The Might of Evil Dreams (A Novel of the Elemental Chronicles)

Two - The Evil Outside

^^Above (clockwise from top left): Emily Browning as Arabella "Bella" Burke; Emma Corrin as Lady Violet Eden (pictured as Diana, Princess of Wales in The Crown series 4); Sophie Skelton as Emmeline (pictured as Brianna Fraser in Outlander series 5); Bradley James as Raymond "Ray" Kingsley.^^

Thomas

When I awoke, I was stiff and sore. The rain had gone, and there was sun shining through the windows now. Emmeline's fingers was still locked around my wrist, and my hand was completely numb. The door creaked open, making me sit up. Lucian was coming in with a tray set with tea things.

"How is the girl, milord?" he asked as he set it down and began to pour.

"She slept soundly," I answered through a weary sigh. "That's the important thing."

"Indeed, milord." He turned, holding a cup and saucer. "And you? Did you sleep here last night?"

"She held on to me the entire time. I couldn't leave her." I wanted to give her proper lodgings. The house had many empty bedrooms, after all, with no one to fill them.

"Poor girl." Lucian knelt down next to me, holding the cup out towards me. "Seeing that you only have one hand at the moment, milord."

"Thank you, Lucian." I took a sip, and instantly warmth began to spread into my limbs. It offered some relief.

Emmeline stirred just then, her grip loosening. That allowed me to sit up and have use of both my hands. I rubbed the numb one to get the blood flowing again.

"How are you feeling, Miss Emmeline?" Lucian asked, his brows knitting. "Would you like some tea, perhaps?"

"Tea," she said softly. "Yes."

I took my own cup from him and stood up. Both my knees unbent with a popping sound, and it made me wince to think I was already suffering from stiff joints. I was only two years shy of thirty, far too young for those kinds of aches and pains. But perhaps it was the war that had aged me prematurely, or the strain of the past months.

"I was thinking, Emmeline, that we should give you your own bedroom," I said, when she had her tea in hand and was sipping delicately at it. "How would you feel about that?"

"Alone?" Her hands tightened around the cup.

"Well, of course. What did you–"

"No." She shook her head. "Not alone."

Lucian and I exchanged a look. I set my tea aside and knelt in front of her again, steadying her hands. Her wrist bone was sharp against my palm.

"You will finally have some peace and quiet. It seems you've been through quite an ordeal, have you not? This may give you some time to recover."

She began to shudder, eyes filling with tears again. Vigorously, she shook her head. "Not alone," she whispered.

I released her, letting her curl in on herself. I had to think hard about where I'd seen this before. It'd been with prisoners of war many times – they would shrink in on themselves, shouting at us to keep away, eyes wild with fright. That led me to believe Emmeline had been captured, held hostage, even beaten and tortured by the look of her. Her eyes were hollow and haunted, as though she'd seen and experienced horrible things, unspeakable things.

"Lucian, have my mother's room made up," I said without looking at him. Hers was the closest to my own, and although I once told myself I would preserve it exactly as it was, that was no longer true. Not while we had a guest like Emmeline.

"Yes, milord." He bowed and went out.

"We will keep you comfortable, I promise," I said, giving her my hand. "Come. Let me show you. That may change your mind."