CHAPTER 53: GRAB THE MAQBATH

The door closed behind them when Alastair walked in.

Aaliyah kept staring at the second man who looked exactly the same as her husband, with not a single difference in their appearance and sense of presence. One could even say...they were the same person.

Alastair let his hands fall to his sides, and Aaliyah’s back hit the floor. How she would have loved to scream at him for letting her go like that without warning, but this was her chance.

Quickly, she reached for the door and turned the knob but it refused to open. She turned and pulled but the heavy door remained put, like it weighed tons.

Whirling around, another lightening formed from the clouds, and the light fell into the room through the windows. She locked eyes with the other man whom was now shirtless, "It’s almost midnight," He said.

Alastair did not reply, instead, he walked up to him and Aaliyah witnessed something utterly mind-blowing and bloodcurdling happen. At first, Aaliyah thought the second man disappeared but that wasn’t what happened.

Alastair had walked into the second one like he was simply made of air.

They...merged.

There was an explosion of wind, throwing Aaliyah away with her back slamming against the wall. Her vision was blurry for the next minute, and the suddenness of everything brought back the loud ringing to her ears.

When she was able to stand up and did, she wished she hadn’t.

Alastair stood in front of her, but she could not meet his eyes. It felt as if the auras of both men had merged together to become one, making it difficult to breathe. The air in the room was so heavy she could feel her shoulders about to break.

How could all this be possible just from the presence of...one man?

Alastair took in a deep breath, "Much better," Even his voice was deeper than before.

"W...who are you?" She took a step back.

"Well as you saw earlier, there were two of me. They’ve been two of me," He said smoothly, every word cutting deep into her ear. It felt like someone was Inserting needles in and out of her ears, "One comes to you in the morning...and the other visits you at night. They’re both me though. Just... having different jobs," He shrugged indifferently.

What was he talking about?

He saw the confusion in her eyes, "Didn’t you ever wonder why I was a little softer at night? That is before you survived the hollow and I became more kind," Now her eyes were trembling with disbelief, "There were two of me. The one who didn’t care, and the one who came every night just to listen to your heartbeat."

"That’s... impossible," She managed to force her gaze at his. But how could she bring herself to believe Alastair being two people all along was impossible when she’s witnessed other things that shouldn’t be possible too?

"You must know by now that the impossible to you is possible to me. You cannot be that naive and blind,"

Aaliyah pressed her back against the wall, wishing it would protect her, "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

Alastair cocked his head a bit, "Who am I? Your husband of course. And you know what I want from you. Why do you keep repeating the same question?"

"I cannot see the Maqbath! You think I can, but I cannot. I see nothing!"

"Liar," He spat out and was in front of her the very next second, making her squeeze herself against the wall even more, "Do you think I do not notice those times when you would glance down at my chest? It’s happened many times, Little Siren," His face pushed in, stopping at her neck, "Or that day in the bathroom when you got Carried away and tried to touch it?"

"I don’t know what you’re saying. Please, just let me go. I see nothing. I do not know what to do!"

His lips brushed against her neck, running up to her ear where he whispered with his burning breath, "All you need to do is pull it out. Pull it out, and I shall set you free. Grab the Maqbath...and pull!"

Aaliyah refused to yield. Her hand flew to his chest, trying to push him away but he was too heavy to move, "Why aren’t you listening to me? What do I have to do to prove to you that I cannot see what you think I can see? What?!" She demanded, tears lurking in her eyes.

This was all too much for her.

"Touch it. Try...and touch my chest. Directly over my heart. Stare straight at my chest without looking away, and lie to me again that you cannot see or touch it!"

Aaliyah was scared. He pulled away from her and they stared into each other’s eyes. Aaliyah thought at that moment that his empty eyes held nothing, and they could not feel anything...and that was a big pity.

An Empty Chest.

She tore her eyes from his and trailed down to his chest. Her hands quaked badly as she raised them slowly, heading for his chest. Every second of silence was filled with her heart slamming inside her chest, and her breathing hitched higher as her fingers got to his chest...and moved in.

He watched with intense concentration as they moved in, gaining closer and closer to where the head of the maqbath protruded.

And then, Aaliyah pushed in and touched his chest.

Alastair could not believe his eyes. He could see that her hands had passed through the Maqbath as if it were made of thin air, and looking into her eyes, he could not see the reflection of it.

That could only conclude that she had been right all along.

Aaliyah... could not see it.

Seriously? Had he gotten every sign about her being able to see it wrong from the start?

"There you go," Aaliyah looked up at him, "I assume I should be touching the Maqbath, but since I cannot see it I’m touching your chest instead. Now do you believe that I cannot see it and you got everything wrong?"

He was silent before he replied, "No,"

"I didn’t think you’d simply give up and agree," She sighed with an eye roll, "But what has been proven, has been proven. I’m leaving,"

She took a step to go, her fingers slipping away from his chest when they slightly brushed against something. Something that felt hard and long. Something...that her fingers had once gone through like thin air.

Aaliyah’s body shuddered badly, and she froze in her movements with wide blue eyes.

Slowly, her head turned to look at Alastair...and it was the first time in her life she was seeing a curve on the man’s lips. His eyes were also trembling like hers, but his were shaking from excitement. They were bright and big and horrifyingly...glowing red.

He was... smirking.

"I can never be wrong, Little Siren,"