Killing On Command

Chapter 15

Alex didn't sleep properly, but she didn't mind. She could tell that the sun was shining outside and swore that she could hear a man screaming from across the river. It made her wonder what was going to happen to her in the war; how much screaming would she hear then, and how much of that would be caused by her? Would she suffer and turn into a pile of hot ashes when she was struck with a silver tipped sword? No. She'd been wearing  silver since her arrival and none of her limbs hadn't fallen off yet. The whole ordeal she'd been through kept running through her head like a forest fire. If there could have been one thing she could have, it would be to return to normal again.

But would anything be normal again?

She turned over and sighed as she heard the church bells from across the river. There was only an hour left before Requiem would wake her. Since the Lupine attack, she had been given her own room in the manor, which looked very similar to the room she woke up in the first evening. It was comfortable, but she didn't feel the same comfort as she felt back at the Inn. She was curious to find out how she could walk in the sun, but surely it was just while the venom set in her bloodstream. She didn't feel completely different either; her hands were still warm and she still had some colour to her skin, whereas Requiem was the most pale person she'd met. She was also nervous as to how Requiem planned to find out. He could have to run horrible tests on her, pulse electricity through her bones... She felt sick at the mere thought of it all.

After a few minutes of thinking, she sat up, pulling her messy hair out of her face and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't really see much, although her vision had adjusted for her to see the vague outlines of the pillows and mounds in the covers. Through the curtain (which had been torn by the Lupine the previous night), she could just see the candelabra on a chest opposite the end of her bed. With little thought, she got out of bed and lit the candles, holding the cool metal between her fingers. With one last look at Requiem's still curtains, she opened the door and stepped out into the coolness of the corridor.

Strangely, she could see that the candles in Maria's room had already been lit, but she decided not to disturb her at such an early hour. Instead, she walked down the corridors lighting the candles which hung from attachments on the walls every few strides. Once the hall was lit, she made her way downstairs and into the living area of the mansion. The decoration which the whole house seemed to posses was strange, although she hadn't noticed it before.

Above the white marble fireplace, Alex stared at a beautiful painting of Requiem. This must have been a very special occasion as he didn't have the gold and leather alchemy goggles he usually wore, nestled in the mess of hair on his head. It was at this point she realized how handsome he really was. In the painting, his eyes were a shocking green which reminded her of Artie, and he wore a crisp white shirt with a black tunic over the top. Even the cuff links in this painting were in precise detail. The painter who created the masterpiece must have been amazingly talented.

She carefully lit the candles around the fireplace and moved along, trying to shed as much light on the mansion as possible. She realized that it was getting dark. The only windows in this place were at the front of the house, and the natural light had completely faded from the room. In the distance, she saw the moon, a few days from being full.

"You're up early," Requiem pointed out as he casually walked down the stairs in his robe. Alex smiled awkwardly before placing the candelabra down on a nearby table. "I take it you struggle to adjust to the nocturnal life," He joked, handing her a black material robe which she had left upstairs.

"I guess. I'm not tired though," She admitted. "I think I just needed a walk,"

"And you still didn't burn when the sun from the windows hit you?" He asked her. She shook her head and looked down at the bare skin which was showing under her training gear (which she had put back on in order to be more comfortable while she walked around the Manor).