I did not know when I passed out, but I woke up in that same fetal position, overwhelmed by a profound sense of helplessness.
I slowly pushed myself up and walked to the bath chamber.
Fatigue and stress clung to me like a heavy shroud, and a slight headache throbbed at my temples.
I confronted my gaunt reflection in front of the sink mirror. The toll of recent events had left me noticeably thinner in just a matter of days. Days that felt like an eternity.
I splashed water on my face and hurriedly returned to his chamber.
I found myself drifting toward the door and recoiled. His warning echoed in my mind. I backed away until my legs hit the bed. I sat down hard, heart racing.
Could I truly stand against him?
No, I had to. There was no other choice.
I looked at my healed wrist, then grabbed my shoulder. I felt nothing. The pain was gone even when I pressed it. With a quick motion, I pushed aside the neckline of my gown and my eyes widened. The ugly scar had completely vanished.
My pulse quickened.
I was clearly no longer human at this point.
My blood could injure Lord Fashire. I just needed to contain it and use it at the right moment. Then I would escape before he could reach my father.
But how?
The door opened, and I snapped to attention at the sight of Edna.
"Do lie back down," Her voice dripped with dry cynicism as she closed one of the double doors behind her.
As if on cue, the flames in the fireplace blazed brighter, casting a heightened glow upon the chamber. A wicker basket swayed from the crook of her elbow.
I noticed the fresh pair of clothes in the basket. "Thank you," I whispered.
"Do I look like 'your' servant, girl?" Her face twisted in disgust. "Just shut up, I'll be done and out of your way."
I tensed.
I literally just thanked her!
"I do not understand." I slightly frowned. "We've barely spoken. I haven't done anything to offend you—"
Edna scowled, shooting me a death glare that succeeded in unnerving me. She viciously dug out the clothes and flung them onto the bed in a dishevelled heap.
"Don't act so conceited," she snarled, her eyes narrowing into sinister slits. "You're nothing but human scum. I ought to smack you, girl—"
The words were out before I could help it. "I wonder how your Lord would react to that."
I stiffened and she straightened, both of us surprised at my outburst.
Lord Fashire alone was enough, I wasn't sure I could stomach any more abuse. She could not touch me without his permission. She wouldn't dare try it.
My only saving grace was that Lord Fashire wasn't here. If not, he just might have had Edna attack me to prove a sick point.
"You…" Edna gritted out in disgust. Then with a jerk of her head, she turned away from me. "Don't expect to last very long. The Lord's interests are short-lived at best."
She slammed the door shut behind her.
I put on the dress and not long after, she returned with supper. This meant my first conscious day here was ending.
My thoughts raced as I ate. Before Lord Fashire had caught me, I just had one month left before I was supposed to return home. If I failed to return to the village on time, my father would undoubtedly sense that something was wrong.
To make matters worse, I hadn't told him exactly where I worked. If he had someone come looking for me, the other Lords would find him first.
The fear of my father's untimely fate overrode my fear of disobeying Lord Fashire. Fully aware of the danger, I still ventured outside the chamber.
If I could only reach the kitchen, I might find a suitable container to store my blood. It didn't smell, so I hoped Lord Fashire would not be able to smell or sense it on me.
I silently crept along shadowed hallways, scanning and memorizing the layout of the place. I was going to check the nearest chamber where the servants had come out from. I just hoped I wouldn't meet anyone there.
Along the way, I was a little paranoid that any moment now, I would look back to find Lord Fashire peering over my shoulder.
I got to the door and reached out to turn the silver knob on the door when a chilling sight unfolded before my eyes. A hand shot out through the wood towards me, seamlessly phasing through the solid material. Shock rendered me speechless as it clutched the neckline of my dress and yanked me forward.
My heart leapt to my throat as I braced myself for the impact. But before my face could meet the wooden surface of the door, a sudden gust of icy wind swept through the air, causing me to shudder and snap my eyes open.
And there I stood, in the middle of a vast expanse of snow-covered terrain. The imposing silhouette of the castle loomed in the distance, while the night sky was covered in a thick layer of clouds.
And there, standing before me…
My eyes widened in disbelief. "Melody?"
"There's no time!" she hissed urgently, her voice barely audible above the howling wind.
Her dark hair whipped around her face, and without hesitation, she seized my wrist and pulled me along, urging me into a sprint.
My astonishment grew as I watched Melody's attire transform before my eyes. The maid's clothing she had been wearing disintegrated into ashen dust, carried away by the chilling breeze.
In its place, a thick white overcoat enveloped her, shielding her from the snowy wilderness.
Almost immediately, I realized that we were no longer running. Instead, Melody effortlessly glided through the air, propelling herself forward at an astonishing speed. In return, my feet never touched the ground. I soared just behind her.
I hung limp as she pulled me through the air.
How was Melody capable of this? What was she?
An icy touch sent sharp shivers down my spine, a sensation all too familiar, yet more intense than the biting cold surrounding us.
He was here!
I yelled, "Mel—"
My words died in my throat as a thin wall of ice erupted from the ground, slicing through the air with a sickening sound.
The icy barrier severed Melody's hand as it rose, the same hand that had clasped mine just moments before.
Terror squeezed the air from my lungs as I stared at my friend's severed hand in my grip
No. No. No.