A Kiss at Midnight

Chapter Twenty

Quick Author's Note: I feel it is important to acknowledge that the subject of harming one's self is mentioned in this chapter only because it is relevant to the background of one character.

Only last second she did managed to remember to hold her breath against the roar of water cascading down her face. Her raven curls flattening for they were no obstacle to divert the course of this waterfall. Yet its source wasn't a spring upon a mountain, no it was a jug of flaxen yellow which Carrick held in his hand.

The corners of his mouth tugged upwards, seeing Ilona's eyes squeezed tightly shut and puffed out cheeks.
"You look like a toddler in this moment," he commented, placing the jug on the floor next to his feet. He leaned against the bath's edge, one hand hovering over the water's surface to feel the warm breath of steam.

She opened her eyes to glance at him. "And would you know this how?"

"My siblings."

Surprise seized Ilona, holding her in place. The hand that had been reaching to brush a curl back from the ledge of one shoulder, fell to her side. Eyes widening. "I did not know you had siblings, Carrick."

Or why you did not think to mention them before.

Her thought must have shown on her face for Carrick let out a quiet sigh. "Micheal and Rita Ellis though I believe my sister has since taken another name. My brother was born within two years of me and Rita a mere year and a half after him."

To have several children in such a rapid succession wasn't without risks. Few in the Ellis household could forget the sound of Lady Sophie's agonising screams as she nearly lost her own life, bringing Carrick's sister into this world. Sebastian actually had the gall to blame Rita for this when the true fault lay at his feet for demanding another heir from his ailing wife at that time.

"When Mother recovered from the birth of my sister, we were thrusted into the care of governesses and nursemaids, her interest switching to that of fashion rather than our well-being but Micheal, Rita and I had each other. Until the night of a full moon when I unfortunately took the wrong turn home and stumbled onto the path of a pack of werewolves who didn't take kindly to my presence," Carrick continued, his voice growing flat, an attempted barrier against the pain of remembrance.

A soft splash.

"I wanted to be a man, Ilona not just this beast my younger self knew from the hushed voices of the staff that I was about to become."
His gaze dropped to his hands, his fingers shaking under the weight of his memory of that fateful day.

He continued, "A few days after the attack, I tried to burn the infliction away with a shard of silver from the broken mirror in the drawing room. Broken by my own hand."

The sound of glass shattering, a haunting echo in his ears.
His deep inhale as he lifted the jagged shard to his face.
The moment the silver pierced his skin, agony a riptide plunging him under. Over and over again.

"I thought there was no worst pain to endure then I saw my father's expression, heard his words."

"Get this misshapen monster out of my home!" The roar of his father's voice drowning out Carrick's screams. Sebastian's face contorted with a sneer of utter disgust, his nails biting into the arm of his trembling valet. Footsteps skidding to a halt at the doorways to the drawing room. Micheal refused to meet his brother's eye. Carrick's shaking hand reaching out for his sister who just stood there, one hand clutching the other wrist to herself.

Carrick choked back a sob. "I was a monster to them. Sebastian gave my siblings a choice. His wealth and connections or me and they chose my father."

Ilona nearly banged one knee against the edge of the bath in her haste to reach Carrick. Her hands flattening upon his cheeks. A snarl tore from her lips, tears rushing to gather upon her chin.