Testimony of Children (Alice Gray Book 2)

7

I didn't want it to, but it made sense.

For months Alice Gray had invaded my dreams, playing re-runs of the events of 1612. I'd only learnt their meaning since moving to Sheffield. Then, Jennet Device had popped in there, claiming her place in the sequence of my DNA.

Each showed only their own viewpoint, drawing me into their emotions, making me feel their reality. I was descended from both the accused and the accuser in the Pendle Witch Trials: the betrayed and the betrayer. A binary opposition. If only it was that simple.

It was tempting to see Jennet as bad, and Alice as good, but there was more to it than that. The others saw my father as a monster. Not me, I saw my own fate looking back at me with crazy eyes.

I needed to find a way to exist with other people. Jennet had done that. What if she was the key?

"Where do we go from here?" I asked, knowing that I needed every bit of information about Jennet Device if I had any chance of getting this power under control and getting back to a normal life. If that was even possible for me now.

"We need to follow up our research with a trip to the British Library to view some documents that haven't been digitised yet," Emily explained, having taken the lead in dealing with me. That had been the silent agreement between the three of us when I accepted their continued protection.

"Ok, I'm coming. It'll make it easier for us to progress with the research if you guys don't need to split your time between Sheffield and London to keep watch over me."

"Fine," Stephen said from the doorway to the kitchen, where he'd retreated when Emily took over their side of the conversation.

Surprised that my idea had been accepted so easily, I stifled the other arguments that were on the tip of my tongue. Looking over to Emily, I caught her rolling her eyes at Stephen.

"Sure," she agreed, "it will make things easier if you're with us twenty-four seven. Are you sure that you can cope with that?"

She had a point. Stephen as a constant companion would present a challenge. But, I couldn't see that I had any other options. I needed a break from witches and vampires. Stephen and Emily were the only other connections that I had.

Trying not to dwell on the sad state of my social life, I focused on the positives. It would give me the chance to escape Sheffield for a few days. I could sort my head out and try to get my powers under control. A little freedom from Thomas's distracting presence, sounded like heaven right now.

As if on cue, heavy footfalls quickly ascended the stairs. It was never going to take him long to find me. He had an uncanny knack of tracking me down. Something to do with sensing my essence. It sounded like a fancy way of saying he could follow my scent, and I really didn't want to think too deeply about that.

The priory was still Thomas's home. There was no way to hide from him here and I wasn't intending to try. In fact, I was surprised it had taken him this long to catch up.  Now all I had to do was convince him to let me leave.

To my surprise, Thomas did not just barge in. He politely knocked twice, and then barged in.

Stephen moved to stand behind my chair. Emily flopped into the other armchair and propped her head up with her hand. Weariness radiated from her slouched form. It made me tired just to watch her.

My skin tingled as Thomas approached. The reaction increased in intensity the closer we got until it became something visceral. Tiny particles of my life-force spun their web, climbing towards him. My organs buzzed and hummed, swelling with power, pushing against my skin as they tried to reach out of me to get to him.

The only relief was when we touched, but that was something that I wanted to avoid. My self-control would not hold up to much of that kind of thing.

Thomas looked at me like I was the only person in the room. The intensity of his gaze and the tension in his powerful body told me that I was not alone in the extreme physical stress caused by our proximity.

"Leave us."

Thomas's eyes pinned me where I stood, but the rumble in his threatening tone was not intended for me.

Stephen stammered an objection, but a growl so full of menace halted the flow of his jumbled words. Emily hauled him out of the apartment before he could recover his composure.

I swallowed painfully, my throat suddenly as dry as dust. Thomas stood before me unmoving. His defined jaw ticked with tension as he held my gaze unflinchingly.

It would be up to me to speak. I had run away from him again, and that was the thing above all others that Thomas could not tolerate.

And now I had to ask his blessing to leave him indefinitely.

Good luck with that.

Oh Alice, will she ever learn? 😉