Possession [H.S] ✓

Chapter Twenty-Four*

[Chapter contains mature content.]

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

~William Shakespeare, The Tempest~

(Quote submitted by @erinskittles)

Layla.

I felt like I tasted something sour, and it just wouldn't go away. Baby? Since when has he ever called me baby? I cringed at the word, it didn't sound right coming from him, not even in the slightest. And he's even repeated his words from the forest, the ones that claimed that I would be his.

Damaris claimed that he had lost his chance with me, but was that true? I frowned and looked at the note again. Of course it was, and I had an ache in my chest just thinking about it, however, that didn't change anything. He sent me away to the auction, and Harry bought me as his blood servant. That's how things are now, they won't change. Besides I'm not sure if I like his stalker like tendencies that he now seemed to have.

I read over the first line again, and tried not to cringe at the last word he used. Somehow I preferred a deeper voice with an accent calling me the word babe instead, it sounded better in my head.

If I were with you, right now, then I'd be wiping your tears away, baby.

He had to have been watching me, how else could he have known that I had been crying so much? It wasn't just something I did on a regular basis, well, around people. Once an emotional break down was nearing I always ran to the tree behind Catherina's house, that was my place. No one bothered me, not even Damaris, I was allowed to have those moments alone. But now I wonder if Damaris had been watching me from a distance, trying to make sure I was okay. I wiped my eyes, and sniffled, before looking around my room. Almost as if I expected for him to be there, just staring at me, accessing if I was okay.

Sadly, I wasn't sure if the him I was expecting was Damaris, or if it was Harry, but I got neither. Harry seemed to have been keeping his distance from me, and now I began to wonder if he knew something was happening. He had to have heard me yelling at Eleanor, if he could hear me mumbling to myself from the other room, he heard it. However, he didn't even show up. It was as if he left the house.

I folded the note back up and squeezed it in my palm as I contemplated my actions. I wanted to tell Harry about it, but I didn't want him to kill Damaris. As far as I knew, Harry wasn't searching for him because he seemed to have chosen to let it go, though, I knew that this would be enough to push him over the edge. He'd murder him right in front of me, with not so much as batting an eye.

And I also had to tell him about what Eleanor told me, that I was doomed for death or something else just as horrible. However, I didn't want bring that up, especially not after he had already told me that he would protect me at all costs. And I would have to tell him about Eleanor's strange abilities, which was something that she begged me not to tell anyone. Could I possibly do that?

Yes, of course I could. It wasn't that I hated her, I didn't, sometimes she may annoy me to no end, but I actually like her. She's not exactly the best female friend I've always wanted, however, she's been there for me, and that's enough. Regardless of all of that, right now I had to focus on my own well being, because if I died then Harry would also die in a matter of weeks. And if he dies, then this whole world would change for the worse. I couldn't let him die, not like this anyway.

I slowly got up from my bed and walked toward the door. Once I reached it, my fingers wrapped around the cool knob, twisting it very carefully before finally opening it. I took a deep breath, and looked around, hoping that he would be there already, just waiting for me to talk to him about what was bothering me. However, he wasn't, and that both scared and bothered me. Where was he? Surely, he had heard everything that was going on and that he wanted to come racing toward me.