Clay and Blood | Enoch O'Connor

Chapter 10

"Well aren't you just charming" Dalila spat with venom directed toward the boy who was putting the organ back into the gross liquid.
"He is weak...and he doesn't belong here with us" he simply replied without even looking at her. "And of course, you would dictate that" Hugh mumbled to himself.
"Enoch, you can't do as you please!" Fiona screamed, Enoch could no longer engage in this pointless conversation so he quickly made his way outside.

Everyone remained silent, no one dared to utter a word. Dalila looked around at the children who she loved more than her own life. Claire began yawning and the twins began rubbing the tiredness out of their eyes
"Come on dears, it's nap time" Dalila places Claire on her hip signaling the twins to follow.
She helped them all get changed for their nap and she tucked the three of them into their big bed.
There used to be another small bed that Claire used to sleep in, but she insisted that she felt somewhat left out and decided she wanted to sleep with the twins.

"You comfortable?" She asked them and they simultaneously nodded their little heads.
As she stood up from their bed she felt a small hand tugging at her skirt. She turned around and saw Claire with big sad eyes. "Claire? What's wrong?" She asked worriedly "Why do you and Enoch hate each other?" Her eyes brimmed with tears.
"What?" Dalila asked surprised "No...no, no, no, Claire" she sat back on the bed. "Me and Enoch are friends...we are just at a rough patch" She tried to reassure with a smile "Why is he always mad at you?" She asked...Dalila was taken aback by the question. Of course she knew Enoch didn't exactly like her, but knowing that even the kids noticed it made her feel uneasy "Well it's Enoch, what do you expect?" She said trying to make them laugh.

The children giggled, seeming satisfied with her answer "I hope you two will be able to go through this rough patch...so everything will be back to normal" Clair said as her eyes slowly closed.
Dalila looked at the peaceful faces of the sleeping children and began to think about what Claire had just said.
Maybe one day things could go back to the way they were...one day.

She made her way to the library, determined to find a book she hasn't read yet when she bumped into Horace. He still didn't forget their morning encounter where he had discovered her secret.
"Oh Dalila...hi" he said looking down at his perfectly polished shoes "Hi...look, regarding what happened before...I am not in danger, it's just a collateral affect of my peculiarity but it won't kill me" She lied straight to his face, she had no idea what this frost was a product of.

For all she knew, this thing could go away tomorrow just like it could never go away. She didn't understand why it developed now, she just knew that every time she used her peculiarity at extreme levels, not only would her nose bleed but there was a possibility for the frost to expand. Using her peculiarity became more painful everyday "I understand...even my peculiarity has somewhat of a collateral affect" he said and Dalila's ears perked up in curiosity.
Horace took her hand, making sure nobody was following them as he led her to the music room, not bothering to close the door all the way. "My dreams as you know are prophetic, and that does not really affect me...the problem comes when I need to project them" he hesitated for a moment, making sure to have Dalila's undivided attention, he motioned for her to inch closer, they were really close. He removed his monocole and took off what seemed to be some sort of contact lens, to reveal a very worn out eye.
Dalila's heart shattered...his eye was becoming blind...and nobody ever noticed. "Why don't you tell Miss. Peregrine?" She asked as she gently placed her hand next to his eye. "For the same reason you didn't... I never wanted anyone to worry about me...especially the children" he gulped at his own confession, he had never admitted it in front of anyone. He lightly shied away from her hand, embarrassed and disgusted from how his eye probably looked.

Dalila felt horrible, she knew how he felt perfectly. She slowly began to unbutton her white gloves, revealing the patches of frost that formed on her hands, she wanted him to understand that he wasn't the only one.
With that he took her hand and placed it back on his eye, the cold on her fingertips feeling nice against his skin. Dalila on the other hand felt as if he could get the wrong idea, but before she could say anything a scoff was heard next to the door frame. Her head whipped around hiding her hands behind her back. "Enoch, ever heard about knocking?" Horace said annoyed "Oh and why would I have done that? I would have missed such a touching moment" Enoch responded sarcastically.

Horace discreetly placed his lens back in his eye, and shoved Enoch out of his way. "Oh I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?" He asked with more venom spilling out of his mouth. Dalila scrambled for her gloves but before she could place them back on Enoch forcefully grabbed both of her wrists and held them in front of him, clearly looking at her frosted skin. His face changed to a softer one for a split second "What is this" he demanded, Dalila couldn't respond "I said what is this?!" He asked louder, his grip on her hands tightening. "Just a collateral affect" she replied as she yanked her wrists back "Its nothing"
"Have you told Mss. Peregrine?" He asked, Dalila turned around quickly to meet his eyes. "No...no I did not and you better not say a word to her or anybody else in this house!" She warned as she inched closer to him.
Enoch ran a hand through his hair in pure frustration "You are a blithering idiot, Dalila, really, truly" "Oh piss off, O'Connor" she made her way out of the suffocating room, making sure to bump harshly into his shoulder.