Chapter Eight
Gratiana awoke the next morning, teary-eyed, with a wet pillow. She felt miserable, a feeling she wasn't accustomed to, and lonely. Someone knocked softly on her door. "Gratiana?" Lucient called. "Please, talk to me; listen to me." Gratiana opened the door a crack, eyes glittering with venom, then allowed Lucient to enter. The first thing he did was to catch Gratiana up in his arms and kiss her passionately. She couldn't help but respond, but soon pushed him away. "Don't touch me," she growled dangerously. "Silly woman," he laughed. "You can't expect to lead me on then stop when you want to." He smiled cruelly. Gratiana fearfully attempted to bolt out the door, but Lucient reached it first and locked it, putting the key in his pocket. "Don't make this hard on yourself," he warned. Gratiana's eyes widened in fear. Lucient was far more perilous than she had ever expected. "I love you ... and I know you love me. Don't let my past get in our way," he went on, his voice getting softer. Gratiana was backed into a corner, with Lucient in front of her, closing her in. He stroked her hair lightly, and then suddenly pulled! "You won't let my brother's death get in our way, will you?" he asked sweetly as she tried not to scream. "Lucient, don't do this!" she cried, prying his hand from her hair. "You're hurting me!" As soon as he let go, she softly laid her hands on his face. "You should have told me," she whispered in a light reprimand, smoothing the anger form his face. He slowly regained a look of heartrending misunderstanding. "I'm sorry . I didn't want you to hate me," he said. She laid one finger over his mouth, shushing him. "I forgive you," she said, half-lying from fear. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, finally recognizing the smell of liquor hanging off him. She led him out of the room, directing him back to his bed. * * * When she at last closed her door behind her, she angrily swept a glass vase off a table.
Gratiana awoke the next morning, teary-eyed, with a wet pillow. She felt miserable, a feeling she wasn't accustomed to, and lonely. Someone knocked softly on her door. "Gratiana?" Lucient called. "Please, talk to me; listen to me." Gratiana opened the door a crack, eyes glittering with venom, then allowed Lucient to enter. The first thing he did was to catch Gratiana up in his arms and kiss her passionately. She couldn't help but respond, but soon pushed him away. "Don't touch me," she growled dangerously. "Silly woman," he laughed. "You can't expect to lead me on then stop when you want to." He smiled cruelly. Gratiana fearfully attempted to bolt out the door, but Lucient reached it first and locked it, putting the key in his pocket. "Don't make this hard on yourself," he warned. Gratiana's eyes widened in fear. Lucient was far more perilous than she had ever expected. "I love you ... and I know you love me. Don't let my past get in our way," he went on, his voice getting softer. Gratiana was backed into a corner, with Lucient in front of her, closing her in. He stroked her hair lightly, and then suddenly pulled! "You won't let my brother's death get in our way, will you?" he asked sweetly as she tried not to scream. "Lucient, don't do this!" she cried, prying his hand from her hair. "You're hurting me!" As soon as he let go, she softly laid her hands on his face. "You should have told me," she whispered in a light reprimand, smoothing the anger form his face. He slowly regained a look of heartrending misunderstanding. "I'm sorry . I didn't want you to hate me," he said. She laid one finger over his mouth, shushing him. "I forgive you," she said, half-lying from fear. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, finally recognizing the smell of liquor hanging off him. She led him out of the room, directing him back to his bed. * * * When she at last closed her door behind her, she angrily swept a glass vase off a table.