The Fate Of The Marked

Chapter Ten

I watched the sun rise slowly in the sky. I knew I probably had a fever, but didn't really care. So long as I acted like I was fine, Derek and Jane would drop it. I hoped. I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

I was deathly pale, as always, and my hair was growing out from its buzz cut. The only color I had were two red splotches high on my cheeks. It almost looked like it had been scribbled on my face with a marker.

I showered again and dressed with clothes out of my bag, then sat back on the bed, head spinning. I still felt dirty. I couldn't wash away the sounds of the woman's screams or whispering voices. My legs were shaking. I put the necklace in my pocket again. It had stopped moving completely, but it felt just as hot as me.

For a moment, I considered trying to heal what was wrong, but changed my mind. It wasn't life threatening, just annoying.

But as the minutes passed, the pain grew. I didn't want to go back to sleep, to the voices. I closed my eyes and touched my temple. The pounding of my head might drive me crazy if I didn't do something. I had never fixed anything on the inside of my body before. It dawned on me just how wrong it could go. But it was worth a shot.

When it was over, my headache was gone, but I felt more tired than ever. It stood and swayed, before catching myself. The room felt too bright. I closed the curtains, barley seeing that the window was in fact a small door.

I slumped back on the bed and rested for a moment. The whole house was silent. I wondered how big it was. When I felt well enough, I stood and left the bedroom, walking down the curved hallway with a tall ceiling.

At the end was a massive staircase. I walked down it slowly, feeling more aware. The next hallway was full of pictures, in frames of all sizes. Well-dressed people of all ages, all serious looking, seemed to watch me as I passed.

The floor was checkered marble, but my bare feet made no sound as I passed over. I felt like a ghost, just wandering through. The next staircase led down to a open room with a TV and couches. The living room. Hesitantly, I walked through the rooms.

There was a kitchen, two studies, bathrooms, and a door that led into blackness. There was no light switch that I could find. I assumed it was a basement. The last door, and the biggest, was dark and wooden, with a elegant silver nob.

It led to a room that seemed to go up a few flights, filled with wall to wall bookshelves. At the very top was a skylight. There were a few high backed reading chairs and poufs scattered around, and a few desks. There was a wooden table covered in papers and open books. I ran my fingers over them.

The titles were in all different languages. Latin, English, German, French, and others I couldn't identify. I looked up again. There were small walkways with railings, connected to each level. I didn't go up any of them. I left and closed the door quietly behind me.

I went to one of the only other doors. It led to a back patio and a large back lawn. The grass was beginning to die from the cold. I stood in the doorway, shivering a little and blinking into the brightness.

Behind me, in the kitchen, there was a loud crash. I spun around. Bowls and a few empty glasses had fallen off the table. The bowls were spinning on the tile. Cups had shattered, glass scattered across the floor. I saw a black, fluffy tail disappear around a corner down the hallway. I stepped over the shards, feet stinging, and put a few of the bowls carefully back in their places, hoping it wouldn't wake Jane and Derek up.

It did. A few seconds later, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Derek appeared in the doorway, still in pajamas. He looked at me for a long second, then at the mess around my feet.