Trails of Intertwined Stars: Chapter 74 {Part 1}

~Chapter 57: The House's Anger~

As Jiu ushered Leora back to the manor, he couldn't help but smile at her expression. She looked so much lighter, and just happier. The entire time, she'd been looking fondly down at the ring on her index finger; smiling ear to ear.
"Here, let's not bother to find the guests," Leora smiled," Let's go to the kitchen, I'm quite thirsty. Would you like a drink too?"
Jiu shrugged his shoulders," I suppose it wouldn't hurt."
Leora led him down the servants corridor, down the cold, stone steps to the kitchen. Surprisingly, there was no servants in sight; which was odd considering there always seemed to be a couple occupying the room in the day. Jiu furrowed his eyebrows, confused, as Leora fetched them both a glass cup each and filled it with iced water as the supply of water from the river, for the manor, was extremely safe to drink.
"Here," Leora passed him the cup.
Jiu smiled, sipping it," This is wonde-"
"There you are!"
He recognised that voice. The two spun around to face the doorway in an instant, seeming the cold, sullen old lady make her decent down the stairs. She jabbed her heavily ringed finger at the two, reminding Jiu of a wicked step-mother in those fairytales he'd read.

"I had a feeling you two would be sneaking around the manor like doormice," Mistress Mohan hissed, grasping the railings with a boney, elderly hand," Being lovely and sabotaging your brother's wedding. Well that ends today! I've had quite enough of this behaviour, Leora!"
Leora slammed her glass on the counter, making Mistress Mohan and Jiu jump a little, as she crossed her arms over her chest," Try me, I dare you."
Mistress Mohan's scowl deepened. The old lady stepped her foot into the servant's kitchen, despite looking quite disgusted she had, and stalked her way over to the pair; like some, hideous, wrinkled vulture.
"Show me you hand, vulgar girl."
Leora glared at her.
"I said, show me your hand!"
With a swift movement, Mistress Mohan grasped Leora's wrist; digging her nails into the girl's flesh, which looked quite painful. The woman hawkishly inspected the ring on the girl's finger. She stared at it, before glancing at Jiu, then Leora, then back at the ring once more. With a beastly sort of speed, she pried the ring off Leora's finger, in one fell swoop; clasping it tightly, despite the girl's protests.
"Give that back!"
"You wish to humiliate us once before like your father did!" Mistress Mohan cried, loudly," To burden us like that, once more! How can you be so selfish, after everything we've done for you!?"

Jiu stared in horror, unsure what to do.
"Leora, don't fight it," Jiu pulled her back, urgently," It's just a ring. Besides, I've heard this woman's threats..."
Jiu grimaced, remembering how she'd nearly fired Edward.
"... it's not worth the trouble."
Mistress Mohan scoffed, she found a bowl of batter the servants had been making; and plunged the ring into the mixture. Leora cried out, Jiu swiftly restrained her.
"I forbid this," Mistress Mohan huffed, plainly, raising a distasteful eyebrow," I resent it. Poor Lord Bramston, if he knew."
"Lord Bramston's marriage proposal is against my will!" Leora cried.
"For good reason," Mistress Mohan scorned the girl," You, Leora, always do the wrong thing. To think you would follow in your parents footsteps, despite you-"
Leora moved suddenly, as if she was about to choke Mistress Mohan; Jiu had never seen the girl so furious. It was like watching a flower grow brambles. It was disturbingly cold and different from Leora. Jiu grasped her tighter, refusing to let Leora ruin her position over this.
"HOW DARE YOU STILL ACCUSE ME OF THAT!" Leora screamed, tears in her eyes," I WAS A TODDLER!"
"A toddler, with a terribly dark mind," Mistress Mohan scoffed," I have always despised you, Leora. You have never been part of my family. Besides, your parents weren't the first time, were they? After all, there was Duncan-"

Leora grew angrier; thrashing desperately against Jiu's hold," YOU LIAR! YOU HORRIBLE, WICKED WITCH!"
Mistress Mohan regarded Leora with a dark look; glaring down at her, though some meager pest that had torn her dress.
"It should have been you that day, who died in that river. And if such behaviour continues, I shall not hesitate to make my wish a reality. I, myself, shall drag you to those icy banks; no matter how much anyone screams, and make sure you, Leora, die just as he did that day."
Jiu froze in horror, feeling sick. He could tell that was not an empty threat; Mistress Mohan didn't seem capable of lying about her threats. Leora, too, ceased her struggling; eyes wide in horror. The room felt...darker, somehow. The wind howled furiously against the windows; causing them to rattle and tremble. It was like the house itself had been angered by the old woman's callous declaration. The old lady looked between them once more, as if confirming her words had been understood. She too seemed a little more tense by the harsher change of weather, but shrugged it off. With a sudden movement, she turned away and stormed off, out of the kitchen. Jiu finally relinquished his hold on the girl, when he was sure Mistress Mohan had left; letting Leora crumble onto her knees on the floor.

Jiu crouched to her side, his hand making his way to her back, without even thinking about it," Leora..."
"I'm not surprised she said those words," Leora mumbled," I'm not even upset about that, more...the accusations."
Jiu furrowed his eyebrows," What did she accuse you of?"
"Of..." Leora trembled, tears filling her eyes," Of... killing my parents and Duncan..."
Jiu stared at the girl, eyes wide. He suddenly remembered what Dorian had said to him that night at the theatre.
Dorian's grip tightened on Jiu's arm, his voice barely a whisper," Jiu, I never told anyone this, but... But Henry once confided in me that Leora was the one who found Duncan's body by the river. She was the only one with him that day."
Jiu brushed it off. Leora was a toddler back then, and besides, she wouldn't...she wouldn't kill anyone, let alone her own family; right? Then again, it did raise the question why they all treated her like that. Was it true? No. He felt ill even considering that Leora could be a murderer.
He gave Leora a weak smile, brushing off his worries, and thoughts he regretted," Come, let's take you back to your room. You need rest."
Leora stood up weakly, and made her way up the staircase. Jiu didn't move yet. He reached into the batter and pulled out the sullied ring, looking at it in between his fingers. Was he in love with a murderer?

That night, Mistress Mohan tossed and turned in her sleep; beside her husband. A cold sweat rose on her forehead, her breaths short and laboured. It was horrible. She could see them all, skeleton soldiers; surrounding her bed. The soldiers, Master Mohan's grandfather had killed during the civil war when creating Mohan manor. She could see them all. They surrounded her bed in the dark room; chattering their bones together angrily, slamming their rifles on the floor like a ritual of sorts. She couldn't breathe, her chest felt tight. Water was seeping in through the window; filling the room. Deeper and deeper. She could taste it on her lips; icy and uninviting. She felt a hand, made of flesh, not belonging to a skeleton; it squeezed her neck tightly, with a cold, death-like grip.