Obsidian

Obsidian - Part 1

Prologue

1878

The heat of the crackling fire burned her eyes more than the tears that were filling them. She'd heard her parents fight before, but this time it was worse. Angelique nervously fumbled with the edges of the furry carpet beneath her, sniffing her tears back in. Maybe if she went to them separately again, pointing out each other's point and reason behind their argument, maybe it would be okay then. But it would never be okay again. Azrael came snuggling around the arm she had planted on the carpet behind her to steady herself, purring. The huge tuxedo was always there when she needed comfort. Charles always teased her about her obsession with the cat. "One day I will find you two, him in a tiny dress and you stuffing him into a stroller, going on walks with him. He is supposed to catch mice and not be a doll to play with." He wasn't. Not to her. Azrael knew when she was sad, he could feel it and came to comfort her when things got bad and she didn't care if her brother thought otherwise. More screaming. Then a door slammed shut. Angelique got off the floor, picking up the tuxedo, trying to carry him with her to the kitchen, but he quickly struggled out of her hands and jumped onto the floor again, snuggling between her legs. She bent down to him, petting behind his ears. "I need to know what happened. Maybe I can help. It worked the last few times.", she said to him, then headed for the kitchen. It was a strange thought. A 7-year old helping her parents to stop their argument. It was even stranger that these things seemed to work, at least in the eyes of a child. She stopped at the kitchen door, slowly pressing down the copper handle and pulling until there was a fist-wide gap that she could peek in through. "Please, Sophia, be reasonable. There is nowhere you can go. I promised to make you a noble woman and I will. Think about your children. Charles and Angelique need you. She is only seven years old, how could she be without her mother. You might have never cared about Charles, so be it, but I know you love her. Please. Don't continue with this farce.", she had never seen her father so weak. He had dropped to the floor, begging her mother to stay. When Angelique saw her father on his knees, the moisture in her eyes started brimming over again. She wiped them with the sleeve of her dress. Finally, her mother cleared her throat. "Mr. Devonshire is divorcing his wife soon, he has bestowed me with more presents and pretty things in a few weeks than you have in seventeen years of marriage. He is a man to keep his word and I will no longer be your prisoner here. For far too long you had me locked in, you cursed me with children, ensuring I couldn't leave. When the boy came I knew I was lost. You don't know the nightmares I've had ever since he left my womb. The devil had lived inside of me and I let him out to roam the world." Her father shot up, furious. "He is your son! Why would you say such a horrible thing about your son!? You are out of your mind!" Sophia's face turned to stone. "Oh I know what he is. He is the one who caused my demise, when his little demonic limbs pressed out of my body, I knew he would be the reason for my fall. Men always are."

"What about Angelique?"

"She is the only reason I stayed as long as I have, but the girl is cursed. In a world of men she is doomed to face the same fate as her mother and I cannot watch her become a puppet of your will."

He sighed, "What is your plan? Mr. Devonshire is only a man himself, he may give you wealth, but you still have to abide by his rules."

"Not for long.", she said, a smile playing on her face, "He is old, he will likely not produce an heir anymore. You know these old gentlemen, they are clumsy. They often trip and fall, break a leg or two, and are bound to one of those bath chairs for the rest of their lives. If they survive the fall, that is.", her eyes sparkled in the shine of the candles surrounding them.

"You cannot be serious.", he trailed off. She ignored his remark and started straightening out her skirts hastily.

"Well, I must get going. I need to pack my things, Mr. Devonshire will send a carriage in about an hour and I haven't packed one thing yet." Evangeline got up to move as her mother approached the door. "Wait!", her father reached after her. She stopped, one hand pressing down the handle, but didn't turn around. "At least take Angelique. She needs you. She is a strange little girl and I am a busy man, I don't know how to take care of her."