Trails of Intertwined Stars: Chapter 74

~Chapter 85: What to Think~

"You think I'm mental too, don't you?" Leora whispered, glancing away in shame.
Jiu's shoulders sagged in defeat as he turned to grab the alcohol from the desk, along with the bandages.
"I don't exactly know what to think, do I, Leora? What I know is you're definitely not well. Being ill...it makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. You see that kind of thing a lot in battle, so it's quite possible you are; considering you've been isolated. On the other hand, that medication is rotten, made by an equally rotten git; you, yourself, even told me: once you take it, it makes you different. So, the medication's fault isn't entirely out of the picture, either. But, I know you well, and..."
Jiu glanced at her, his gaze serious.
"...I know Duncan is angry."
Leora stared at her hands and the blood that gathered in the cracks and grooves of her skin; her face pale.
"I don't remember doing it."
"You were likely asleep," Jiu sat on the side of her bed," Or, at least, not in control. Here, hold out your hands. This may sting a bit."
Leora held out her hands, hissing as Jiu dabbed the alcohol on, holding her still.
"Why he's angry with you, I don't know..." Jiu muttered," Do you?"
Leora shook her head, wincing at the alcohol," No. I don't know. But he's definitely after me, isn't he? All those hauntings, it's only ever been when I'm there."

"Precisely," Jiu muttered, snapping off a piece of the bandage with his teeth," He wants you to feel some sort of guilt, I suspect. I managed to speak to him briefly, he said you're his final wish."
"Me?" Leora frowned," My suffering?"
"You didn't kill him, did you?" Jiu whispered.
Leora's gaze turned cold.
"So...you think just like them, don't you?" She uttered, furious.
Jiu recalled how her family had surrounded her that day her parents died. He grasped her face in his hands, searching her fevered eyes.
"Not for a moment, but you can never be too sure," Jiu stated," I need to know Leora."
"No," Leora frowned," I didn't kill Duncan."
She looked deadly serious. Relief spread through Jiu and he gently let go of her, going back to wrapping the bandages around her fingers.
"Perhaps it's because he never did get to marry me..." Leora mumbled," Now I think about it, he must have arrived when Henry established his wedding."
"So, jealousy," Jiu murmured," He's angry he never got to. He's likely furious we're together."
Leora nodded," Likely, if he was still sour about it all. Well, whatever it is. He's after me, that's for sure. And he won't leave this manor till he gets his way."

Something behind the door made a creaking noise. Jiu immediately shot up, and went for the door, cracking it open slightly to peer outside. Nobody was there. His expression darkened as he shut the door.
"Was someone listening?" Leora asked, worried; gripping the bedsheets with her bloodstained, bandaged hands.
"Not someone, something," Jiu uttered, going back over to her bedside.
"You think it was-?"
Jiu nodded," Duncan. I'm almost certain. He's tormenting us and making us paranoid."
Leora sighed," What's the point in that?"
"He's a ten year old boy, he most likely feels a thrill about tormenting us," Jiu muttered, collapsing back onto the bed," When I spoke to him, he ate a shell of a bloody bullet. Wasn't exactly like it benefited him in any way. No, he just likes to do crazy stuff like that to mess with our minds. That's probably what he's doing to you."
Leora sighed, glumly," I wish I could talk to him, try to get him to understand. He was never a mean person. He...lost a lot in a short space of time."
Jiu's gaze softened. When he thought about it like that, he supposed Duncan wasn't all that evil; more just a kid who'd been through too much. Perhaps simply seeking the attention he'd lost.
"That's the problem though," Jiu murmured, sitting back a little," He won't listen, will he? You and I have both tried and he refuses to co-operate. He's a kid, yes, but he's a danger and you know it."

Leora glanced up at the ceiling, her eyebrows furrowed," I suppose..."
Jiu leaned over and picked up the flopped over plushie beside her on the bed. After the night's ordeal, it was a shame to see the old thing with smudges of blood covering it.
"You're right though, he is just a kid," Jiu muttered, staring at the fox," So we treat him like one. We get this kid to stop his poor behaviour. And that, my dear, is how to stall this situation."
Leora chuckled," Well said. I'm cold, and you have five minutes left; sit?"
She held her arms out, as if expecting for him to join her for those five minutes. Jiu smiled weakly, setting the fox plushie down and sitting beside her; wrapping his arms around her, letting her rest against him.
"You're much too ill to let me put my weight on you..." Jiu murmured, squeezing her reassuringly.
Leora puffed her cheeks," I'm not weak."
"You are, a little bit," Jiu chuckled," Besides, I'm a guy, I'm supposed to have more muscle than you. And, besides, muscle weighs a bit, no?"
"I suppose..."
Jiu hummed softly, his spare hand coming up to push her hair out of her face and feel her temperature. He kissed his teeth.
"Still higher than I would hope, but better than last night, that's for sure," Jiu murmured.

Leora frowned," It's not like I've had a day without a fever, so far."
"You seem dreadfully prone to them," Jiu sighed," It scares me..."
"Why? It's just a fever."
"Fevers have the potential to go extremely poorly, extremely fast."
Leora let out a sigh, resting her head against his chest," I won't let it."
"Afraid that's not something you can choose to control, dear," Jiu laughed, yet there was an undercurrent of worry in his voice.
Leora let out a weak response as Jiu fiddled slightly with a curl in her hair; glancing at the floor. Her isolation and medication. Yes. It was quite clear it was all making her much more ill, and Duncan could use that well to his advantage. That was what worried Jiu.