Poisoned Crimson

Chapter 36. Evangeline's Death

Chapter 36

''I take all that I want and all that I see.

It's a ruler's prerogative to torture his conquests, isn't it? 

I watch you inevitably spiral towards a dead end. 

Fall until you can fall no further, and cry''

''How is she doing?''

I entered the room carrying a tray with some tea for whoever wanted some, along with a handkerchief in a bowl of water. I had no idea what I was supposed to bring, so I just brought what I thought would help.

After Elizabeth fell unconscious we carried her up to her room, leaving Beatrice behind in the dining hall. Elizabeth was in pretty bad shape – and since she was immortal it scared the hell out of me. Her stomach was bleeding internally, and soon the sheets of her bed were soaked in her blood.

I put the tray on the bedside table, glancing over my shoulder. Benjamin was leaning against the closet with his arms folded, and Dominic was staring out of the window in deep thought.

I looked at the bed, at Elizabeth's somewhat peaceful and still unconscious face, and at Edward who was sitting next to her on the edge of the mattress.

His arms were covered in dried blood since he did most of the carrying. I observed his face, seeing the concern in his green eyes. Now it was definitely obvious he felt something for her. I think this caused the others to notice too.

''She's stable,'' he replied hoarsely, tilting his head a little to look at me. ''The bleeding stopped, and the wound is starting to heal.''

I sighed and placed a hand over my heart. ''Thank goodness.''

Edward just stared at me momentarily, before looking back at Elizabeth. It was obvious she was going to heal at some point, wasn't it?

I went to the nearest chair and sat down, feeling all the exhaustion crashing down on me. The past hour was so nerve-racking I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling my legs going weak.

''What did she do to her?'' I asked after a long silence, looking at Elizabeth. I still wasn't over the fact that Elizabeth got hurt, that she actually experienced physical pain. It just confused me so much.

''I thought you couldn't feel any pain,'' I said, looking up at Benjamin and Dominic.

''We can't,'' Benjamin said, his icy blue orbs burning through mine.

''But there is one object which can harm us, besides the sunlight,'' Dominic added while turning around to face us. His eyes were directly on mine just like Benjamin's.

I frowned, trying to imagine what it could be. Was one thing about all that superstition true? Or was it something I would have never guessed?

I silently urged him to continue.

''Elizabeth was repeatedly stabbed with a wooden stake,'' Dominic said finally, looking away from me to look at her. I glanced at Edward and saw him tense up. Even my own body tensed when I saw it all before me. Beatrice was stabbing Elizabeth like when she was torturing the Edgar doll.

''It can't kill us, obviously. If it's pierced through the heart and left there then that's another story,'' Dominic continued. ''But it can weaken us. We don't know what exactly it is that harms us, but it's something in the wood.''