The air smelled of damp earth and the copper tang of impending frost, but inside Eve 's chambers, she could only feel the chill of isolation. she needed to see if Eddie was safe, after all she couldn't remember how she got home.
In the other room, Eddie lay beneath the heavy velvet canopy of his bed, his skin now resembling an over ripe tomato. The toxin had worked its way through him and left enough damage for doctor Aris to still wonder if it's permanent or temporary.
Clement stood by the window, his jaw set in a hard line. "a riot huh," he scoffed "the town is slowly losing it's good reputation," he grumbled. "What's next, witches freely roaming around?"
Eddie coughed, a wet, ragged sound. He looked to his father, his voice a rasping whisper. "Where…where is Eve?". He had lied to protect Eve. If Clement knew what she had gone through, what had happened to her, they would have a tangible excuse to cast her out of their home and they could even disguise it as an actual kidnapping. He wouldn't blame them, no one wanted to be associated with witches after all, but this was his sister, witch or not, he'd always protect her. Sophia sat by the bed, dabbing Eddie's forehead with lavender water. She didn't look at Eve, who stood in the doorway.
"Get out", Sophia snapped without turning around, she had had enough of her presence. "You have done enough damage by merely existing. If not for you, my son would be up and about right now, not fighting for his breath." She snarled
Eve who had been fidgeting by the door waiting for permission to enter the chambers, stiffened. She had heard enough to know what happened to Eddie was her fault. Eve knew they wouldn't let her enter but she still had to try. She couldn't help but think that what they said was the truth, if she had stayed behind and let him go to the town on his own, none of this would have happened. It was all her fault and she wished she could tell him how sorry she was
Late at night, Eve crept through the gallery. The floorboards groaned, but she was small and knew which ones to avoid. She waited for her mother to leave Eddie 's side before she slipped into his room, the scent of medicinal salves overwhelming.
"Eddie?" she whispered
His eyes flickered open. The fever had taken full hold; his pupils were dilated until his eyes looked like wells of ink. He reached out a trembling hand, his fingers cold.
"Eve," he chocked out. "Listen to me. You must…you must not tell them anything." He rushed to tell her.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, her small face wet with tears. "I should have held on tighter to your hand"
"No," Eddie gripped her wrist with surprising strength. "They are the ones at fault. Do you hear me? Them not you, you did nothing wrong. If you tell mother about the fire, I don't know what she might do. They might send you away, Eve. Promise me, promise you won't mention anything that happened at Oakwood"
"I promise," she whispered
"Good girl," he managed a weak smile, though a spasm of pain crossed his face immediately after.
For a moment, they both remained quiet. With Eve quietly sobbing and Eddie trying to convince himself that he wasn't hallucinating again. As long as he remembered, Eve 's eyes were always black, now they were grey. How?' he wondered. He knew it had something to do with what had happened the day before and if he continued with his thoughts, he might spiral into a rabbit hole. Eddie decided to cherish the time he had left with his sister, and make the necessary preparations for her.
"don't cry Eve, everything is going to be alright" he tried to comfort his little sister but to no avail.
"I'm still sorry Eddie, maybe I should have stayed home" she continued.
"And let you miss out on all the fun? Not a chance little sister" he managed a small smile and tried to ruffle her hair but a violent cough wracked him up. seeing him like this, she could only lower her chin in defeat. After a few seconds of silence, he called her name in a serious tone. "Eve,"
She lifted her head to look him in the eye
"I think it would be better if you stay as far away from fire as you can from now on"
She continued staring at him waiting for him to continue
"You came out of those flames untouched. If other people find out, they might do worse to you. Do you understand Eve."
"I promise Eddie,". She replied She knew whatever her brother warned her about, she would listen.
"When will you get better Eddie?" she had to ask. The manner in which he was speaking was nothing short of a goodbye and she could feel it
"I don't know Eve, but promise, even If I don't get better, I will be with you always, in more ways than one."
More tears ran down her cheeks. She was now having a harder time controlling her voice "I'll be all alone, please don't leave me. I promise to be good. I will stop talking, I won't make our parents angry. Please, I love you Eddie"
"I love you too little Evie. I love you so much but there's nothing I can do about it," he gasped, it was now getting more difficult for him to breath with all the talking. "I'll always take care of you even when I'm gone alright? So don't cry Eve" she continued sobbing either way "Now go. Before mother comes back." She nodded
As Eve turned to leave, the door creaked open. Sophia stood there, a candle in her hand, casting long demonic shadows across the wall. Her face was a mask of aristocratic fury.
"I told you she was prohibited from this room!" Sophia 's voice was a low, dangerous thrum. She grabbed Eve by the shoulder, her fingernails digging into the child 's thin chemise. She dragged her into the hall, shoving her toward the dark stairs. "You are a blight," she hissed. "a curse upon this house." Eve could feel her heart breaking but she knew whatever her mother said to her would not stop her from seeing Eddie again.
Sophia returned to the bedside, looking down at her dying heir. Clement later joined her, his face devoid of any paternal warmth for the girl crying in the shadows.
"Doctor Aris says the poison is stubborn," Clement remarked, his voice cold. "It is a pity. He had a bright future. The girl…the girl is a waste of bread."
Eddie looked at his mother, his heart breaking more than the poison could manage. "don't send her away, Mother. She is your daughter."
Sophia leaned over him, her eyes hard and bright. "You were a fool, Edward. You have risked the future of this estate for a bastard 's life". You should have left her in that place. You should have let them take her."
Close to dawn, the flickering candlelight cast a desperate glow over the desk as Eddie dipped his quill into the ink. His hand shook, a lingering tremor from the toxin but his resolve was iron. Eddie didn't know how long he had to live. He knew the limits of his protection, if the toxin took him, Eve would be defenceless against the cold whims of their parents. He pulled a sheet of heavy cream paper toward him and began to write. He knew Jack would deliver the letter safely into the hands it was meant for, he trusted the man with his life after all.
Eddie closed his eyes, the darkness of the room finally matching the darkness of the house called home. Outside, the wind howled through the woods, the only place where the monsters were easier to spot than the ones in the manor.