Burned at the Cross

Burned at the Cross ~ Ch. 2

        {[Alyssa]}

        I looked up from my book of spells that I was reading, startled. Glass scattered everywhere, as I searched to find who had dropped the glass. My gaze focused on a young man on by the doorway who stared at me in horror and surprise. I frowned and looked down to see if I had any mud splattered on me and then realized that I still had my cloak on, hood up.

        Now it made sense why he was afraid of me; I must look like the grim reaper!

        "It's not what you thi-" I said, trying to reassure him, but Loui jumped out from behind the curtains and started to claw at the man, growling.

        Still in shock, he tried to back up but was bumped into a maid. "Master Eamon, what was that noise?" she asked, then her gaze locked on me. "You." she growled, taking on a feral look. "What have you done to the Master?"

        I backed up, instinctively. The maid was obviously a Shifter as she stalked towards me like a cat, making me come into contact with the window.

        "I did nothing." I said, evenly, trying to get some sense back into her. "I was just reading, waiting for Aiden to-"

        "No one is allowed to address the Overlo- the Master, especially someone like you!" she snarled.

        "Maria!" a new voice snapped.

        We all looked towards the other set of doors to find a man around the age of fifty with silver hair. I stood up straighter, seeing the Master of the house and Overlord of the Shifters, Aiden Price.

        "What in the devil's name, is going on?" he asked, making his way towards us.

        "Master, it's a witch! She passed through our seals, and broke into here and did something to Master Eamon." the maid named Maria said, not taking her eyes off of me.

        Aiden glanced at me once and looked me up and down. I realized that nobody could see my face, still. Correcting that mistake, I took off the hood and revealed myself. He glanced at my face and his eyes lit up as he recognized me.

        "Lord Aiden," I said. "I apologize for causing such a ruckus, but may I introduce myself as Alyssa Bell. Your Gaurdian that the contract requested so many years ago."

        The recognition in his eyes turned to confusion. "But that was years ago; a whole different generation! We thought it'd be your mother coming to us."

        My jaw tightened. "Yes, well, my Mother left just before she was supposed to start the contract."

        "And you were the only one left, and you had to wait until you came of age?" he guessed.

        "Yes, sir.  I am the best that the Bell family can offer." And the only, I thought, ruefully.

        "Wait! Father, what is going on? Who is she? And... why are you out of bed?" someone asked.

        Oh. The boy that had been here originally finally found his voice and seemed to be confused, looking between Aiden and I. I frowned at him, wondering why he was so confused; hadn't he known that she was coming here?

        I glanced at Aiden to see he was looking regretfully at his son. Realization dawned on me, and made me stagger at the revelation that went on in my mind. "He doesn't know, does he?"

        {[Eamon]}

        "He doesn't know, does he?" she asked, amazed. The figure that I had thought the be death earlier, had turned out to be a girl. A girl who talked about things with my Father as casually as if they were old friends (which was impossible because, she only looked to be about seventeen).