The Second (The Immortal Prophecies: Book I)

XXIX. Guenevere

Sweat--it became my new nightmare.

While mopping it from my face, Lincoln looked at the opposing wall, waiting for me to say something. Though he felt regret for my defeat, I honestly could feel anything but rage towards him. At least with some guidance from him, I wouldn't be as weak as I was before. He hadn't left me that bad either, considering the light patches of green below my covering undergarments.

"It's your turn to keep the end of our deal. What was all that stuff going on back at the castle?"

I breathed before I answered him, trying to hide my recovery. "I used to think of them as nightmares, before you came and told me what I was and it all made sense. It was building up to prepare me as the Hawk." Which is why I had been so baffled at the thought that what I had experience was a sign to discovering a part of me I had no clue about. "Did you have anything similar--after the change?"

"You could say that. I got pain periods--er, by that I mean there were times when I'd double over in pain for no reason. It's stopped for a while." Surprisingly, that gave me a bit of reassurance because at least now, I didn't feel as mental as I had before.

And on top of that, Bonnie was right--maggots.

"I'm certain they had something to do with it," I continued, grabbing my shoes. My shift with Maddie would begin soon. Hearing me, Lincoln stood still, watching me as I slipped my foot in my ancient year old shoe.

"Your parents. Why do you say that?" Reaching the door, I paused to look at him, reminding myself why my mouth had opened.

"If I say more, there won't be enough for the rest of the spars." And with that, I dragged my sore arse to the bakery down the street.

***

Sloppy residue from my cleaning rag stained the tables as I cleared them up one by one, returning the used dishes to the kitchen and repeating my cycle, breathing calmly as I rounded each area. It had been the first task I'd been assigned when Maddie's parents had let me keep a job here as a child, only now, I didn't have pesky coworkers, and the air wasn't thick. Regardless, the family kept a close eye on me as brief interactions with the customers met me along the hours, wondering how I would react--more due to the amount of men that had entered specifically before Maddie had let me eat and rest.

"You're serious about this, aren't ya?" She asked me, sipping on her water while I nibbled on something she offered me, some sort of savory biscuit.

"Well, I told you Bonnie and I needed something to sustain us. Besides, it's not difficult around here, and a bit of maturity does well for many--it was possibly all I needed." We remembered the day I didn't return because of the forbidding done by Dan, which led to my period of being enclosed from the world for several months.

"Guenevere, what you needed was that time, not maturity. Believe me, we felt so awful that day that if given the chance, we'd turn--" But pointing fingers this far past whatever accident, that was incredulous; because the blame had washed away into the Thames River, along with its igniting, sickening catalyst.

"Madeleine, what happened wasn't your fault. No one could've known what was going to happen the minute I stepped in here, eager for a responsibility I wasn't ready for...or the events after that. The point is, what's done is now the past, and there's a reason the sun rises and sets in one direction." Loosing my appetite, I threw whatever I had with me in the trash, straightening myself to return and begin with managing the register. "For what it's worth, you are practically keeping me alive with this chance, and that's more valuable than any incident." My hands shook as I brushed myself off, and I averted my gaze at my Scottish counterpart in order to keep my composure.