Page 11 of The Time Of Queens (An Afterlife Story #2)

11

BEAUTIFUL DISTRACTIONS AND DREADED DREAMS

DRAVEN

“ G ods,” I hissed under my breath as I made my way back to the dining room, taking the long way on purpose. For I most certainly needed the air to clear my head from such folly. But that was what the girl did, for I had never known myself so out of sorts.

So, rattled.

So…

“…Obsessed.” I finished aloud, speaking the word and knowing the weight of it against my social ranking. Ha, if only she knew the truth of it. For I didn’t give a damn for my rank in the mortal world. No, it was the Supernatural one that stood in our way.

That and the promise of a Chosen One.

I swear, but the moment I had seen a figure sneaking past in a cloak, my feet had followed before my mind caught up with my actions. But then upon discovering who it was, I had to question why a grin graced my lips and they hadn’t curled in annoyance. Why had I been pleased to find the little lady’s maid in place of the Electus I knew belonged to me?

It was maddening!

Yet I had stayed and taken the opportunity presented to me to converse with her in private once again. The easy manner in which she spoke to me was as intoxicating as her scent was. And as for her intelligence, well that was just as attractive as her pretty face.

No, not simply pretty…

She was beautiful.

The face of a Gods be damned Angel! A face that haunted me what seemed like every second of the day. Which made no sense at all, for I had just found my Fated Electus, yet all I seemed to be able to think about was a girl I knew I was not free to claim. A mortal I could not have, for she was not the one fated to be mine.

Then why was I wasting my time and torturing myself? Because I couldn’t stay away, that was why. Just finding her in my office should have been enough to have vexed me. However, I found the only thing that did vex me was when she left it. Whenever she walked away from me, that was what irked me.

Well, that was not entirely true, I also disliked how she had the ability to have me acting so out of character. For I couldn’t seem to help myself in confessing my wishes around her. Like the way I had foolishly asked if she would stay at Witley Court if I asked her to. I already dreaded the moment that Pip and Adam would leave and therefore take her with them.

When they would take her from me.

But I was intrigued, for I wondered what would her answer have been had Adam not taken that moment to walk in, confirming her story about the snuff box. And I didn’t even wish to dissect why I had been so adamant in having her ride with me tomorrow, not willing to take no for an answer. Going so far as to shamelessly use my position as master of this house to get her to consent. No wonder my brother was worried for me. Believing all I needed was to wet my wick. But if only he knew the truth. If only he knew that my fear was that one taste of her would be all it would take for me to fuel the obsession. For I knew that in all likelihood, I would have never let her leave my room.

Something told me that she was worth far more than a single night in my bed, but instead an eternity in it. Hence why I gritted my teeth at just the thought, for I was losing all good sense!

In fact, the very last thing I wanted to do right in this moment was to sit down to dinner and play the part of the good host. Although the second I heard whisperings being spoken of the girl, I found myself stopping. Now, normally, I couldn’t care less about the comings and goings of the staff, much less give heed to idle gossip. However, the second I heard her name mentioned, I knew nothing could have stopped me from eavesdropping.

“Oh, so you missed Miss Williams playing the heroine then, for what a wonderful spectacle it made of Mrs Weathers, of course the horrid woman deserved it… I barely understand how the wretched woman even found a husband,” the maid said, slightly going off on a tangent as it was clear the woman didn’t like the cook.

“I thought he died?” The other maid pointed this out and honestly, I had no clue. In fact, I would have left my hiding place had I not been so desperate to hear even a slither of information on Keira. For I confess I was intrigued as to what I may find out. What was she like when I wasn’t around? She seemed very familiar with Pip, but then, most were who liked the endearing Imp. My sister included.

“Aye he did, and no doubt found himself an early grave as a way to rid himself of a life with her, that nasty wench.”

I nearly scoffed aloud at this. For I had seen Mrs Weathers for myself and yes, she certainly seemed to rule her kitchen with an iron fist. Perhaps she was being too hard on the rest of the staff, and it was something that needed looking into.

“Betsy, you mustn’t speak of such things,” her friend hissed in warning, obviously fearful for the maid being caught speaking out of turn.

“Oh, don’t be such a prig, besides, thanks to Miss Williams, the nasty cook finally got what was coming to her.”

Ah so finally we get the part that interested me.

“Why, what did she do?”

“Well, none of us expected it, mind you, especially not coming from Miss Williams who didn’t exactly fit in with the rest of us… but the second she took one look at Mrs Weathers hitting poor Fanny, she stepped in like some avenging angel.”

My hand found its way to my stomach as shock rolled through me.

“Nooo,” the other maid whispered, and I wasn’t the only one surprised by this gossip.

“Yes, she did, I tell you. For Miss Williams was having none of it!” the maid replied, making her friend blow out a breath before saying,

“Then she be far braver than I to go up against the cook, that’s to be sure.”

“Aye, me too. But nonetheless, she showed her what for. She snatched that damn rolling pin from her hand before it could land on Fanny and then she plum done threatened her with it. I don’t care what anyone says about her being granted special favours by the ladies of the house, I for one won’t hear anything bad said about her.”

My mouth dropped, as I had no idea that she had bravely prevented an attack on another. Why hadn’t she said anything? She could have come to me, and I would have… I paused my thoughts quickly, as why would she come to me? We didn’t have that type of relationship, I thought with gritted teeth.

“No, nor I,” the other maid agreed.

“What are you two doing lollygagging? Get down to the kitchens at once and fetch the water jugs. Master will be back any moment, ready to dine.”

The moment I heard my housekeeper’s voice, I knew I would get no more. But the story had me perplexed. I didn’t like the idea the cook was getting physical with the staff. Nor did I like the idea that Keira had almost borne the brunt of it by putting herself in harm’s way.

But then it did prove two things.

The first was the strength of her character.

And the second… perhaps it was time for Mrs Weathers to go.

That night, I had the most peculiar dream, one that started off well enough, for I was back in the stables after stalking a blonde beauty there. The conversation we had however was different. She was a lot more fearful of me, and that freeing conversation she had spoken of in my office was nowhere to be seen.

She had acted as if she were no more than a simple scullery maid of mine and when I asked her for her name, it was as if I had never heard it before. She had also concealed the sugar cubes, doing so as if she were to be punished for stealing them. As if I would have cast her from my house for such a thing.

But just like the real events that had taken place only hours before, I had also asked her to ride with me the next day. Something I had pressured her into agreeing to, just like I had earlier. Only our disturbance in my dream had been by John, the stable hand, and not by Vincent. A disturbance that I dismissed far easier than that of my brother.

However, this was where the dream started to take on a far darker tone, for the next day she had not met me in the stables and upon inquiring why, I discovered Mrs Weathers had gotten her revenge in the most brutal of ways. She had accused Keira of stealing my sister’s riding habit and had taken it upon herself to punish her.

I would never forget the sight that had met me when appearing in the wine cellar, seeing her chained to the wall and being whipped like a dog. Her back stripped of half her clothing as the cook mercilessly lashed at her pale skin. The anger that seethed inside of me had been like no other, for I had come very close to killing the cook outright.

However, the most I had done was to cast her out of my house without so much as a single item of her belongings. Then I had taken Keira into my arms and carried her to my room so as I could tend to her injuries. Touching her had been the only thing that seemed to anchor my turmoil for I feared I would have spiralled out of control had she not needed me in that moment.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t where the dream concluded, for it would have been a sweet conclusion indeed for her to end these horrific events in my bed where she would remain. But alas not, for I thwarted yet another attack on her by the same loathsome creature that had been cast out. One this time that did end by my killing her. Only in doing so, my Demon side emerged in his rage, and thus ended up being witnessed by the one girl I would have hidden it from. Naturally, she ran from me, making it to the tower just like my Electus had in real life. Reality mirrored my nightmares, for this time when she ran from me, she did so in fear of the beast I had become. Not the man she had once trusted enough to kiss.

But the worst was yet to come, as in the end, she stood near the edge and chose death over me. My greatest fear when finally finding my Chosen One. For knowing that she would be born a mortal had always clawed at my Demon… for what if she ran from that side of me?

What if she was repulsed and did not accept me?

What if she could never love a Demon?

And as I watched her fall purposely to her death, I roared out my agony as my greatest fears were given centre stage in my mind. A plague in which to eat away at my confidence of her ever accepting me for who and what I truly was.

Fear was an unforgiving beast after all.

Unsurprisingly, this dream haunted me from the moment it woke me, till the moment it was time to meet my reluctant riding partner. Too many times had the memory of the dream made me about to call off the ride. For I knew it was a fool’s errand to pursue this when I was not free to do so. But then her words from yesterday also kept coming back to me.

We are all slaves to our Fate, are we not?

What an odd thing to ask, for she had no idea just how right she had been. Even when I thought back to it, she looked as if it had accidently slipped from her lips. But what could it mean? Did she know something of the girl that had evaded me? I swear, every fibre in my entire being would have declared her as being my Chosen One in that moment. Of course, that was had I not already have met her and knew with a certainty that Keira wasn’t my Electus. Not now I had felt the connection between the one who had kissed me.

So why had I sent my sister’s riding habit to her, along with a time to be ready by? Why had I found myself dressed and waiting for her in the stables like my note had indicated? Why had dread filled my veins the moment she wasn’t on time? My dream instantly took hold enough to have me running into the kitchen and demanding to know where the cook was.

Worried faces met my furious one, one maid pointing a shaky hand towards the cellar and pure dread filled my veins. I had lost sight of all else as my anger hit new heights, for fear had me gripped once more in its icy grasp. Like the Devil himself had taken hold of my heart and was squeezing all mortal feelings from it. Because I knew that if I found out that I had been too late, and after the premonition I’d had, then I would have never forgiven myself. The guilt of it would forever change me.

It would change everything.

But in the end, it turned out that my premonition had meant nothing. For the sight that met me was the very last that I would have ever expected.

Fear be damned.