London.
She knows. Her panic thoughts tossed and turned around her head, sending waves of incredulity and fear through her. She knows.
Knows.
She knows now.
Alec, in a state of horror and disbelief, flinched back, unraveling her pale hands, stained with golden blood, and wrapped it around her wound again, and curled back instinctively. "I-I . . ." I don't want to die. She wanted to say. But for pride, she bit it down. She didn't want to die. It was the raw, full truth. No one wanted to die, no matter how harsh it is.
"Shush, it will be alright, we . . . we won't tell anyone. Bethany-" She indicated a wave of a hand towards a shocked and pale Bethany. "And Henry." Who . . . oddly, looked amused. Even Jennie, noticed this.
"Henry . . . why the, face?" Jennie inquired, removing her hand away from Alec.
"I may be naive, but I'm observant!" Henry said indignantly. He then softened up, and turned his kind, bright eyes towards Alec. "I promise - I won't tell a soul."
"I-I . . . but, you work for them-" Alec trailed off, she was overwhelmed.
"I serve Miss Jennie, too." Henry said.
Jennie clapped her hand. "Enough of this talk! Henry, make sure Isaac and Jules do not overhear us and enter. Bethany, hand me the cut up bandages please."
By this time, Alec, was far too stunned to even utter a word. They know. And they won't tell? She thought. Then thought, what if . . . they're jesting me? I'd be a mad fool to trust so easily.
Alec, felt a pressure on his stomach, and snapped her attention to it. "N-No! I mean - I'm fine. I'm -I'm breathing, I'm alive. I - I should go-" Alec could stammer no further, for the Jennie girl clamped a hand over Alec's mouth.
"Nonsense. Now Miss . . .?" Jennie drawled, waiting for Alec to say her name.
Shouldn't they know? Why, of course they would't know! If they knew who I was, I'd be hanged within a minute. "I- I . . Alec." Alec chose her words carefully. "Alec."
Jennie looked up, while holding up bandages. "I don't like liars, Miss." She said, but her tone was teasing and kind. "I was attempting to be polite. I know - we know. Alexandra." Jennie said softly. And slowly removed a protesting hand of Alec away from the wound. Jennie blinked twice at the wound. "Dear me . . . it's - it's . . ." She trailed off, looking stunned.
Bethany rushed over, carrying a damp cloth, looking frantic and like a man woman. "What is it Miss? What's the matter?"
Jennie removed her hand away from the wound on Alec, and Alec braced herself for the accusations. 'Witch', 'Devil', 'Unnatural', and all those horrid names that made Alec cringed away.
"It's not - nothing, it's just -" Jennie looked up, staring into the bright, worried, frantic blue eyes of Alec. "It's healed."
---
Henry was not there to witness the 'amazement' of a healed wound. He was outside, his arms crossed, and he was pacing around gingerly, his excitement and bewilderment all tangled in him. He had saw Alexandra Dalfroy, the infamous 'Witch'. He, and Bethany, were not of supernatural belief. He saw the blue eyes of Alexandra, and saw that it held no evil.
He had declared her not a witch.
But, of course, that was his opinion.
"Henry!" Jules called out, running up the stairs. His jacket was still on, and there was something smeared, something peculiar. "Henry, Henry where are they? Please, I must- I must see the boy!"
"Sir, I mean, Jules. Ale-he, he is fine, Do not fret and fuss." Henry said, trying to cool down the frantic Jules. Henry, who had worked at the Manor all his life, and loved it, never, had he ever, seen a panic Jules. The Jules he usually greeted, was calm and collected, an arrogant smile played on his lips, and his act was of someone who had seen the world twice, and claimed to see it again. He was the Jules, everyone knew.
But this was not the Jules.
"Do not fret? Henry, a boy, a boy who had saved my life, is now dying!" Jules was nearing shouting, his eyes broken and filled with guilt. Henry had to keep his mouth shut, from saying, 'No, Jules. A woman, a beautiful young woman saved your life. A woman who was declared a witch. But Henry just shook his head sadly.
"Jules- it would do you no good to make a fuss, at the least go to sleep, sir." Henry suggested quietly, his eyes drooping with speaks of sleep, but his mind was racing with energy.
"Sleep? Sleep is far, far out of the question! How could I sleep, when I could be the caused of death!" Jules was now shouting, his usually collected appearance was now a lost, seventeen boy.
Henry, ignoring the last part, walked over to Jules quietly in observation. "Jules, sir . . .your jacket, it's . . . stained with gold!"
Immediately, Jules snapped his head down to his jacket, and indeed it was, splattered, was a liquid gold, that glowed like light itself, like the tears of the lavish sun. Jules, slowly and carefully, wiped with one finger, and lifted it.
And it indeed, was like liquid gold, the only light in the dark corridor, that shined upon his hand. "How could this be." Jules muttered to himself.
---
"You know . . . you know now! You, you are sure to tell the government! A money on my head, a price so high!" Alec was whispering, but her voice was frantic and wild. "I'm . . . to die, but must be . . . must be for the best."
Jennie, gripped Alec's shoulders. "Miss Alexandra! I told you, we won't tell! I see it, I see it in your eyes! You are no witch!" Jennie's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"It's . . . it's true, Miss Alexandra." Bethany said quietly, standing next to Jennie. "Jennie would not tell a soul, Neither would Henry or I Miss, I swear on it." She gave a small, tired smile.
"How . . . how would you know?" Alec asked, defeated. Her voice empty, the pain in her stomach insufferable, but she ignored it. "You certainly have heard of the murder of Mrs. Wellington, of the train, of everything, Miss."
Jennie lowered her voice, and held Alec's hand tightly. "No witch, would risk their life for my brother."
YOU ARE READING
Defiance (BEING REVISED AND WRITTEN INTO ANOTHER GENRE)
Mystery / Thriller'I am a walking fatal sin. If you intend to know me, you would have to intend to know Death as well, I hear that he's charming.' -Alexandra Dalfroy. She's beautiful. She's an orphan. She's peculiar. She has silver hair and violet-blue eyes. She i...
