Heart Of Darkness

Chapter 46

She remained frozen as Lord Rayven walked by her and began to head upstairs.

Tomorrow morning?

No. She couldn't leave. She had nowhere to go. When she turned back to ask him to let her stay a little longer, he had already left.

He had just walked by her. When did he even reach the top? She hurried upstairs to see if she could catch up to him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it was better this way. She had until tomorrow morning to think of what to say to him so he would let her stay.

Angelica returned to the room where she had been sleeping and curled up under the sheets. How could she let him know about her offer? It wasn't something she could easily say. She was in no place to negotiate with him; after thinking for a long while, she couldn't find a good way to say it. She would have to tell him as it is.

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep away the anxiety causing her to tremble.

"Everything will be alright." She told herself.

After a dreadful night of not getting much sleep and beginning to feel sick, the morning came. Angelica woke up feeling wet on her back and her hair. She was sweating, and her whole body ached. Her throat felt dry; she could only think of getting some water. She got out of bed and wobbled her way out to the kitchen. She took a cup and went outside to the water container. The fresh air felt cold against her damp skin, and she shivered.

Why did she have to get sick now when she needed her strength? Would Lord Rayven have mercy on her for being sick? She doubted that. Filling the cup with water from the container, she gulped it down.

It felt so good. She was burning inside. Angelica touched her sweaty forehead. It was a fever. She took some more water and washed her face. Then she looked at her clothes. She was dirty and probably smelling as well. A bath would be great, but that was a fantasy and would likely remain so.

Taking more water, she sat near the container. She unwrapped her feet, knowing that her wounds could be infected if dirt got into them. She examined them and was glad that they looked alright. After washing them, she passed the cloth and wrapped them in the fabric again. She knew her wounds needed better care but didn't have the resources for that.

While caring for her wounds, she was reminded of Lord Rayven's face. She felt her stomach turn at the memory. Who did that to him? Who would dare?

She was so confused. Was he not in pain? God knew how much pain her feet were causing her; she couldn't imagine how the face would feel. Could he even eat something?

Angelica sighed. That should be the least of her concerns now. She tried to get up and went back inside. She ate the rest of the rice in the kitchen even though it tasted strange. Keeping her stomach full would be necessary if things went wrong.

But after eating, she felt sicker for some odd reason. Her body became slow, her eyelids felt heavy, and her head throbbed in pain. She remained seated on the kitchen floor for a while, but the cold from the floor made her shiver. Getting up, she decided to return to the bedsheets' warmth. She wobbled through the hall, unable to focus on where she was headed.

Suddenly she saw a pair of black boots in front of her. She halted and slowly lifted her gaze. A couple of cold black eyes met hers. She could see the fury in them.

"I see you haven't left yet." He said.

"I have nowhere to go." She breathed.

"So you came here?"

She could see the confusion in his eyes. This place should have been the last place someone like her should come to.

"I... I wanted to see you." She said, even though that was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Looking at his scars pained her.