Her Fated Haunting (Mad Protector Series #2)

~Chapter 10~

AN: As promised! Hope you enjoy it, thank you for the awesome support as always, love you, guys!

Above is how I picture Elyse (for some reason the other picture disappeared T.T).

Fearsome Hamster

"Hold on there, young lady!" 

Madame Tildi yelled from the kitchens, making Elyse cover her ears.  The orphanage's head chef' voice could wake the very dead from their eternal sleep. She threw the door one last longing look and stopped her tiptoeing. Darn it, she had been so close. 

The floor creaked heavily behind her. She turned, innocent eyes big in hopes of getting off easy. Madame Tildi's lips where pursed tightly as the heavily-bossomed woman swayed the ladle in one hand while assessing Elyse with that shrewd look. 

"Where off to, young lady?" The woman's thick accent seeped through. 

"To the market," That's it, Elyse. Keep your answers short and you have a chance, the girl encouraged herself. Cerberus, the hound guarding the damned souls from escaping hell, had nothing on the woman guarding the gates of the orphanage, both in and out.

"What to purchase? Sister Ann had clearly recommended rest in bed for you. Some persky illness that would not go away, she said." Elyse congratulated the HeadMistress for the well-worded phrase. Technically, the Sister had not lied. That was if one considered said illness a demon with a penchant for wreaking havoc and taking her soul.

"Vegetables."

"What vegetables?" She inwardly cursed. In the wake of Sister' Ann advice, Madame Tildi's overprotective instincts were at an all time high. Hence the interrogation. Elyse shifted on her feet and blurted the first vegetable that popped to mind. "Carrots!"

The chef expectantly crossed her arms in front of her generous chest, tapping one foot on the ground. "Have plenty sacks of those down in the basement."

Darn it! "Uhh, I meant turnips," Elyse laughed, crossing her fingers behind her back. 

"Those are out of season and moreover you are allergic to them, Elyse," the older woman shook her head, the colourful scarf tied to her forehead askew.

Her shoulders dropped in hopelessness. "Potatoes?" The blank look she received told her the suggestion was yet another wrong answer. Madame Tildi's hazel eyes softened as they took in the dejected look in the girl's face. "Elyse, you should not overexert yourself. You are still recovering."

"Madame Tildi, I cannot stay confined to the same four walls for days. I need to go out, feel the sunshine on my face, breathe some fresh air. Otherwise, I shall go insane here, please. I promise to help you more in kitchen." As much as she could.

The chef raised her gaze skyward. After a long pause, she finally nodded. "We both know you are walking disaster in the kitchen, young lady. But, alright. Though, do not wander off too far! And certainly not with that troublemaker Samuel," Madame Tildi waved her ladle threateningly again, probably recalling her friend's failed attempts to get inside the orphanage's dormitories.

Ah, if only Madame Tildi knew Elyse was actually the more troublemaker one of the two ... 

"Thank you, Madame Tildi!" The blonde scurried towards the entrance before the kind chef had any second thoughts. Her joy was small-lived though. A solid hand stopped her merry walk before she could even pass the threshold.

Today is not my day.

The girl was sulking when she again faced the older woman handing her something. "You forgot you crutch, Elyse," the chef's eyebrows were raised.