After Humanity

Bonus Chapters: Alice's Choice part 5

    "Now!" Torvald barked at the terrified girl. I watched as Rachel quickly disappeared around the corner, leaving me alone with a clearly agitated sibla man. I refused to let him see me shake. As I turned back to my Master's brother, I took a deep breath, forcing my tired body to stand tall, my gaze meeting his without fear.

    "Come with me," he said, turning to the house and talking up the main steps, clearly expecting me to follow.

    Inside I saw two sibla men talking. One held a Doctor's bag. My heart sunk. Something must have happened. Was this the moment I'd so feared since the moment Magnus's fell? Since he had left the world of the waking, his shallow breath the only sign life.

    "Wait here," Torvald ordered.

I stood as still as stone, my eyes transfixed as he went to the sibla doctors and spoke to them, too quietly for me to make out what they might be saying from a distance. Their face's seemed devoid of any helpful clues. Had the end come? Was my Master already dead? The man I had rescued. The man I had devoted my life to serving. The man who had become my true friend... I felt entirely numb as the possibility cemented itself in my mind.

    "Thank you, gentlemen," I heard Torvald say, "I will see you both soon."

    The two sibla men nodded as my temporary Master turned back to me.

    "Come," he commanded. I followed without a word, trailing after him like a specter as he continued own the hall and up the stairs and into Magnus's office.

    "Close the door."

    I obeyed, my heart pounding in my chest. I remembered the first years of my life with Magnus. How convinced I'd been every time he told me of a planned slaughter, that I would find my name of the list of those condemned, that he would break his vow of protection in favor of profits. He never had. Year after year, girl after girl, I had learned the fate of all those under my care. Learned the date of their death. And now, I might finally learn my own.

    As Torvald took his seat behind the desk I wanted desperately to ask him the question I feared asking. Had something changed? What were the doctors doing here? They hadn't been frequent visitors to the estate since they had stabilized Magnus's condition.

    "Sit," he ordered, nodding to the chair opposite him.

    I walked to the chair as if in a trance, lowering my body slowly. With Torvald's height, he towered over me despite his own seated position. I felt so small. So vulnerable. I was after all. Still, if this was the end, I was determined to maintain as much of my dignity as I could. I sat with my back straight, trying to affect as much stature as possible.

    "You went to see my brother yesterday, didn't you, Alice?"

    I felt my body tense. Of all the comments I'd expected, this was a complete surprise. How had he known? I had worked so hard to follow his command without running afoul, but I had indeed broken my vow to avoid Magnus's room and keep my distance.

The fact that being away from him when he needed me hurt more and more with every passing moment? The knowledge that my own negligence in looking after his health had caused his illness to advance so far was horrific, but it had been even more painful to be forbidden from helping rectify my mistake? It was horrific. I had finally given into my desperation and taken the risk of going to his side. And yet...I should not have done it. Not when I knew I might be discovered. That Torvald was watching me all the more closely to see if his stunt with Olivia might provoke me to step out of line. To give him the excuse he needed to do away with me for good. A sick feeling welled in my stomach as the potential consequences of my mistake overwhelmed me.