you are in her care."

She didn't want to go back, though.

Heisenberg growled. "And all the trouble I went through to get you here with that worm from the village."

Did he mean the woman she tricked? Did he chase her to the castle? Irina remembered her words; a beast took her from her town and attacked her. The beast must have been Heisenberg, and he chased her to the castle to distract Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters so that she could escape.

His grip tightened, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, releasing her.

Standing up, he urged Irina to do the same, but she disagreed.

"I can't go back," she mentioned.

Heisenberg puckered a brow. "Pardon me."

"Whether you like it or not, I am not going back to Lady Dimitrescu. You may have aided me in escaping, but it was my idea to leave," she sneered.

He hummed and reached down to bury his fingers in her hair, forcing her to stand with a scream of pain.

Turning her to face him, he gave her a heated look.

"You ungrateful bitch," Heisenberg growled. "You have no idea how lucky you are; how expendable you are to me without those powers. Don't expect me to show you any fucking mercy. I could care less what you want."

Tears gather in her eyes.

How come I am the only one not in control of my life?

"Please stop," Irina pleaded.

He released her with a snort.

"It would be in your best interest not to make me upset, darling. I don't have much control over the beast in me," he explained.

It seemed that she didn't have much of a choice but to do as he said, but perhaps Irina could make a deal with him. The chances of fleeing the denizens without her power were impossible.

"I want to see my grandmother; she's ill and doesn't have long to live," she explained with a sob. "If you let me take herbs to her, I will go back to Lady Dimitrescu without a fight."

He laughed. "No offense, darling, but you can't put up much of a fight against me."

He was correct, but she had leverage over him.

"I don't know the real reason you need me, but I doubt Mother Miranda will be pleased to hear that you kidnapped me," she argued.

Heisenberg curled up his nose. He tapped her cheek somewhat hard.

"I'm going to take pleasure in tearing you into ribbons when this is over," he mentioned as he leaned forward to sniff her.

Pushing Irina back, he motioned for her to follow him. Once she refused, he sighed in annoyance.

"You want to take herbs to your kin, don't you?"

Cheer filed her heart; she nodded in eagerness.

"Then come the fuck on," he sneered. "I have no idea where your kin lives."

Irina gathered the remaining herbs with a grunt but remembered that she was not suited to visit her grandmother. She was a mess.

"I have to change and bathe," she declared.

Heisenberg sighed in annoyance.

"We don't have time. You can leave the herbs on the porch," Heisenberg mentioned.

She was saddened, but at least he was letting her take the herbs to Vanda.

"Can I at least write her a letter?"

He grunted, strolling out of the room. Irina considered following him, but he returned moments later and handed her a sheet of paper, a pen, and an inkpot. Irina wrote her grandmother a brief letter, telling her that she was doing fine and no longer lived in the village, but she hoped to see her soon. Once she finished, she let Heisenberg know, and he urged her to follow him, leading her from the room.

Glancing around, Irina stared in awe. The place she resided in was enormous, a skeleton of a stronghold, victim to the elements.

"Do you live here?"

Heisenberg snorted. "Fuck no. The pets live here, so I'd advise you to keep up. You don't want to get lost."

The pets? She ignored the need to ask Heisenberg, following him outside. The frozen air made her shiver, but she was glad to see the sun again.

"Where does your kin live?"

Irina hummed. "My grandmother lives near the reservoir."

"That freak resides in the reservoir," Heisenberg mentioned with a grunt.

He spoke so vaguely sometimes; everyone in the damn village did.

Leading her into the woods, Heisenberg hiked ahead of her; the snow crunched beneath his heavy steps as he moved along. Irina expected him to follow the river as she had, but he didn't.

"Does the lake not go to the reservoir?"

Heisenberg hummed. "It does, but I hear clanking ahead, so shut the hell up."

Irina didn't hear anything. Was someone else roaming the forest today? She doubted they were human. For some reason, this didn't scare her. Perhaps it was because Heisenberg was around. The forest didn't seem quite as frightening.

Trekking through the snow in silence, he led her to the reservoir and stopped near the tree line.

"Be quick about it," he ordered. "The dolls are wandering around."

Irina puckered a brow. "There are dolls in the forest?"

"I'm surprised you have never seen the dolls before. You won't forget them; they are creepy as fuck," Heisenberg explained. "And attentive, so go before they see me."

She nodded, leaving the tree line. As she ventured towards her grandmother's house, Irina remembered that she made a deal with Heisenberg, which she could not break.

Irina noticed something on the front porch as she approached it; a fat lump of green excretion.

What was it?

She puckered her nose in disgust. It reeked. She avoided the excretion as she sat the herbs down onto the porch, tucking the letter beneath it. Desperately she wanted to see her grandmother, to speak to her, but she knew that she couldn't. Tears burned her eyes. She wanted control over her life again.

Leaving the porch before she fled to Vanda, Irina returned to the tree line where Heisenberg was waiting.

"We should go," she said with a frown.

He said nothing and led her back into the woods.

Sooner or later, they returned to the castle, standing at the edge of the forest near the bridge.

"Heisenberg," Irina called to him.

He hummed, acknowledging her.

"Lady Dimitrescu is going to ask where I've been," she mentioned.

She's going to be mad.

"Tell her the truth, that you went to see your kin," he answered back.

Irina frowned. "And the injuries?"

"Make something up. The bitch won't care as long as Miranda doesn't find out," he grunted.

Some help he was.

Leaving his side, Heisenberg reached out and grabbed her arm. "Don't run your fucking mouth; keep me a secret."

Irina nodded, and once he released her, sinking back into the forest, she rushed across the bridge and through the front door. So far, so good. She strolled through the entrance hall and into the foyer, standing at the base of the stairs.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Just how mad was Lady Dimitrescu going to be? Perhaps she would understand.

Irina took an uneasy breath and ascended the stairs.

It was time to face her.